My First EA Virtual Conference…not the way I had planned, but it was great! I was so excited to learn about ELS Forum – a conference for Executive Assistants…my people! My CEO had given me the opportunity to attend last year in Charlotte, but I had to pass it over due to a previous engagement. Luckily, ELS was able to transfer my credit to this year to attend. Then, COVID hit! I was sad and disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to connect with other EAs. However, ELS made it happen – a virtual conference that was amazing!
If you have the opportunity to attend any conference, event, or place where you can learn, at the end of the day – make sure to create a recap so you can show yourself and possibly those that paid what the ROI (Return on Investment) is and put it into action. It is not just attending, meeting others, and listening to the speakers. It’s about taking what was delivered and figuring out how to apply it to your life. You can always find something that you can improve!
Here is what I learned from the sessions I was able to attend!
Purpose, Passion, & Profit: Remembering Why You’re An Executive Assistant
This was one of my favorite sessions – why? Trisha Miltimore, Chief Passion Igniter of Contagious Leadership Training, was on FIRE! Here are my notes from her session.
Quotes from Trisha:
- Choose what matters most so you don’t have to worry about the least.
- If it doesn’t open, it is not your door.
- A lot of things have broken my heart but fixed my vision.
- Be yourself, learn, and know you are enough.
- Life doesn’t have to be so hard.
Look at how you approach things – is it that difficult – or am I making it harder than it should be? With awareness, we can change our mindset. You will have to struggle & sacrifice – depends on how you deal with it.
What do you want? I want to be a strategic partner that gives value. How do you want to feel? Happy, giving, supportive, strong.
Trisha Miltimore & Victoria Worsham
The GRIND Gang: Busy – Balance – Stress – Success
Busy: Ducks in a row or Squirrels at a Rave? Do you ever feel clarity thru the chaos? When have I felt too busy, and how do I feel?
Too many projects or everyone needs help now. I feel overwhelmed vs taking a breath and prioritizing.
Victoria Worsham
Find ways to create more space in your day. Where do I put more time & energy? Figure out how to give back results vs. checking tasks off. Habit Stacking (Atomic Habits – recommended book). Take a break during the day – to focus on what you are for than against.
Balance: One Life (Work/Home/Everything Else) It is all about bounce. Work is considered “me” time – especially if you love your job as I do! Make yourself lighter, and shift gears easier. Bounce from one activity to another – it really isn’t about balance.
Stress: How can I think about stress differently?
I want to… write a blog three times a week.
I get to… write a blog three times a week.
I choose to… write a blog three times a week.What is your want? … try it for yourself – Mind Shift!
Trisha Miltimore & Victoria Worsham
Stress can either make you grow, or it can hurt you. The choice of how you deal with it is your choice. I love changing the way of looking at stress and what I can choose to do.
Success: Matters to me.
What is something that I can change? How can we achieve the goal of getting success – in order to feel/experience it? Success does matter to me. I find ways to achieve success through the things I do that make a difference in my world (work and home).
The GRIND is a privilege.
GRIND Gang >>> GROWTH Gang.
We can change the way we think when we are grounded in gratitude.
Trisha Miltimore
There is so much to learn from this session. Sometimes we forget how much leverage or value we, as Administrative Professionals, have. Reset your mind to think about the GRIND and how you can turn it into GROWTH.
Interested in learning more? Check out Trisha’s website: Trisha Miltimore.
No Burnout, No Problem
Burnout is a leading topic in our industry. Emilie Aries, Founder & CEO of Bossed Up led a lively presentation. Here are my notes from her session.
What is burnout? How do we identify the warning signs?
Burnout & Exhaustion are NOT the same! Burnout is a state of chronic stress characterized by: “physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.”
Instead of making a To-do list… Make a Did List > Feeling more accomplished about what you have done vs what you still have yet to do. This is for sure a great nugget! I have adopted this and it has helped me see what I’ve accomplished for the week and be able to pull out some successes when it’s time to share at our leadership meetings.
Emilie Aries & Victoria Worsham
Americans work more late nights and weekends than any other country – are you guilty? I am! Working from home doesn’t help, either. We need to set boundaries – time limits for certain activities within our day; this will help with Stress and, hopefully, Burnout.
Audit Your Life: 4 Burnout Triggers:
- A lack of Agency – COVID, Company Ownership
- A lack of Rest – day, week, year
- A lack of Purpose – doesn’t matter (work), core values not aligned, success doesn’t equal me, feel important?
