EA-Pros Week 35 - Research reveals what executives want

“A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction."

Rita Mae Brown

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EA INSIGHTS

Key Insights to Help You Thrive!

Recap of National Conference for Assistants
This is a photo from last week’s EAIgnite Conference where I was asked to speak on a panel of top contributors in the executive and administrative assistant space (a true honor). While attending there were quite a few takeaways that stood out to me that I’d like this network of assistants to be aware of. This profession is becoming more and more competitive by the day it seems—a testament to the wealth of talent rising and being discovered by executive partners (finally!). I want you to read through the following and really think through how you are taking advantage of what I believe, is one of the greatest times in history to be an assistant. Oftentimes, opportunities are only as good as our ability to recognize the moment. Don’t miss the wave.

What 275 Executives Wish Their Assistants Knew
I did a session on this topic based on a recent research we conducted where we asked assistants this question, along with the top challenge they experience with their assistants. The reason I felt this research project was necessary is twofold. First I think this removes the guessing game from an important equation. Second, if assistants are going to increase their value within the business, the easier path is knowing exactly what their partners consider valuable (even if you disagree with their conclusion). Here are the results we discovered.

1. Anticipation - we saw this trend repeatedly throughout the executive feedback. Leaders want to see assistants become more proactive instead of the traditional reactive approach of executive support. Now let me be the first to say this could easily be considered a very annoying feedback…if you get lost at the surface. Instead think of this as an opportunity, an invite to display the talent and skills you’ve always had but have never been allowed to demonstrate. One major area I see assistants becoming more proactive is in their professional development plan. The PMP and PACE certifications are good starts but begin to think outside that assistant box for other resources that allow you to separate yourself.
   

2. Preferences - the second trend we noticed was the desire for an increase in the ability to know the executive leaders’ preferences. Read their mind essentially (yep just like in those fictional adventure movies 😃). Seriously though, as unrealistic as this idea may sound on the surface when we took a deeper dive, we noticed that this desire is centered more around behavior and work style matching. Meaning, executives are looking to increase their productivity and performance, which means they will need to become much more efficient—many of them don’t have the know-how. Again, this is where your value will shine. However, to leverage this opportunity, you must know the different work and behavior styles. The four executive behavior styles in any business are the Decisive, Interactive, Diplomatic, and Analytical Executive. Commit these to memory, learn the ins and outs of these profiles and you will supercharge your value!
   

3. Communication - Finally, this was the top challenge executives mentioned. Executives are now looking for higher-level skill sets when it comes to advanced communication. There are three levels of communication. The first level is articulation, which is the level 95% of professionals reach. The problem is most never graduate from this level—worst many who are at this level consider themselves great communicators because they can translate thoughts clearly. This is a mistake. If you want to increase your value and opportunities, you must graduate to levels 2 (influence) and level 3 (persuasion). Those who can accomplish this will become valuable assets to their executive partners. Think about it, all the studies show that today’s workforce wants greater connectedness in the workplace (Millennials). However many executive leaders are operational-focused and don’t possess the necessary communication skills to boost their leadership trust and influence. This is where you come into play. By knowing their preference
   

Headstart
Because you are a part of this network of over 5,000 assistants (and growing), I’m going to give you access to the same resources I shared with attendees at last week’s EAIgnite conference—FOR FREE!

They paid to receive what you will now get an opportunity to take advantage of for free. It’s called the EA Value Pack. Inside you will find resources to help you address the topics shared above. This includes how to master your own behavior and working style first (under the Know Thyself resource). Take advantage of this value pack and give yourself a headstart on the competition.

COACHING MOMENT

Ask an Executive Coach

Every week I take a question from you and provide a bit of strategic advice.

Hey Joshua, what are a few ways I can add value to the bottom line of my business?