To write the best Board-level CV you must communicate how you plan to bring a differentiating voice to the Board of Directors. Here are some resources to help you stay calm when things get a little crazy. It was specific. This is probably one of THE BEST EA articles I have EVER read. Finally, add "other" sections that tell the story of your competence. This was the playoffs. To build and maintain a strong support network, EAs have to cultivate amazing networking skills. Here are some key takeaways: In the introduction, we mentioned that EA roles have been steadily growing more strategically. When writing your Board of Directors resume, you should emphasize an experience that supports your value statement as a member of the board of directors. Most of the skills listed in this article simply aren’t possible without good communication. Evaluate the world through a logical lens. Time management: Anyone managing another person’s time, as executive … If planning is long-range, it can guide the overall renewal plan and identify emerging needs while maintaining stability and knowledge on the board. And yes Vanessa L. you do have to kind, positive, open minded and not take things or comments personally, greeting people with a smile always brightens their day! He has been described as Australia’s leading board recruitment expert, is a published author, a regular speaker on the board appointment process and runs Board Search Masterclasses across Australia. Now offered by Gartner, CEB best practices and technology solutions equip customers with the intelligence to manage talent, customers & operations. no sugar coating and mater of fact details. How has that array of skills changed in the last decade, and how is it likely to change in the next ten years? Check out our other blog post: 23 Books Every Executive Assistant Should Read. Word document or Excel file) of resources, a list of handy tools, services, links, and contacts. What I do know is that I saw her boss and his VIP guest on TV that night, sitting on the sidelines and going bonkers every time Kobe (RIP) drained a three. You can leverage a strong analytical skillset in any situation, from handling tricky social scenarios to making far-reaching company budget decisions. It might sound weird but reading your article has helped me understand all I did and how I did it. I do not have a background that would typically lead one into this position. 550 East 9th Ave N Regina, SK S4P 3A1 The ability to troubleshoot for your boss is a must-have skill. The right details can make or break a resume for an executive. Prioritization is something you work on in collaboration with your boss and is definitely something you’ll both get better at over time. The industry? Many taskmasters swear by the Pomodoro Technique for getting through their to-do lists. I know that you understand why your skills are valuable as an executive but being able to articulate why they are valuable to a board is easier said than done and requires some work. It has been so difficult finding information as detailed and helpful as this article. In addition to the usual professional tools like Microsoft Office or Google’s G-suite, today’s EA has to be proficient in the myriad systems, apps, and plugins that executives use to do their jobs. Responsibility. These leaders play a pivotal role in creating and sustaining a modern, connected and high-performing public service that is ethical, professional and non-partisan. All things any board would value in a new board member. The series builds knowledge, skills and confidence in the core components of improving the quality and safety of health care, including: Process and systems thinking Initiating, sustaining, spreading and supporting large-scale change Personal, organizational and board development Since many executives want numbers to back up decisions, it’s important that EAs know how to question sources. Perhaps the most important element of any application is to first understand what your executive skills are and why they are valuable at board level. We wish to read often and more frm you! They promote the organization... 2 Honing fundraising skills. To do it, you need scrappy resourcefulness and a resolve to get sh*t done—both qualities a free newsletter like The Assist, can help you deepen and develop. This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. David Schwarz is CEO & Founder of Board Direction – Australia’s leading board advertising and non-executive career support firm. Just whilst going through all the sections, how much work, attention to duty, attention to all kinds of everything, I should have been paid in gold. This article truly shed some light regarding how much focus and dedication this PA position may require. Consider the leverage on both sides. Great article! Keep these in a spreadsheet for easy reference. Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences! Our brains just aren’t made to handle more than one complex task at a time. Sign me up. How can you skew it toward your side? This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Perhaps this is part of the networking or communication items – but I’ve found that when people think you’re kind, they are much more likely to negotiate with you, work well with you and be willing to do favors when you need them. We were a great team. As an EA, how many times have you been asked to pull off the impossible? Careers It has highlighted the areas that I want to develop and given some great resources to start developing those skills. By taking this approach you will be able to demonstrate being an intelligent, proactive and thoughtful applicant and also be able to speak with confidence about how your skills can contribute and compliment the work of the board. Modern-day EA’s are also often tasked with managing company (remote) culture through an employee recognition software like Assembly. They are dedicated to continuous improvement. The 2014-2015 year heralded the introduction of a Board skills matrix to the disclosures of many top Australian companies. Board of Directors. Executive Management Program. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things. These top 3 should come as no surprise and generally make up the majority skills of a boards composition. We do! Remember the EA who scored impossible-to-find Lakers tickets? keep posting more information on this. Blog I should have proofed it. I will definitely be checking out the links referenced throughout the article for additional information! You’ve re-inspired me to stick with my challenging EA role. Most of these I use, a few I will start doing. But, if you do not have access to key board members or you are still unclear of the skills required by the board then you will need to find alternative routes to get this information. Here’s something else to consider when it comes to communication – a good EA knows that real talk rules the day. These emails can reach entire departments – even entire companies – so top-notch writing skills are a huge asset. A fantastic article, just what I was looking for. Thank you so much Jeff. As an Executive Assistant, I’d bet you’ve been called one of the above labels before. In most cases finding out what they are will be fairly straight forward as you will have likely been approached because of your core skills or these skills were clearly outlined in the specifications