Professional development for executive assistants is not only beneficial; at Base, we find it necessary. Assistants are expected to wear many hats. With so much to balance on the day-to-day, it can be easy to push off your own development to help others succeed. After all, that’s your job (and you’re great at it!) But it’s imperative to show a little love for yourself as well by figuring out how you can rise to meet your executive assistant goals.

You may be wondering, “Where would I even find professional development for executive assistants?” The answer is: right here. Base offers the training, resources and support executive assistants (EAs) need to flourish in their careers and personal lives.  

We can help you create an executive assistant professional development plan so you have a clear idea of what you want and how you would like to advance in your career. Every great journey starts with a plan.

So, take some time to get to know yourself a little better. What are some things you would like to accomplish in the next month? The next six months? What about in the next year?

No matter if you want to improve your time management, travel coordination, organization, or something else, creating professional development goals for executive assistants is the best way to grow as an EA. Keep reading to learn more about executive assistant professional development and how it can help you excel in your professional and personal life.

Professional Development Goals for Executive Assistants

When it comes to thinking up executive assistant professional development goals, it may take a bit of brainstorming to find the perfect fit for you. Try to imagine what goals could help in your daily life and even those that would warrant major bonus points in the eyes of your executive. Below, we’ll dive into some executive assistant professional development plan samples, so you have a solid jumping-off point as you work to set yourself up for the future.

Executive Assistant Time Management

Day-to-day time management for executive assistants is critical. You see, there’s a pretty significant difference between thriving as an EA and simply surviving. One of the most substantial ways you can professionally develop as an assistant is to learn how to manage your time in a way that has a greater benefit to you. While this may seem like a fairytale, it’s actually all about intentional practice.

Time management is all about planning and exercising conscious control of the time you spend on different activities. Not only does it allow you to have more organization, but it also works to increase your overall efficiency, productivity, and value. With so many benefits, time management is a great professional development goal for executive assistants to start with. We could all use some help managing our time better, and this form of professional development will help strengthen your career as an EA and have a positive impact on your overall life.

As a team of EAs ourselves, we understand that as a professional assistant, your time at work isn’t necessarily your own. Time management for executive assistants is hugely dependent on having the right habits, the right support, and an executive who respects the boundaries you set. 

Practically, that means finding one place to keep your email, calendars and files within reach, and one predictable way to surface meeting changes, agendas and everything else that pops up throughout your day. The specific tools matter far less than the consistency. An assistant who sends the same reliable update at the same time every day is worth more than one with a perfect toolset and no routine.

Event Planning for Executive Assistants

After the past few years we’ve collectively had, it’s no secret that the world is going to be itching to get out and about again in the near future. This makes right now a prime time to start honing your event planning skills. Whether you make it a part of your professional development or not, EAs are expected to plan events both big and small. While one week you may be asked to coordinate a board meeting, the next you might have to plan out every detail of your executive’s week-long business trip.

Even though you may be a pro at multitasking and staying on top of deadlines, if you’re an executive assistant planning for events, you could likely use a hand. With so much going into event planning, on top of the laundry list of tasks that also require your attention, having the right support is a must.

From planning meetings and product launches to brunches and vacations, you’ll want to have a good idea of your executives’ unique preferences. While some will give you free rein over the decision-making process, most will likely want some level of input throughout the planning process. Instead of sending 40 separate emails, texts and Slack messages for your executive to sift through, batch your questions into a single list they can work through in one sitting. 

Put flight preferences, meeting scheduling and the other itinerary questions in front of them together. They will appreciate being able to scan the lot at once, and you will get quick input on time-sensitive questions instead of chasing answers one at a time. That is what makes executive assistant event planning less of a hassle for everyone involved.

