Do you really know your Executive?

Posted On 9 Sep 2022

Do you really know your Executive?

9 Sep 2022
Welcome to September's edition of The Assistants Newsletter!

The Assistants Newsletter

Welcome to September's edition of The Assistants Newsletter!

Welcome to our very first edition of The Assistants Newsletter where every month we will be sharing the latest new openings, hot jobs, events and tips. Not forgetting a little something for you!

We hope you enjoy!

Much love

EST10

Do you really know your executive?

When to interrupt, when to say no and when to fit someone into the diary. The answer to these questions comes down to… how well do you know your executive?

As an assistant, administrator or executive assistant, our vital role and value is to make the life of those we support easier.

Problem-solving, facilitating information and workflow, acting as a sounding board, and ultimately increasing our team or executives’ productivity. It all depends on the preferences of the individuals we support.

Why knowing your executive is paramount?

Getting to know and really understand your executive or team is one of the most important skills to acquire to accelerate your performance. As assistants, our primary goal is to create the right space and dynamic, to help the executive to focus best on their priorities and objectives. When we know our executives, our ability to predict and plan for their needs is enhanced. We identify and mitigate their stressors, making us all more efficient. Reducing stressors are a godsend and by default provides balance and better well-being.

We can better support the strategic objectives and direction of the business. A deep understanding of those we support takes our ability to deliver to the next level, becoming your executive’s super power and that is no understatement!

It takes time and deliberate actions, including patience, to truly get to know your executive. This might be particularly challenging if you are supporting more than one person. As time progresses, you become better accustomed to learning and observing their nuances, stresses, working style, goals, etc., and develop a trusting and transparent relationship.

What you need to know

  1. What are their business goals, objectives and milestones – short and long term? Do you have a thorough understanding of what they are trying to achieve and their personal mission?
  2. Who is important to them, the who’s who? Chair, their boss, business partner, husband/wife? Know who has priority access and how you can access them.
  3. What are their priorities and values, business and life, and how can you better support these? It may be family, pets, direct reports, managers, clients, stakeholders, or investors. Or all of the above. These priorities may shift as the business and life change.
  4. How do they like to structure their day/week? Do they exercise and when, have reoccurring appointments or prefer meetings at certain times? Some executives find their thinking style better at different times of the day. Do you know what your executive’s preference is?
  5. How does your executive like to be prepared for meetings? Individual and company bio’s, reports, briefing notes? When do they like this information, the night before, the week before and in what format?
  6. Is there a way they prefer to communicate with you? Email, texts, face-to-face catchups. When is best to meet – first thing, evenings, or a particular day, when the workflow is less? Or maybe they prefer a more ad-hoc style, where the communication is spontaneous and flexible?

Regular catchups with those you support are a must. Asking these questions and identifying the answers provides valuable information. To note, there is never a black and white answer. Priorities and preferences change according to the demands of the job. So, keep alert, a step ahead and always be ready to adapt.

How to use that information

Utilise the information to create a work environment to support and uphold the wants and needs of the people you support. When managing diaries, create schedules to fit with the preferences. Having a template day and week can be useful. Use your knowledge of the individual’s goals and objectives when identifying meetings or tasks as priorities. Create a master list of contacts and allocate them a status, to easily reference and identify.

This is not an exhaustive list, merely a starting point! Ours is a busy job, so we hope some strategic thinking about how we do things can make your life a little easier and help you to become a rockstar admin!

Do you really know your executive?

What’s new….

The Porter House Hotel

Opening soon

Located in the heart of Sydney CBD, The Porter House is the newest addition to Sydney’s hospitality market. With its 122 rooms, brasserie, roof top bar, private dining options and event space, we couldn’t think of a better location for your next meeting or event!

 

EST10 Hot Job

Executive Assistant

$100-$110 package

Sydney CBD

This is a top-tier consulting firm that provides exceptionally high-quality services across the globe. This dream opportunity will see you join some of the best professionals in the industry becoming a key member of their team.

 

Most read this month

Our most read article on the EST01 blog is The good and the bad of headhunting.

An article written by Roxanne Calder for CEO World Magazine.

“We refer to it as headhunting to add mystique and enchantment, but it really is executive search…”

 

Upcoming events
Masterclasses

Masterclass with Luke Mathers – In this ‘Stress Reset’ Masterclass Luke will transform how people look at stress. 

11th Oct at 12:30pm

Luke is the author of Curious Habits’, ‘Stress of Teflon’ AND ‘RESET Choose YOUR story’. Learn to build resilience and embrace challenges, reframe conflict to find better solutions, Stress-free habit change and RESET the vision of your future self and align your team.

 

Masterclass with Liz Van Vilet’s – Taking the step from good EA to great EA.

9th Nov at 12:30 pm

Liz is the founder and trainer behind My EA Career, a consummate professional and renowned keynote speaker. In this must-see Masterclass, Liz will be focusing on ‘POWER Skills’ that take a good EA to a great EA.

 

 

And something for you....

Free yoga! 

Live life get active is a nationwide charity offering free yoga, cross-training and boxing classes in more than 100 communities.

Have a look and see if there is a class near you…

 

And something for you....

About the author
Roxanne Calder
Managing Director

As Founder and Managing Director at EST10, Roxanne has an all-encompassing role that includes building and growing the business, as well as actively recruiting and consulting.

After completing a Bachelor’s Degree at Monash University, Roxanne began her recruitment career with renowned recruiter Julia Ross. From there, Roxanne worked in HR and recruitment with a number of global players and boutique businesses throughout Australia, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong for over 20 years. She has been responsible for managing large teams and projects, implementing RPO models, managing and assisting businesses to an IPO and assisting companies in setting up their recruitment teams and processes.

Following completion of her MBA at the Australian Graduate School of Management, Roxanne launched EST10 in July 2010. In doing so, she hoped to combine the flexibility and high touch service levels of boutique agencies with the structure and strategy afforded to larger firms. Roxanne believes in high-touch, high-care consulting and is always on the lookout for consultants that share this vision of recruitment.