Personal Assistants (PAs) and Executive Assistants (EAs) play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless operations, especially during trying times. With resilience and adaptability, they stand as pillars of support for their executives, navigating through times that can be challenging and difficult.
We reached out to seasoned PAs and EAs to glean their wisdom on how to support executives during tough times.
1. Maintain clear communications
"Open and honest communication is key," advises Anna, an experienced PA supporting a high-level executive in a big corporate firm. "During tough times, keeping lines of communication clear and transparent fosters trust and ensures everyone is on the same page. It means there’s no confusion and time isn’t wasted while mistakes happen or people are figuring out that they should be doing. Information sharing is absolutely vital."
2. Anticipate needs and prioritise tasks
Eloise is a seasoned PA in the creative industry, and she emphasises the importance of foresight and planning. "Anticipating your executive's needs and prioritising tasks accordingly can alleviate their workload and streamline operations, even in the face of adversity. It’s about getting to know what’s likely coming up and building familiarity. Then take a proactive approach to prioritising tasks. This helps prevent tough times, but when they happen, it helps ensure things go as smoothly as they can."
3. Provide emotional support appropriately
Toni, a dedicated PA in the finance sector, believes in the power of emotional support. "Sometimes, simply lending a listening ear or offering words of encouragement can make a world of difference during challenging moments. I often think the executive role is very lonely. They can’t show weakness and they have to appear confident and collected at all times. As a trusted PA, sometimes my role is to offer a sounding board, with utmost confidentiality."
4. Be proactive and flexible
Aisha stresses the need for flexibility. "Being adaptable to changing circumstances and ready to pivot when necessary ensures smooth sailing amidst uncertainty. The reality is that there will always be tough times in business. You have to face challenges head on and consider what’s needed of you in the moment."
5. Foster a positive work environment
Blake highlights the significance of a positive atmosphere. "Even during tough times, fostering a supportive environment boosts morale and encourages resilience among the team. Morale really affects engagement and as a PA you need to lead that in the organisation. Everyone pulls together better when they feel positive and engaged."
Being a PA or EA requires a unique and diverse skillset. Many of those skills are actually hard to pin down, but supporting an executive in tough times is really important. The PAs and EAs that excel are those who go beyond the ordinary to provide their executive with unwavering support.
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