How to Be an Exceptional Executive Assistant - Part Two

Becoming an exceptional Executive Assistant takes more than just superb administrative skills - such as the ones that we covered in Part One of this two part series. It also requires skills to help you really understand the executive that you are assisting. Once I learned about my boss's quirks, my job became a lot easier.

You need to re-focus your beliefs about being an assistant from that of a person just doing the grunt work, and understand that you are actually working as part of a team. To be successful you need to be able to communicate well with your executive, learn patience and be 100% attentive to your responsibilities.

Here are some main points on getting to know your Executive:

Gain Their Trust

Be discreet and remember to be confidential when dealing with personal issues. It shows tackiness and low-class when an assistant gossips with the rest of the office about their executive's private matters.

Being dependable is another part of gaining their trust. Always be reliable.

Know Their Quirks

Get to know your executive, their likes and dislikes. I know my boss hates technology, so whenever he gets some sort of new gadget or software that he has to work with, I learn how to use it and then I show him the basics.

Soak up as much information as possible. I know what my boss likes to drink and what he likes to eat. He will usually ask me two or three times a week if I can go buy his lunch for him and he will pay for mine too. This is just a minor example but it is impressive to him that I remember this information and he trusts me more than anyone else. Plus I get free lunches out of it!

Communication

Don't be afraid to ask your executive questions or to speak up and make suggestions.

If you don't understand something, ask right away. Executives hate nothing more than the person who doesn't ask questions and tries to get the job done on what they "think" the executive wants. It's better to ask too many questions than none at all. This also shows that you are thinking through the process.
Tell him what is on your to-do list. If I have too much going on and my brain just cannot wrap around it all, he will usually help me prioritize my work.

Be Totally Committed

Be accommodating, go out of your way to get things done.

Be present in your job mentally. Don't think that you can come to work and that this is "just a job". Think of it as a smart career move.
Learn about the industry and your company, this way you will know what you are talking about and can contribute some decent input.
Be flexible, if your executive asks you to work late or to run an errand, don't complain in front of him. Just do it and get it over with.

Be Calm, Cool and Collected

Be the problem solver and remember to use positive thinking. When your executive is freaking out about something, he may not be levelheaded at the moment and it will be your responsibility to set things straight.

Be sensible, stay calm, and talk in composed tones. Never get dramatic when discussing a situation with your executive. This shows that you just want to solve the problem and move on.

Working as an Executive Assistant can be rewarding but there may be some times where the executive takes things a bit too far, maybe even slightly abusive. I would recommend that when that occurs, be firm - don't take bullying, stand up for yourself but at the same time understand the pressure and stress they are under. Sometimes they don't realize what they are saying and don't mean to take it out on you. If you stand up for yourself, you can gain their respect and it may not happen again.

Being an Executive Assistant is a great way to get into your business of choice, especially if you only have administrative skills and not much specialized training. It is hard work but worthwhile when at last, you get that raise and promotion and finally have an assistant of your own.

To read the first part of this series, go to How to Be an Exceptional Executive Assistant - Part One.