Tips and Tricks to Help Unleash Your Best Inner EA
As you are hopefully aware, Capital EA has been running a fantastic EA Showcase series for the past few years. As part of this, we ask EAs from all levels to share a bit about their journey into the EA world and to provide some insights into what they have learned along the way, including any tips and tricks they have for other EAs.
So, I thought it would be a good way to start the year by sharing with you a summary of some of these very helpful and practical tips and tricks. I’ve really enjoyed pulling this together and taking the time to reread and think about these awesome tips and tricks.
Enjoy!
Louise
“Make sure you future proof yourself! Stay current with what is happening in your organisation and profession. Network and make connections with the people you work with. Never stop learning.”
“As you progress in your respective careers and develop the many professional skillsets required of an EA – ensure that you pass them on. Train others to the same standards that you value in the workplace and encourage others to achieve their potential. Mentoring junior EAs not only develops your individual competencies and resilience, but it also embeds positive attributes into the organisation and assists to build organisational resilience.
As a career Executive Assistant, I encourage you to be passionate about what you do; respect and invest in your personal and professional development and acknowledge that that the work you do each and every day is critical to the effective functioning of your organisation.”
“Don’t be hard on yourself if you get to the end of a busy day without crossing anything off your to do list. It is an uneasy feeling of not completing everything but in our roles we are always adjusting to external priorities.
Maintain your networks and build on them. Concentrate on those who are important to you and don’t waste your time trying to impress those who aren’t.”
“Your relationship with your Executive is key to a successful partnership. But there needs to be respect for one another, your roles and the value you both bring. Most importantly you need to value yourself.
Be proactive and show initiative. Don’t wait to be asked; look for opportunities and take measured risks.
And finally, enjoy what you do and who you work with.”
“Remember if you didn’t achieve everything you wanted to in a day, there is always tomorrow, if it’s not time sensitive, it can wait!
Know that you do make a difference!”
“Say thank you– it’s all about relationship management.
Get out of your chair– delete the email you’re drafting, walk down the corridor and get to know your colleagues.
Utilise the technology you have.
Avoid office politics– it’s just not a good look when you’re working side-by-side with senior staff.
Don’t forget about you– EAs cop so much from every angle so it’s important to think about your own wellbeing. If you are feeling exhausted / stressed, are in need of time off, or a situation at work is making you less effective, take a break or speak up.
Remember how valued you are and how much your contribution matters – we have the skills to support very senior people, and when they say they couldn’t do it without you, believe them.”
“Be the CEO in every area of your life (career, family, financial, health and spiritual) – by doing this it will help you to see the big picture, take ownership, find solutions and collaborate with work colleagues to get the job done.
Never underestimate your value and know that what you do as an EA is a valuable asset to the executive team.
Always try and go the extra mile and follow through on your word – this will show you are reliable, help you build trust and strengthen relationships.
Sometimes as an EA you see the good, the bad and the ugly so handle your position with responsibility and integrity.
Never stop learning and look for ways to continually improve yourself. You can do this by attending EA forums, listening to podcasts, finding a good mentor, reading articles to keep you relevant and on the cutting edge and learn to adjust with new innovation in technology.
Remember – you are valuable and investing time in developing yourself is important! EAs are really good at taking care of their executives, colleagues and fellow EAs but many don’t give themselves the same level of attention.
Be resilient– it’s how you bounce back that counts.
Persevere– success will always be hidden behind the last corner.
Life is short, love your job and enjoy what you do, have fun and support each other.
Last but certainly not least always have an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude can transform any situation and it’s the quickest, easiest most powerful way to impact change in your life.”
