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Executive Assistants in Higher Demand

Wed, 27/08/2008 - 2:51pm — Joanne Grey

Angels, stars, superheroes – whatever we call them – they are the mainstays of our organisations. 

 “Anything juicy that gets my brain working is usually right up my alley,” says Executive Assistant, Karmyn Ingram.

Executive Assistants (EAs) are often enthusiastic, innovative, passionate and energetic. They are able to anticipate needs and are highly organised, staying on top of things – even when working in a high-paced environment. EAs need to be excellent multi-taskers, as they can be booking flights, planning events, and getting through a massive chunk of varied administration work – all on the same day, sometimes at the same time.
EAs are becoming so important, that even small businesses are finding that their productivity increases when they employ an EA. After missing one too many meetings, losing new business and being unable to spend valuable time on growing their company, many businesses reap top rewards after employing an EA – rewards that far exceed any costs involved.
Some EAs are even offering their services “remotely” or “virtually”, while others work for a number of small businesses at the same time.
EA for Teamworks Pacific, Karmyn Ingram, has an unusual role. As well as being the Director’s official EA, she performs functions for a team of six other consultants. Karmyn stresses the need for excellent communication as her number one priority.
Usually, her communications with the director are regular. She makes use of two Outlook Calendars – one for each of them. She adapts the calendar when necessary, inserting flight details, meetings, addresses, etc and then sends it to him as an email invitation. He accepts this, which means that both of them always have the same, up-to-date calendar.
She is involved in his life, knows where he is at any given time and is able to see a full picture of what he is doing. This allows Karmyn to predict his future needs and she can focus on reminding him.
Dealing with the other six consultants is slightly different. Consultants are notoriously bad at administration. Although Karmyn provides a necessary role to these geographically dispersed consultants, she does not always have the “whole picture.”
“You don’t always know the nitty-gritty bits,” says Karmyn, which helps with anticipating future needs and answering any questions that external clients may have.
Another important tip that Karmyn stresses is to receive the WHOLE job – and not only select parts of it.
“You often need the whole of it [the job] to understand exactly what needs to be done, fill in any blanks when they come up and answer questions”.
Time management is really important, too. By getting as much done during the quieter periods, and predicting future needs and requests, Karmyn is able to manage the busier times with ease. Maintaining a sense of humour and good coffee are her stress-busters.
Karmyn enjoys her work, particularly the problem-solving and finds it “the ideal job” for her.
 By Joanne Grey
© Joanne Grey – All rights reserved.
Click here for a discussion on the roles that EAs play in today's organisations: http://www.teamworkspacific.com.au/node/146