Executive assistants often serve as the hub for the office in which they work. Not only are they responsible for managing schedules and workday routines for their executives, but they usually have extended responsibilities around the office or are responsible for coordinating between multiple departments, too.
Because of this, it’s imperative that a good executive assistant nail down the best practices for their position, so they can approach their daily tasks with confidence and efficiency. In this article, we’ll cover 5 tools that can help with that!
What are executive assistant best practices?
Organization skills
Executive assistants work in a high-pressure constantly-changing environment. One moment they may be adjusting an executive’s daily schedule, the next they might be conducting a cross-department meeting utilizing virtual calling software.
Because of the constant pressure, organizational skills are absolutely key to performing well in the position of executive assistant. Maintaining organization will allow you to manage multiple tasks quickly and efficiently, stay on top of approaching deadlines, and ensure that your boss is always up-to-date and prepared for the next task.
These can be improved in an executive assistant’s daily life, but they can be aided by tools, too.
A proactive nature
Proactivity is all about anticipating problems and finding solutions for them before the problem pops up. In the world of the executive assistant, this can look like anything from keeping a few spaces on your boss’s schedule clear in case an emergency comes up that has to be dealt with to anticipating team needs and putting tools in place to meet those needs.
The effective executive assistant is one who is always on the lookout for encroaching needs and for ways to meet those needs without having to be told to do so. The more needs to anticipate and complete, the fewer problems your boss or team will need to deal with in their own work day.
Strong communication ability
If there is one best practice on this list that trumps all the others, it’s surely communication. The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently is at the core of your job. Organization is useless if you cannot communicate the upcoming schedules to your boss. Proactivity is worth nothing if you cannot communicate your solutions effectively to your team.
Communication is a two-way street, however. You won’t need to just be able to effectively speak to others: you need to be an effective listener as well. The ability to take in the needs of your boss or other teammates and address them should be second nature to a good executive assistant.
5 software for executive assistant best practices
The right tool for the right job. As an executive assistant, you can have the best practices for your position down pat, but you may find yourself struggling to manage your workflow effectively if you lack the tools to really enhance your abilities.
The following are five tools that can increase your effectiveness within your job and help you take your best practices to the next level.
Virtual teleprompter tool
So much business these days is conducted virtually, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. Presentations have gone from the boardroom to the virtual space, and company-wide speeches are now presented via Zoom calls. Even one-on-one meetings now have an excellent chance of being held in a virtual space as opposed to the real world.
A virtual teleprompter app like VODIUM is an invaluable tool in today’s virtual spaces, both for the executive assistant looking to take their own virtual interactions to the next level and for the one looking to enhance their boss’s presentations.
VODIUM allows the user to pre-write and upload scripts for all manner of virtual interactions, everything from keynotes for a company-wide speech to full presentations for a sales call. This tool lets you put all the important information right in front of the presenter’s eyes so they never have to worry about memorizing or looking away to consult notes.
VODIUM also helps control the pacing of the presentation with its auto-scrolling feature, ensuring that the presenter does not go so fast as to leave the audience behind in confusion, or go so slowly that they lose the audience to boredom or frustration.
Project management software
An executive assistant’s job is one of time management and organization. You need to know what tasks need to be performed, what deadlines are approaching, and what resources are at your disposal.
To this end, quality project management software is an absolute must-have. Tools like Asana or Monday allow you to get your teams organized and track workflow with ease. They will help you and your boss assign tasks, keep track of completed assignments and get an overall picture of how the company is performing.
Calendar software
Creating, tracking, and adjusting schedules is at the center of an executive assistant’s job. You will constantly be juggling meetings, deadlines, events, and emergencies that must be addressed, and making sure that your boss has enough time in the day to accomplish his own objectives.
A quality calendar app like Google Calendar or Calendly is an absolute must-have for an effective executive assistant. Software like these allows you to create and edit calendars quickly, as well as sync them across multiple devices so you’re never out of touch with what is supposed to be happening next.
Communication software
The humble instant messenger apps we all know and love have grown up over the decades into powerful business-focused communication software.
Apps like Slack or Google Workplace allow you to remain in effective communication with the various teams or work groups in your company and are easily integrated into other software solutions like Monday.
These software solutions are perfect for sharing information, documents, or other company-related materials in a virtual setting, and can make your job of fostering communication much easier and more effective.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage apps like Dropbox or Google Drive allow you to easily store and share important documents and files across your teams. In addition, they also allow you to keep off-site backups of important data and access the data from any device or location. You can keep the workflow going even if you’re not in the office.
VODIUM is the best way to improve communication as an executive assistant
As you can see, it takes a lot to be an executive assistant. You need to be an organizational wizard, an effective communicator, and a proactive multitasker. That’s a lot to demand from one person, but you don’t just have to lean on yourself. Lean on tools like VODIUM!
VODIUM is the perfect app to enhance your abilities as an executive assistant, whether you use it to take and edit notes quickly during a presentation or you’re using it to deliver the perfect keynote speech to your company as a whole. Come by our website and start your free trial today to see how VODIUM can elevate your best practices to the next level!
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