When people think of a company like Apple, the first name that comes to mind is the late Steve Jobs. In the case of Microsoft, the name that comes to mind is Bill Gates.
Nearly anyone on the street can recite the names of the CEOs of most major companies—especially those companies whose main leader has become an icon of popular culture. But, rarely does the public know the name of the executive assistant that keeps the CEO’s job and reputation in good standing.
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Believe it or not, behind every successful CEO of a fortune 500 company, there is an executive assistant closely guarding the actions the CEO takes. This individual is rarely the center of attention, but they play such an important role in the company that up-and-coming entrepreneurs should sit back and take notes.
Whether they realize it or not, these entrepreneurs need a qualified executive assistant to help propel their company into a leadership role in their industry.
What Does an Executive Assistant Actually Do?
The executive assistant is an individual who wields a great deal of power as the right hand to the CEO of the company. It is the job of the Executive assistant to make sure that everything runs smoothly for the CEO.
If things start to run amok in the CEO’s daily routine, and they are unable to stay on top of their duties, then the executive assistant is going to be the one on whom the hammer falls.
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An executive assistant not only must gain the trust of the CEO, but it is the executive assistant’s job to anticipate the mood and frustrations of the CEO to make sure things do not get out of hand. They must also schedule and coordinate meetings, making sure everything is in place so that the CEO can do their part without being blindsided by some unforeseen difficulty.
This means an executive assistant must always be on their toes, planning for every contingency to achieve what the CEO outlines as the desired outcome of such an engagement. This is why a C-Suite Assistants Staffing Agency can help to match the right executive assistant with the right company.
Getting the right relationship brewing between the CEO and an executive assistant is critical for the smooth operation of executive matters in any company pushing to drive an industry forward.
Executive assistants are also referred to as administrative assistants in some organizations. No matter what you call them, they are the backbone of any organization and the most successful ones are trained and can execute on any number of tasks. They keep the office running smoothly and efficiently, and make sure important items do not fall through the cracks. Here is a list of the kinds of tasks that you might be able to expect on a daily basis as an administrative assistant.
The Economic Benefits of Having an Assistant Executive
It tends to make good economic sense for a company to hire an executive assistant to function as a manager to the needs of the CEO. It is not a good use of company resources to have the CEO doing a lot of the daily operational tasks in the company. Much of this should be delegated to an executive assistant to figure out how to be executed; thus, freeing up the CEO to engage in critical executive duties.
As the face of the company, a CEO must be heavily involved in meeting top clients key to the success of the business and working out new avenues for monetizing the business to ensure strong, consistent revenue streams from one quarter to the next.
Unfortunately, the CEO cannot get to performing these duties adequately, if they are busy running the photocopier or doing some other menial task that drives down the financial potential of the business.
Properly Valuing the Executive Assistant
There are numerous ways that a CEO can create unwanted tension between themselves and their executive assistant. One of the most common areas where the breakdown in this relationship begins is when a CEO does not properly value the role the executive assistant is playing, and refuses to notice just how far an executive assistant is willing to go to ensure the success of the company.
As a CEO, there is a great deal of responsibility when it comes to handling an executive assistant, and it is critical for a CEO to respect and treat their executive assistant as being the important right hand they truly are.
Conclusion
For many CEOs who are still trying to manage everything on their own, this overwhelming task is often too much for any one person.
Finding and working with the right executive assistant will help to put the role of the CEO into perspective, and free the CEO up to do the most essential executive tasks that the CEO cannot afford to be neglecting.
Additionally, the executive assistant needs permission and adequate access into the workings of the CEO’s business to make it possible for the CEO to be freed from menial tasks that prevent them from doing their real job.
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Paraphrasing your article: EAs are critical to your success as an executive. Do not undervalue them.
A way of creating tension between you and your most critical employee/asset is to not properly value the role the executive assistant plays, and don’t forget to realize just how far an executive assistant is willing to go to ensure the success of the company.
Yet, you’re happy to identify the tasks you assume EAs perform as “making copies,” or “some other menial task.”
To paraphrase your article again: Unfortunately, the CEO cannot get to performing these duties adequately, if they are busy running the photocopier or doing some other menial task that drives down the financial potential of the business.
Executive assistants drive significant business value by being project managers, team leaders, financial and budget analysts, data scientists, marketing and social media managers, IT coordinators, HR generalists, and executive’s personal and family assistants. I do hope somewhere in between all of that…we can find the time to run a photocopier!