- A lack of Community – disconnected from one another
Putting our needs last >> figure out how to fix it. >> We as assistants are always putting others first – that is why we make great assistants. But, we need to make sure we take care of ourselves too! What are some things that you can do to make sure that your needs are not forgotten? I make sure to read at least 1 chapter of any book a day, I make sure that my meeting with my CEO is never canceled – yes, it can be rescheduled to fit everyone’s needs. What about you?
Emilie Aries & Victoria Worsham
Stress impacts people differently – here are 3 tools:
- Give Yourself to Take Back
“Success does not have to equal struggles.” Your productivity does not equate to your worth. Happier, healthier people work hard. - Identify Your Burnout Triggers
Ex. Back to Zoom meetings
a. Agency > no control over
b. Rest > break between them
Leadership is not derived from authority. Collectively we co-create a solution – be a part of it. Don’t let others take your voice. You are part of the team for a reason.
Ex. Co-Worker – what symbols of success do they exude vs. jealousy?
a. How do I take my story and my future back? I’m in control, not them. Be Assertive in your Communication.
Recognize life’s inflection points and make choices mindfully.
a. make sure you are the driver & aware of the risks;
b. own your power; leaving it to fate is not good.
Decide how to react. Delegate, Ask for help, Say NO. > Emilie presented a Ted Talk on the Power of Saying No. Saying NO allows you to say YES to other things! >> Absolutely agree; make sure to leave the room; otherwise, you will be task-oriented and miss out on big-picture ideas and opportunities.
3. Advocate for YOU!
**You are worthy of your best effort.** An act of self-preservation.
Do you know your value? Do you know what you are best at? Knowing what you bring to the table can help you grow, and then you can be in charge of you.
What are the triggers from my life? Learn how to subtract the negatives and build in regular renewals. Keep what fuels you and what will keep you refreshed.
One of Emilie’s activities while working on an example was using the SWOT analysis. For those of you who don’t know, a SWOT analysis is a list of your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. For most, we have used this to think about our company that we work for. Instead, turn it around and think about yourself. Knowing what makes up these 4 categories can inspire you to drive your career, keep you growing and be aware of who you are.
Executive & EA Roundtable: The Intricacies of a True Partnership
This session was a spotlight live conversation that was shared between the CEO, Jeb Keiper & EA, Amy Schnall, from Nimbus Therapeutics. It was interesting to listen to how they found ways to complement each other and discuss why they chose to make certain decisions that impacted each other’s roles. Here are my key takeaways.
As an Executive Assistant, our skills can transfer from one industry to another. Sometimes we limit ourselves by not sharing, thinking we are not good enough. This is so true! The best part of our field is that we can dream and take chances where we really want to be. As an Administrative Professional, we have the keys to a multitude of opportunities. Think about an object; how many hands does it go thru to get to you? Now, each one of those businesses has a pool of assistants to make it happen. Our field is everywhere!
Trust takes time; the Executive Assistant knows how to limit the Executive’s time. Follow-up and follow-thru, take responsibility and own it. Trust is a two-way street, be able to listen, perform, and create leverage. You need to have trust and be able to discuss topics you may or may not know. That’s okay. Trust takes time; it is the one thing that can turn your relationship from being a team to a strategic partnership. You must always have your Executive’s back unless it is unethical. This doesn’t mean that you can’t share your opinion or method. It does mean that you are the true keeper of secrets. You are held to a higher standard. Your Executive is putting his/her trust in you. This is an honor and a privilege.
Define your personal core values and ensure that your Executive understands and will agree to abide by them. This makes it easier to align and keep each other accountable. Core values for an Executive Assistant can be simple, don’t overthink. What matters to you most? Could it be what topics are open for discussion or not? Could it be how you are respectful of each other’s time? It may even be how you are considered to be of value and what you can contribute. It’s basic open communication and agreeing that you both are working together.
Allowing your Executive Assistant to help build your relationships. This can be the financial or legal contacts – we all know that our Executives don’t deal with the details. So we must connect and continue building relationships when they are out of the view of our Executive. We can’t see the future ahead, but we can continue to prepare for conversations in the future. Check-in with your Executive’s contacts. It can’t hurt to let them know you are still here if they need you.
Flexible thinking, what’s good for the company. As the Executive Assistant, you have to be willing to listen to your Executive when they see the shiny new thing. You also have to be willing to give them guidance when it may not be the right time for the company. You are the heart of the company; you keep your eyes and ears open. You help to facilitate the needs when others may not speak up. You may not know every detail but trust that you know enough to think about the effects. We are givers; we care for each other, and we lead when others won’t. That is a special gift that we have, don’t lose it.
