How To Bring Out The Best In Your EA
Your assistant is your right hand, an extension of yourself.
Routine maintenance on these three key pieces of your relationship make room
for opportunity, growth, and team productivity!
1. Increase the sense of loyalty! An assistant who feels loyalty to their executive will be eager to take on any task and show you what they’ve got; you will feel confident putting your focus on other important needs. Try increasing the sense of loyalty by:
a. Showing them you have a sincere interest in their career goals.
b. Providing specific and positive daily feedback.
c. Bring curiosity into criticism (if something doesn’t match your standard, ask a question like “Do you need anything from me to get this done?” to build trust and loyalty).
2. Increase opportunities for upward feedback. Since your EA is your right hand and a constant observer of your work, allow them to share their feedback. Seeing your genuine interest in your own growth will help them look for obstacles that you could get through with greater ease.
3. Encourage creativity. Be clear about which parts of a task need to be reviewed and which parts are in the EA’s full creative control. Allowing them to use their own creativity will foster more self-directed behavior, and will help take more and more tasks off your very full plate.
