It often feels like hierarchy and influence go hand in hand, but the capacity to influence others isn’t exclusively linked to stature and job titles. As an assistant, it may sometimes feel either uncomfortable or even impossible to influence others in the workplace, but it’s not necessarily the case. When we aren’t the most senior […]
How do you feel when someone gives you feedback at work? Are you open to feedback, or do you feel defensive? What happens when you have challenges at work? Do you face them head-on, or do you avoid the situation? As Assistants, we often come up against misconceptions about the role. How do you feel […]
Enjoy today’s Day in the life: Anna Dukes, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive at ITN, which is full of Executive Assistant Tips and Tricks. What are the main aspects of your role? My role is to act as a support/confidante to the CEO and executive team at ITN with all of the usual diary management, […]
“If you do not understand the benefits of difference, you will always align yourself to your similarities, and in doing so, you will miss out on the beauty that variety brings to the table.” This is a quote I came up with while deepening my knowledge in this interesting subject of diversity and inclusion. This […]
How often do you organise a video conference for your Executive or team on Skype? If you are using Microsoft Office, it is probably quite often. Well, today, I thought I would share with you the top five alternative video conferencing platforms that are available online. If you don’t have internal video conferencing software or […]
Assistants have buckets full of empathy; you wouldn’t be in the job if you didn’t. What I find is that empathy can often be taken advantage of by people who don’t respect what we do – be it, that colleague who wants your time or that Executive who doesn’t understand your role. Empathy can quickly […]
We all know how hard it is keeping on top of the never-ending to-do list every Assistant and their Executive seem to have. The work can be relentless but don’t fear; there are lots of fantastic apps available that can help you manage your to-do list. Tracking your tasks doesn’t need to be a complicated […]
A considerable part of an Executive’s job is to lead their staff, motivate and encourage them. However, this isn’t always the case. There are many Executive’s who are too busy, or under too much pressure in their roles to manage their staff effectively. There are also Executive’s who are very good at what they do […]
In most organisations, work often needs to be formally approved or signed-off by Senior Executives before the work can begin or the next phase of the project. Executives also have to accept leave requests, sickness reports, expenses, invoices, purchase orders and budget requests. The list is pretty endless, and it can take up a lot […]
A crucial aspect of being an Assistant is that ability to organise everything backstage so that others can shine. We are so used to being that support for others that quite often we are stuck in a bit of a rut with our own personal and professional development. I wonder if it stops us from […]