The traditional duty of a Leader Assistant (EA) has been to provide high-level support to their executive so that they can focus on the company’s main goals and priorities. By 2021 and further beyond, an EA’s responsibilities have broadened to include strategic planning, project management, as well as budget, office, operational, and HR management.
Successful EAs must, at the end of the day, raise their executive. This is something you learn when you take an executive assistant course online.
So, what skills should excellent EAs be learning right now to be relevant and ahead of the curve in the next years?
Executive Assistants: What to Expect in 2022
In today’s fast-paced, globalised corporate world, an EA’s function has evolved to develop to that of a project manager for the head of the company, while also contributing strategic value to the company.
The EA’s list of tasks has grown significantly from maintaining diaries, organizing travel arrangements, doing errands, scheduling meetings and appointments, and communicating on behalf of the executives. The job description now includes training additional administrative workers, managing events, assisting more executives or a larger team, and even having a genuine say in the company’s operations.
This newfound power may appear overwhelming to some, but don’t worry; most executive assistants already have the basic skills and knowledge required to be effective in this enlarged capacity. Ultimately, it’s about developing a solid grasp of how to apply and refine those abilities.
While basic skills like being detail-oriented, communicative, and self-sufficient are necessary, a great executive assistant today needs particular abilities to go a long way.
It entails being:
- A multi-tasker with a plan
- Very well-organized
- Resourceful
- Trustworthy
- Prioritiser with a hands-on approach
- At ease with the most up-to-date workplace innovations
These are only some of the qualities of truly irreplaceable executive assistants. Demonstrating your abilities in these areas will make you indispensable to your CEO and the company, as well as help you stand out among other executive assistants.
Providing solid assistance
It is critical for EAs to understand how they may assist their boss in becoming more productive and effective. Learning the company’s regulations and undercurrents, as well as remembering and predicting your boss’s preferences and demands, can help you adjust swiftly and develop a stronger working relationship between you.
With today’s technological advancements, there are a plethora of online platforms and workshops available to boost your productivity, reduce the risk of errors, and make your life easier.
A superb EA will go out of their way to ensure that they have the necessary and most up-to-date abilities.
Staying Relevant as an Executive Assistant
The key is to never stop learning. Keep trying to improve your skills and pick up new tricks and tools of the trade.
If you decide to attend a course, do your research because there are numerous options available, including short courses for a few hundred dollars. However, there are numerous complementary and free online learning platforms.
Joining conferences is another good way to meet other executive assistants and administrative professionals and learn from them about how to best adapt to this ever-changing role – you may already have a network of contacts from which you can seek advice, especially if you have unusual or difficult scenarios to run by them. Conferences and events, on the other hand, are a terrific place to start networking with and developing a network of EAs you can call on.
Above all, a solid fit between executive and assistant is critical, and establishing a wonderful working connection as evidenced by the EA’s current skill set will ensure success, relevance, and longevity in the administration field.
