As any seasoned executive assistant knows, building relationships through networking and taking steps to improve the executive assistant and executive relationship is imperative for long-term success. In fact, relationship building is a huge part of the EA role.
And when we think about what it takes to build successful relationships, the first thing that comes to mind is open and honest communication. This isn’t just important in romantic relationships; it’s critical to improving the relationships with everyone in your life. Below, we go over the many benefits of putting yourself out there, whether it’s through networking or wowing your executive. Keep reading to learn more.
Expanding Your Executive Assistant Network
If you’re looking to network and learn from other executive assistants, you’ve definitely come to the right place. At Base, our virtual event calendar and webinars are always jam-packed with all the greatest tips, tricks, and best practices for assistants of all shapes and sizes.
Whether it’s advice on taking care of and honoring yourself with coach Gina Cotner or channeling your inner leader with EA at LinkedIn Lindsay Robinson, we have exclusive panels and workshops to help you grow in your career. We partner with so many leaders and influencers in the assistant community for two distinct reasons:
- These executive assistant networking events allow us to network, too! We’re always looking to make connections, learn, and grow—and speaking with so many brilliant EAs has been a great way for us to get really good at what we do.
- We want to give assistants a designated space to collaborate and celebrate with their peers. Bringing you one-of-a-kind panels and workshops opens up opportunities for EAs that they may not get elsewhere.
Speaking of designated spaces to collaborate and celebrate with fellow assistants, we’ve actually created a community where EA-focused conversations are taking place daily. Our Base Assistant Community: Daily Tips for Assistants is a place where modern executive assistants can share their thoughts, ask for advice, and find inspiration in the company of other EAs. We also host free, weekly live events with coaches, consultants, and influencers in the space.
With most networking still taking place virtually in the time of COVID-19, this is a great place to start. Request to be a member of our empowering EA community today to get started flexing your networking muscle.
The Executive Assistant and CEO Relationship
The relationship between executive and executive assistant is likely the most impactful relationship found in an organization. That’s why you must have a relationship with your executive based on a foundation of respect and healthy communication. With our Base platform, communicating with your exec just got a whole lot easier.
For instance, our platform offers a secure and single location for all your executive’s personal preferences, contact information, trip itineraries, various notes, and much, much more. Your executive will be impressed with your ability to anticipate their needs, and you’ll love having a professional cheat sheet on your exec’s most pertinent information. 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, don’t hesitate to put yourself back in their line of view. Since many EAs are used to placing others’ needs before their own, it’s easy to actually forget to advocate for ourselves. Speaking up about what we need and working on our relationships with our executives is one of the best ways for us to develop professionally; chances are, your executive will do what they can to help you!
Want the first step to creating a better relationship with your executive? Schedule a meeting with them and explain what you have planned for your future together. Whether you want specialized software made for executive assistants or you’d like to get your PMP certification, make it known. The executive assistant and executive relationship can become overwhelming without sufficient communication, so make sure you keep communicating—even when it feels uncomfortable. 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!
Try Our Platform for Executive Assistants
Professional development for executive assistants is our passion. We want to help all different types of assistants access the tools and support they need to thrive in their careers. And spoiler alert: networking and honing your relationship skills won’t just improve your professional life. It will also have a positive impact on your personal life. Let Base help you evolve an EA with our comprehensive assistant-focused solutions.
Do you want more goal setting, planning, and project management resources? Join our community of 3,000+ assistants, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!
