The Key Attributes of an Effective Executive Personal Assistant

The role of the executive assistant is one that has evolved in recent times.  From someone who just worked up through the ranks, the EA is often now university education with an Executive PA Diploma or similar high-level qualification behind them.  Whether you are looking to train for the role or build on your existing experience, what are the key attributes of an EA that employers search for?

Efficiency above all else

It is fair to say that the efficiency of an EA is perhaps their most key attribute.  You need to be efficient but also effective in what you do – this means not only managing your employer’s time but also ensuring they are spending it on the most effective things.  

People talk about ‘not what you do but how you do it’ – for a good EA, the aim is both.  There’s no point in creating a presentation for your employer in an hour if it takes another hour to clear all the mistakes and recreate it.  Or being ready with a flawless report the day after the presentation.

Business strategy

Understanding the formation and delivery of business strategy is something that top organisations desire in an Executive Assistant.  

The aim of senior executives is to have the right support around them to help them do their job well but also to easily adapt as goals and aims change.  The EA is at the heart of this support team and needs to have a comprehensive understanding of the language that senior management use.

Wider business issues

As well as the specific strategies and goals of their boss, a good EA will also understand the wider business issues and be able to act as eyes and ears for their employer.  It isn’t just a case of listening but also understanding so a good grasp of the priorities, motivations and issues of others within the company is something that will serve an EA well.

Problem solver

Whether you are a natural problem solver, or it is a skill you learn through training, it is an important one for an executive assistant.  

The aim of the role is often to solve the problems that are causing conflict in your employer’s work life – scheduling conflicts, problems within the team, issues with suppliers or other businesses.  By being a problem solver, you can remove some of these issues and ensure the most important ones are what they deal with.

Being influential

Even if you aren’t the EA for the very head of a company, there is still room to be influential both up and down the ladder.  There are seven key influencing tactics that are recognised by business experts and it is worth cultivating these:

• Consultation
• Ingratiation
• Rational persuasion
• Exchange
• Coalition
• Upward appeals
• Pressure

The key is not only learning about them but knowing when to use what approach to get the results that your employer desires.

Familiarity with technology

You don’t need to be a coding whizz as an EA but there will be an expectation that you have a good familiarity with the basics of office technology and are able to quickly learn specialist systems required for your job.  

For example, familiarity with Microsoft Office products or their Google versions is crucial as is the use of email systems, social media and various messaging apps that people use to communicate.  Calendar software and appointment managing apps are very popular and apps that help arrange and track travel can also be important.  

Depending on the business, video chat software such as Zoom or Skype as well as cloud software knowledge may also be beneficial.