A big part of your support role as an assistant is to continually develop the skills you need to be the leader and partner your executive needs.
For most of my admin career, I’ve supported executives who were very finance savvy. But I could hardly read some of the spreadsheets they worked with, let alone know what they meant. This was frustrating because my lack of understanding meant I wasn’t equipped to identify basic errors or omissions either. I had to develop my own skills in this area so that I could better support my executives. Even today, as a business owner, reading financial reports remains an area that I continually work on improving.
Whether it’s developing better computer skills or learning to be a better communicator, you need to identify the areas where you’re lacking and work on improving them. You have to ask questions, take classes, and ask your executive or someone in your company if something doesn’t make sense. This won’t just create a better partnership with your executive, it will also help you advance in your career!
This week’s feature article explains how you can train your executive to put your admin skills to use. We’re also sharing a lot of good information, insights, and resources on developing your skills on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages!
Expanding your admin skills might take you out of your comfort zone. But your willingness to do so will show your executive that he can always rely on you – regardless of the task or subject!
Supporting your administrative success,
Julie
