An executive assistant is an extremely valuable member of any company. Essentially, they handle time-consuming administrative tasks so executives can focus on more important matters. Executive assistants manage the schedules and communications of managers and company executives. They also help track task progress, deadlines, and action items so everything runs smoothly. On top of these duties (and many more), executive assistants must be well-organised and have excellent time management and communication skills.
Given the many demands of executive assistants, they need all the help they can get to stay productive. This includes developing positive work habits and employing various techniques colloquially called hacks. Put simply, hacks are methods that allow people to accomplish their tasks effectively and in the shortest amount of time possible.
If you’re an executive assistant and want to be better at your job, here are eight useful hacks you can try:
1. Create a Detailed To-Do List
As an executive assistant, you must know what you need to work on and when it’s best to do them. That said, it’s important to have a list of all your priorities and urgent tasks that you can refer to as you work. Depending on your preference, you can either use analog or digital tools.
If you’re going analog, you can simply create your to-do list in a simple notebook, jotting down any tasks you need to accomplish as you go. Should you prefer to go digital, you can use a project management tool that syncs between all of your work devices. One advantage that a digital tool has over an analog one is that you can more easily share your to-do list with other key members of your team. This helps make a list more collaborative and visible to all people involved in certain projects.
2. Set Realistic Deadlines
Whether you or another member of the company is responsible for a specific task, make sure to set a clear deadline for it. Doing so will help you or the other person know when the said task must be completed so as not to cause any unnecessary roadblocks or delays for the rest of the team.
When setting deadlines, consider how long each task will take and what specific tasks must be finished first in order to make progress on a particular project. This should help you set feasible deadlines for every item on the to-do list.
3. Schedule Everything Using a Calendar
Apart from creating a to-do list, it’s a must to keep track of events, appointments, and due dates by plotting them onto a calendar. This will help you stay on top of things. As with your to-do list, you can either go with a physical or online calendar.
If possible, though, consider using the latter, as it can provide several benefits that physical calendars can’t. Similar to online project management tools, many digital calendars can be shared with other team members. It also allows people to collaborate and easily send calendar invites to each other through emails. Once a schedule or due date draws near, attendees or members assigned to certain tasks will receive reminders via notifications. This helps ensure that no one misses important appointments or drops the ball on any particular to-do item.
4. Set Time Every Day to Regroup
Some days can be quite hectic when you’re an executive assistant. Even so, it’s important to take even a few minutes to regroup every day. Ideally, you’ll want to block off the last 30 minutes of your day to do some filing and to write your to-do list for the next day. Dedicating enough time to let yourself gather your thoughts helps you better focus on what you really need to do and determine whether you’re still on track.
5. Delegate Whenever Possible
It’s no secret that executive assistants have a lot on their plate. If you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the many action items on your to-do list, delegate some of your tasks to others whenever possible. For example, if you need to restock some office supplies, you don’t necessarily have to do this yourself if you have some more important things to do. Instead, consider handing this task over to the office manager. That way, you’ll have more time and energy to focus on the tasks that only you can do.
6. Take Breaks
Aside from learning how to delegate tasks, you must also remember to take breaks once in a while. Indeed, an executive assistant’s day can get quite busy. But even so, make sure to take a breather now and then. Dedicating pockets of time to relaxing and recharging can help you not only avoid burnout, but also become more effective at your job.
Similarly, remember to eat lunch each day, as doing so will give you the energy you need to accomplish whatever tasks you have left in the afternoon. Ideally, do this away from your desk so you can give your eyes a rest from staring at the computer for hours. This can help prevent eye strain, headaches, and migraines caused by looking at a screen for too long.
7. Set Auto-Reply Emails
Another productivity hack you can apply is setting up auto-replies in your email applications. Whenever you receive an email or calendar invite, your e-mail application will immediately respond with your chosen auto-reply message. This helps save you a lot of time by reducing the number of emails you need to manually compose daily.
The best way to use auto-replies is to use them to inform the recipient that you aren’t currently available, but that you’ll try to get back to them as soon as you can. This allows you to then reply to them with a manually written reply once you’re available.
This hack helps you stay accountable for all your emails without wasting valuable time replying to every single one of them just to say you’ll get back to them later. Additionally, utilising your email’s automated replies helps build your reputation of being dedicated to responding promptly and maintaining communication lines with your colleagues, managers, and the rest of your team.
8. Keep Email Contacts Updated
In today’s digital landscape, most communications are done through emails. This means you’ll receive and send lots of emails from many different contacts. As such, you’ll need to file and maintain a database containing all this contact information. As an executive assistant, you need to ensure your colleagues and boss have access to each contact’s updated information by utilising your email application’s contact information feature.
Fortunately, most email tools have automated syncing features that update contact information across all platforms. However, it’s still a good idea to manually go through your list of contacts and make sure all the data is still up-to-date at least once every quarter. It’s also good practice to check and cull duplicate entries regularly.
Being productive at work is very important when you’re an executive assistant due to your many duties. By utilising the right tools and applying some time management practices, you can make your life as an executive assistant easier. With enough practice, you’ll be sure to always produce excellent results while making the most of your time each day.
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