Leverage your Executive Assistant. As technology improves and gets easier for your Executive to become more independent, remind them of their value. If a meeting needs to be scheduled, take on that responsibility. Their time can be spent better – focusing on tomorrow. If you have access to their email, take the time to understand what your Executive needs to read vs. not. How can you handle yourself? How can you free up their time so they don’t have to sort thru emails and answer simple questions? They have trusted you, act on it, own it. If your Executive has told you, you are my second set of eyes and ears, don’t shrug it off. Be it. Step up to the plate, find out the temperature of your company, your people. After all, it is you who he/she will come running to discuss the matters that you potentially could have resolved or made aware of sooner. It would be better to be proactive than to be reactive and stress yourself out for not stepping up to your full potential.
This was a great session to see how another strong strategic partnership works and how we can relate. The relationship between Jeb & Amy had very close similarities to my partnership with my Executive. Again, we all have comparable skills; we just work in different industries.
The Power of the Executive Assitant: Influencing Others into Action
If you don’t know the name, Erika Gilchrist, you need to!! What an inspirational and powerful woman. She is the Founder & CEO of Women Thriving Fearlessly (WTF). She has written several books, including Women Thriving Fearlessly in Business. She is a motivational speaker who brought great tips and advice to the ELS Forum. Here are my notes from her session.
Ask yourself these three questions.
1. What is your strength? Dedicated
2. What is your superpower? Crushing the details
3. What is your Executive’s pain point, or what are they needing to work on? Create collaboration between Executive and Leadership teams.
Now, put this sentence together…it becomes your Asset Statement.
I am a dedicated Executive Assistant who specializes in crushing the details so that my Executive can create collaboration between the Executive and Leadership teams.
Victoria Worsham
Just stop, think about that statement. This is who you are! Create a reminder so you don’t forget who you are!
Guiding Principles to Trust Your Voice:
- Know that being rejected is part of the risk. – “NO” isn’t so bad.
- See yourself as a Strategic Partner.
- Remember why you were right!
- Lift your chin when you speak (mean what you say).
- Decipher whose voice it is – do you believe what you say? (There will be times that you must be the CEO’s voice).
- Do away with the “Shoulds”…instead, Do it this way.
- Trust and respect is your goal, not being liked by others.
These are great principles to remember. The last one is the hardest for me. Sometimes, it can get lonely, but knowing that you are chosen for this seat has so much more weight in value. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you.
4 Types of Leadership Styles:
- Coaching: Focused on identifying and nurturing the strengths of each team member.
Blind Spot: Swift action may be a challenge because of microfocus. - Democratic: Makes decisions based on the team’s input.
Blind Spot: There are times when an executive decision needs to be made without input from the collective. - Strategic: Evaluate the company’s operations and growth opportunities.
Blind Spot: Daily needs of the team members can get lost. - Transformational: Taking the company’s conventional methods and transforming them.
Blind Spot: Lose sight of the learning curves of those needing more processing time.
What type of leadership style are you? Or are you a blend of the two?
Over the past few years, I have had a coaching type of leadership style. Making sure that others are nurtured. However, it is now time for me to become a leadership style blend of Strategic and Transformation. Since I am the eyes and ears, I will also become a transformational leader to ensure that the strategic team doesn’t move too fast, as some do not handle change well.
Managing Up – The art of building a better relationship with your Executive in order to influence decision-making. In what ways can you build a better relationship with your Executive? I make sure that I am open and honest; that doesn’t mean I’m oversharing my personal life or destroying someone else. It means putting on the Executive hat and sharing my thoughts and ideas to help influence the decision-making for my Executive.
Communication Style – what fits your Executive best? At the beginning of my role, my Executive and I set out a guideline for communication. Here are ours that you might want to put into practice.
- Email: used for external contact communication
- Slack: use if don’t need to receive a reply
- Asana: to-do’s, follow-up on projects
- Verbal: weekly meeting, touching base during the day
- Text: doesn’t need a call but of urgency
- Call: urgent
All you need is for your Executive to see you as a Strategic Partner, don’t worry about everyone else.
Erika Gilchrist
Such a great reminder. This was a wonderful session. If you get the opportunity to hear Erika speak, do it. She has a powerful story that has made her become the lady she is today.
What a fantastic virtual conference put on by ELS Forum! I want to thank you for putting together a great lineup of speakers who all had valuable information to share with the EA community.
If you attended the ELS Forum, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these sessions; comment below or send me an email: aspiringemail@gamil.com
Looking for more information? Check out my article: Administrative Professional Resources.
