How to Be a How to Be a Successful Successful Executive Executive Assistant:Assistant:Managing a Successful Client Managing a Successful Client

Service Team (CST)Service Team (CST)

Presented by: Darla Holterman

Look the PartLook the Part

Dress Dress professionally/tastefullyprofessionally/tastefully

Dress appropriatelyDress appropriately

Pay attention to your Pay attention to your personal hygiene personal hygiene

SmartQuote SmartQuote  Dress shabbily, they notice the dress. Dress shabbily, they notice the dress. Dress impeccably, they notice the woman.“ Dress impeccably, they notice the woman.“ ----Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, French fashion Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, French fashion designerdesigner

Who looks more Who looks more professional?professional?

Who do you think would Who do you think would best represent your firm?best represent your firm?

Act the PartAct the Part

Don’t just Don’t just looklook the the part, part, actact the part. the part.

Watch your languageWatch your language Don’t participate in Don’t participate in

office gossipoffice gossip Smile!Smile!

Respect Your Co-WorkersRespect Your Co-Workers AttorneysAttorneys

Even the difficult onesEven the difficult ones Other Executive Assistants/Legal Other Executive Assistants/Legal

SecretariesSecretaries Even the difficult onesEven the difficult ones

HRHR Administrative Assistants and other StaffAdministrative Assistants and other Staff

You need themYou need them Treat them with respect even when Treat them with respect even when

you’re under pressureyou’re under pressure

Demand Excellence from Demand Excellence from YourselfYourself

Be detail-orientedBe detail-oriented Admit your mistakes Admit your mistakes

and learn from themand learn from them Be accountable – do not Be accountable – do not

blame others for your blame others for your mistakesmistakes

Be punctual and Be punctual and reliablereliable

Make Yourself Make Yourself IndispensableIndispensable

Pay attention to what’s going on around youPay attention to what’s going on around you Become the go-to person in the officeBecome the go-to person in the office

Figure out who does what and whyFigure out who does what and why Learn how to do everything before you start Learn how to do everything before you start

delegating those tasksdelegating those tasks Roll up your sleeves and do the dirty work, Roll up your sleeves and do the dirty work,

don’t delegate tasks you wouldn’t be willing don’t delegate tasks you wouldn’t be willing to perform yourselfto perform yourself This will gain you the respect of your attorneys, This will gain you the respect of your attorneys,

peers and subordinatespeers and subordinates

Attorneys Know that Good Attorneys Know that Good Assistants are Worth Assistants are Worth

ProtectingProtecting

Educate YourselfEducate Yourself

Be a spongeBe a sponge Read relevant articlesRead relevant articles Stay up on the latest industry Stay up on the latest industry

rules/regulations/trendsrules/regulations/trends Make an effort to learn new, more Make an effort to learn new, more

efficient proceduresefficient procedures Get certified (ALS, PLS, PP)Get certified (ALS, PLS, PP) Refresh your grammar and writing Refresh your grammar and writing

skills periodicallyskills periodically Take advantage of educational Take advantage of educational

opportunities offered by your firmopportunities offered by your firm

Use Your ResourcesUse Your Resources

DelegateDelegate ResearchResearch Know and follow Know and follow

the rulesthe rules Ask QuestionsAsk Questions Know your Know your

limitations and limitations and know when to ask know when to ask for helpfor help

Make Your Own Make Your Own ResourcesResources

Create a procedures/instructions notebookCreate a procedures/instructions notebook

Create links to instructions or frequently used documents/tip Create links to instructions or frequently used documents/tip sheetssheets

Make alliesMake allies AttorneysAttorneys Other Executive Assistants/Legal SecretariesOther Executive Assistants/Legal Secretaries

Help them in their times of need and they will help you in your time Help them in their times of need and they will help you in your time of needof need

HRHR No reason to get on HR’s bad side, they will go to bat for you if you No reason to get on HR’s bad side, they will go to bat for you if you

maintain a good relationship with themmaintain a good relationship with them Administrative Assistants and StaffAdministrative Assistants and Staff

Support Services, Information Services, Librarians, Word Support Services, Information Services, Librarians, Word Processing, Receptionists, Conference Room Attendants, Accounting, Processing, Receptionists, Conference Room Attendants, Accounting, etc.etc.

You need them to want to help you so treat them with respect and You need them to want to help you so treat them with respect and make them your alliesmake them your allies

Get OrganizedGet Organized

A place for A place for everything and everything and everything in its everything in its placeplace

PrioritizePrioritize Create listsCreate lists Use OutlookUse Outlook

CalendarCalendar TasksTasks FlagsFlags

Manage Your StressManage Your Stress

Don’t take frustrations out Don’t take frustrations out on otherson others

Mentor Administrative Mentor Administrative AssistantsAssistants

Train themTrain them Explain to themExplain to them

Encourage themEncourage them Be a good example Be a good example

to themto them Inspire themInspire them

Communication is KeyCommunication is Key

Develop a good work Develop a good work flowflow

Never stop Never stop communicating with communicating with your team membersyour team members

Keep HR in the loop on Keep HR in the loop on important developmentsimportant developments

Have Fun!Have Fun!

Laugh at least once a dayLaugh at least once a day Don’t take yourself too seriouslyDon’t take yourself too seriously Don’t be a work-a-holicDon’t be a work-a-holic