“No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another.” Joseph Addison killed it with this quote. Is doing this work considered a burden? Not if it’s truly your passion. But the myriad of mundane tasks and activities that come along with achieving your goals and ambitions as a leader can serve as obstacles to reaching the greatness you crave.
We have comprised a list of the top ten characteristics a killer executive admin should possess when representing you and supporting your mission, goals, and dreams. Each characteristic is critical when acting as your extension during your absence. Let’s dive in!
1.) Being highly organized and a calendar master.
When it comes to providing stellar support, it isn’t just about organizing their own personal daily activities to stay on track. Truthfully, they are also the keeper of an executive’s personal and professional responsibilities, appointments, commitments, meetings, and ultimately, their livelihood. Having the ability to manage time effectively, keep track of projects, and keep their executive on track is critical for key functionality. Utilizing time-tested organizational skills to manage their executive’s calendar as well as their own is necessary to maintain harmony and proficiency in the workplace.
2.) Able to effectively manage competing deadlines and adapt easily to change.
Supporting an executive requires an ability to make hard choices regarding which priorities to address and when. In order to sustain the efficiency of time and energy, an executive admin must rely on quick decision making and be well-informed of their executive’s responsibilities and expectations as well as their relationships with their counterparts and clients. Should a deadline need to be extended, an executive admin should know who to prioritize and who may be more flexible.
Change is inevitable and a rigid mindset only adds stress and turmoil to an intense situation. Having an open mind and the ability to change direction mid-course, if necessary will prove as a key characteristic for the ideal executive admin in tricky situations.
3.) Enjoys learning new technology and tools, is resourceful and tech savvy.
If there’s an app for that, your executive admin should know about it. Staying up on the latest trends is the best way to support an executive with ever-changing needs and demands. Should a new skill or task need to be developed or assigned, an admin should be at the ready and eager to jump into the challenge with no questions asked. Building a toolbox of helpful gadgets to turn to in a time of need is her go-to quick fix along with an archive of YouTube tutorials and a community of admins to give her guidance along the way!
4.) Be willing to support an executive’s business growth and have a serving mindset.
When it comes to a MVP executive mindset, your wins are definitely her wins! She is laser focused on making you look and feel good as you strive to reach your goals. Whatever it takes, she is determined to learn your habits, preferences, and short and long-term goals in order to be equipped to support you however she can. With a clear vision of her executive’s objectives and strategy, she is poised for the challenge and ten steps ahead as a visionary, advocate, and implementer.
5.) Can anticipate the executive’s needs.
Oh, did we mention she’s a certified mind reader, too? An executive admin has the gift of a proactive disposition. She is able to predict the outcome of each situation and has a plan for a plan for a plan. Her ability to anticipate her executive’s needs based on training and working closely together empowers her to take the reigns and devise lucrative solutions before she even approaches you with an issue.
6.) Craves personal and professional growth and loves the scope of their work.
Nothing motivates an executive admin more than the ability to serve her executive more efficiently. She spends time on professional development, training, and consults her network of admins on a regular basis to ensure her executive has the best solutions possible. She is wildly passionate about the scope of her work and regularly seeks new ways to be more proficient in her tasks.
7.) Excellent communication skills and thrives in a remote working environment.
An MVP executive admin is adept in written and verbal communication, which lends to her expertise in inbox curation, blog creation, social media management, email marketing, and document creation. She can expertly capture your tone, voice, and style for application in critical projects.
She is autonomous and can self-govern with ease in a remote environment, relying on communication to remain in constant contact with her executive and their clients. Self-driven and focused, she is motivated to use the best of her time to consistently exceed expectations and help lessen the tasks on her executive’s plate.
8.) Highly accountable with a positive mindset.
With great power comes great responsibility and no one is more aware of this than an executive’s support team. Executive admins are well aware that any mistake made on her part reflects on her executive. For this reason, she is not only extremely careful in her daily practice, she is also highly accountable for any missteps or oversights. Knowing that she is human and that mistakes occasionally happen, she holds on to a positive mindset and works to resolve the issue as seamlessly as possible. In any relationship, trust is needed in order to progress. An executive admin is well aware that integrity and confidence are key factors in advancement.
9.) Entrepreneurial mindset and desire to forge their own path.
The ability to act on her executive’s behalf requires an entrepreneurial spirit. Her ability to forecast issues and employ adept project management skills to navigate through them helps her shape a path that runs parallel to her executive’s objectives and goals. As she grows in her professional journey, her executive reaps the benefits and each is further empowered along the way.
10.) Reflects company values and are not afraid to challenge decisions.
When entrusted with the responsibility to make decisions on her executive’s behalf, an executive admin has the ability to apply critical thinking and strategic planning skills. She is familiar with the company’s core values, processes and procedures and the ongoing objectives. She reflects the company properly in her interactions with clients and is willing to address any inconsistencies or potential issues choices made by leadership. In her allegiance to the company, she is self-assured enough to challenge any outcomes that interfere with the productivity, integrity, or ethics of the company. That’s an MVP you need on your team.
If you need an MVP on your team, it’s as simple as scheduling a 30-minute complimentary discovery call with Hamilton Raye to learn more about you, your business, and your outsourcing needs. They are focused on matching the best-dedicated admin with each client, based on personality, skill set, and capacity.
Our founder, Amanda Hamilton said it best. “There are countless mundane tasks an executive and business manage each day. Hamilton Raye has proven to our clients that effective growth can be correlated with adding an outsourced admin™ to your team by freeing up your most valuable and irreplaceable asset: TIME.”