Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a successful Executive Assistant (EA)? In this post, you will discover 7 essential and real-life Executive Assistant Skills you need to know about.
Executive Assistant Skills have shifted throughout the years primarily because of the advent of the internet and continuously developing technology. Today, there are two different types of Executive Assistants, one who has a traditional 8 am to 5 pm workday at a physical location, and the other is a Remote/Virtual Executive Assistant working entirely from home.
In this post, we will discuss 7 Real Executive Assistant Skills, most of which will apply to both types of EA’s.
Patience
Yes, EXACTLY…. patience is one of the most important Executive Assistant Skills you absolutely need to have. You need to be prepared so that not only your client but also other team members will ask you to do their tasks, and sometimes you might not immediately know how to resolve them. Be patient with yourself and do research. Youtube it, or ask Google. The world wide web is full of resources ready to be discovered. If you are asked to do a certain task, for example, ” I need you to update our CRM and add new customers,” and you do not know what all this means, stay calm and say, ” I got it,” and immediately do research ( Youtube, Google, etc.) and work on it. Of course, at any time, be honest and let your client and Team know that this is new to you, but you will figure it out.
Flexible
Being an Executive Assistant, especially in the private sector, is definitely not an 8 am to 5 pm job. If you are a Virtual Executive Assistant and your client lives in a different timezone, this will change your work times automatically. To be honest, Jobs Agencies often tell you to set your work hours from 8/9 to 5 pm, which is completely okay to do. With every client I had, I could never stick to that. I preferred to have more flex time in the afternoons and finish some work in the evenings.
Furthermore, you also need to be flexible in the type of work you will be asked to do. Calendar and Email management are daily and constant tasks but once comes Tax season around, you might be asked to gather tax documents for the Accountants. It certainly never gets boring.
Tech Savy
As mentioned above, Technology is a hard skill that every Execuirtve Assistant needs to have. This is especially important if you are a Virtual Executive Assistant because everything will be Cloud-based. Knowing Google Apps and other commonly used applications such as Zoom, Slack, Trello, Quickbooks online, and many more are essential Executive Assistant Skills. Coming Soon! Stay tuned for my upcoming How-To tutorials, which will teach you about the essential application tools for Executive Assistants.
Problem Solver
Remember, Solving your client’s problems is your main task. If there is a problem that your client needs to have resolved, use all of your resources to make it happen. If you are unsure how to handle them, try to consult with other team members and see if they have any suggestions. Also, do your own research and decide which solution would be most efficient and appropriate to resolve the problem. If Youtube, Google, or any other resource you can access does not resolve the issue, don’t hesitate to consult with your client and let him/her know that you suggest a subject professional get involved. A good way to start is by using your preferred search engine and looking up professionals, and don’t forget to read the reviews.
Empathy
This is another important Executive Assistant Skill (soft skill) that will make communication and the professional relationship between you and your client more abundant. After you get to know your clients, you will be able to know how they react to certain situations, what makes them more productive, what hinders them, and what times are the best to have a meeting (your client may let you know their preferences on the get-go but if you feel that these times given to you are not for your client…use your cognitive skills and suggest alternatives).
Time Management
Nearly all Executive leaders hire an executive assistant because they need help managing their time. This is one of the first tasks that are being handed over to you, so it is essential that you have the right tools and knowledge to be successful. Many apps can help you with your client’s time management more precisely, but Google calendar is a very good starting point. Here are a couple more tips for scheduling your client’s appointments:
- Never schedule more than one back-to-back meeting. Too many will just stress your client, and the meetings will become non-productive
- Ask your client about their ” Low energy hour” block this hour so your client can relax during that time and restore energy and focus.
- Timezones. If your client has virtual meetings, make sure when scheduling that you consider the other participants’ time zones. This Website WorldtimeBuddy is a very helpful tool that will make scheduling across multiple time zones a breeze.
- Make sure that you protect your client’s time. If there are too many meeting requests all for the same week, prioritize from VIP to sometime this week and the rest schedule the following week.
Organized
You need to have exceptional organizational skills to accomplish all of the above. While certain projects will be managed by a single person, other team members are often involved, making the project more prone to dysfunction. Luckily, platforms like Asana, Monday, or Trello make it easier to manage and navigate through a project with a team.
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