Executive Assistant Calendar Management

Another thing that may be worth putting at the top of your professional development to-do list is calendar management. Luckily, we’re pros when it comes to optimizing calendars and excited to let you in on our go-to calendar management skills for executive assistants. The following are ways to conquer the chaos when it comes to managing your executives’ jam-packed schedule: 

• Keep context with the calendar: Meeting notes, files, attachments and agendas should live where your executive will actually look for them, not in a separate thread. The goal is a comprehensive view of everything they need in one easy-to-access place.
• AI Automations: Sometimes, when you receive an email, all that’s required out of you is an acknowledgment and creation of an action item. When utilizing AI for calendar management, you can teach it to recognize this instance based on a keyword or phrase. Once the buzzword or phrase is stated, you can set it up to trigger an automated response and task in your chosen management platform.
• Template Scheduling: For many EAs, scheduling meetings for your executive takes up a large portion of your day. While you can definitely automate some of this task, there are still those inevitable back-and-forth emails from time to time. Since you use the same phrasing and wording so often, it’s beneficial to make and schedule templates ahead of time, so you don’t have to retype them over and over again.
• Color Coding: When you’re looking for a simple executive assistant calendar management tip to stay organized and approach the week with more clarity, color coding is a great solution. While it may not seem like a simple color-coding system can make much of a difference, we’ve found that it really helps us visualize the week ahead and stay aligned with our different goals and priorities. However you choose to color code, you can use this solution to help you maintain focus, stay on task, and keep work-related anxiety in check.

Run a Calendar Audit

One of the highest-leverage things an assistant can do is understand where their executive’s time actually goes. Many executives struggle with time management, and when a leader is constantly being pulled in a million different directions, it falls to the assistant to look at the schedule, prioritize, and set boundaries.

A calendar audit is a great place to start. Take a look at your calendar or the calendar of your executive and ask yourself the following questions:

• How many hours were spent in meetings?
• Did each meeting begin with a clear agenda and end with a clear action item?
• How many meetings were internal vs. external?
• Are any meetings recurring? How long are they? Could they be replaced by a shorter meeting or email update?
• Are all these meetings causing a constant shift in focus? Could blocks of time be designated for meeting types, so it’s easier to stay in one focus zone?
• Is there a time of day when there’s typically meeting overload? Does that coincide with energy levels? Would it be better to block off work time at the start of the day or the end?

Bring the answers back to your executive with a recommendation rather than just the data. Pointing out where they can correct inefficiencies, set goals, and take advantage of strategic opportunities is the difference between reporting and advising. 

The Executive Assistant and CEO Relationship

While it’s not uncommon for executive assistants’ to underappreciate their own value, we’re here to tell you an executive would be nothing without their assistant. The relationship between CEO and executive assistant is likely the most impactful relationship found in an organization. We’ve already gone over many beneficial ways in which EAs cater to their executives, but another way to flex your professional assistant muscle is by having an organized, designated space for all your executives’ important information. 

One secure, single location for personal preferences, contact information, trip itineraries and account details pays for itself the first time you need it in a hurry. Your executive will be impressed with your ability to anticipate their needs, and you’ll have a professional cheat-sheet to work from. Building a strategic executive and executive assistant relationship is pivotal to your success as an EA.

Ideally, your executive should be dedicating some time to communicate with you and ensure you’re set up with everything you need to succeed. If you have an executive that has become unattentive for whatever reason, put yourself back in their line of view. Since many EAs are used to putting others’ needs before their own, it can be easy to forget to advocate for yourself. Speak up about what you need to develop professionally as an EA; chances are, your executive will do what they can to help. 

Schedule a meeting with your executive and let them know what you have planned for your future together. Whether you want a training budget or you’d like to get your PMP certification, you deserve to put your needs first. The executive assistant and executive relationship can become overwhelming without sufficient communication, so make sure you speak up! And remember: executive assistant professional development is just as important for your executive as is for you. When you succeed, so will your executive, their employees, and their business. Know your worth!

Grow Your EA Career With Base

Professional development for executive assistants is our MO. Base has spent more than a decade placing and supporting executive assistants, and we help assistants build careers worth staying in.

Explore our learning and development programs, browse EA job opportunities, or see how we support assistants through their careers.

Do you want more goal setting, planning, and project management resources? Join our community of nearly 3,000 assistants, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!