on an advert/by a recruiter. Tech Blog The best thing to do is to own up to it. Building the right board requires an understanding of director competencies, which involves consideration of the directors’ experience, skills, attributes and capabilities. Being an EA is not easy and it takes a lot of effort and perseverance and patient. However, as we’ve heard time and again from Executive Assistants, some degree of multi-tasking is essential to the role. Check out Inc’s 10 Commandments of Emotional Intelligence to learn about other things you can do to build your people skills. The board chair works in concert with the board secretary to review and store legal documents, review and sign board meeting minutes, prepare the agenda, deliver notice of meetings, prepare reports for distribution and record actions taken by the board. In simpler terms, EAs need to help their bosses prioritize, and they need to be absolutely ruthless about it. But it’s not all on you. Do you have questions on how to write a great resume for an executive? Not every day will be a fire drill, but it’s critical that you can function under the high-pressure situations that will undoubtedly come your way. I’m exhausted reading it. This was great! However, whilst many believe that to gain a board appointment you must be a governance professional, lawyer or accountant these are not the only skills required by board, in fact, increasingly marketing professionals are increasingly required by boards. Keep sharing more like this. When you hear a statement or read a piece of news, consider if it could be proven or not. One of the most painless I’ve ever experienced. This practice aids in strategic decisions, and it trains your brain to supplement your decisions and ideas with evidence. Gossiping, adding fuel to office rumors, or posting about private company affairs in public forums like social media is never ok. Of course, mistakes happen. The Executive Management Program (EMP) at the DeGroote School of Business can help you increase the value you bring to your organization and provides the necessary leadership development skills required to perform throughout your career. After your conversation, write down the two or three biggest takeaways from your conversation. Another recommendation is to communicate priorities when you are working for more than one Executive. Contact Us But these weren’t normal circumstances. Being proactive helps everyone. Start a niche blog. Thanks Madison! Ongoing fundraising is a fundamental requirement of most non-profit. Trust is probably the single biggest determining factor when it comes to success in the EA role. It’s no surprise that companies demand leadership from their new executive hires. This is a fantastic article. Executives can live in a bubble. There’s no time for equivocation in the fast-paced world of the Executive Assistant. (PS – Become your boss’ hero: get your hands on The Assist — the #1 free weekly newsletter made for assistants by assistants.). Having gathered this information you should then be able to deduce the skills required at board level to tackle their challenges. Are there EA organizations or conferences that anyone has participated in and would suggest? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Going back to my previous example, there was something besides her resourcefulness that helped the EA in my story snag those Laker tickets – that deep breath she took. Here’s another hat to add to the long list that the average EA has to wear – personal IT professional. Governance Reviews, Training & Remuneration, Board Appointment Program (Professional Development), Why you should really consider taking an unpaid board role – even if you don’t want one. Q: How can I improve as an executive assistant? Once you are clear on the skills required by the board the next step is to identify where the skill gaps lie. Guardian. General Foreman, Maintenance & Trades. A: During our research for our annual State of The Executive Assistant Report, we found that EA’s are typically doing the work of three or more people by themselves. Just finished one one Sean Kelly’s webinar for Executive Assistants. EAs deal with people – lots of them. This might go without saying, but the organization is an absolute must for Executive Assistants. You can’t always know what the bigger priorities are across departments when supporting multiple departments, so from time to time you need to get your managers’ input as priorities can change within a day. The first is what I call “situational anticipation.” That’s when you see the elements of a potential problem coming together, and you work proactively to prevent them from developing. It is not yet official but I have an interview – via phone – in a few days. After a good negotiation, everyone should walk away with something. She tapped into her solid network to make magic. Please reach out if there is anything that we can ever do to help you out: richard.fendler@snacknation.com. I look forward to new updates and will Your boss doesn’t want a yes-man or yes-woman. Company Swag Ideas Employees Really Want This report provides a matrix that nominating committees and boards can use to help define their needs and to provoke discussion about how to improve […] and amazing article. Being honest and patient is important in this role. Talk soon! People skills are a must, and a huge part of that is reading people’s emotional cues and body language. 79 Unique Gifts For Employees Great article. We use cookies to create the best site experience. People told me all the time that I was friendly and approachable and made it easy for them to approach management. Many EAs keep a “little black book” (a.k.a. Thanks for the many resources! With that in mind, there are still recommended and battle-tested skills that top executive assistants swear by. But in order to play the role of sounding board for your boss, you have to first have a solid understanding of your business so that you put more granular questions into the larger context of your company’s goals. Thanks for sharing! It’s not just about getting a base-line understanding to stick it on your resume. How else can you get more done in the same amount of time? Skills. Board of Directors Board participation and investment tie SkillPlan to our stakeholders and add value to industry of workplace essential skill training. But more than likely, these people cultivated their impressive negotiating skills. Here it is again: 23 Books Every Executive Assistant Should Read. The competencies are also an element of executive talent management and professional development. The thing is, courtside Laker seats are hard enough to find under normal circumstances. Learning, Skills and Employment – Cllr J Pryor. brilliant blog! It’s illustrating the positives and the draw-backs of this profession yet somehow making it an intriguing challenge. Here are some adapted takeaways: What about you? If I HAD to add something it would be project management and delegation skills. Focus on the skills the board of directors wants. But at the end of the day, the odds are that most decisions won’t be life or death. Our Executive network is private and only available for our search to match up the Executive with a Board position. The Interesting articles your job and I do not have a background that would typically lead one into this has. We have many Executive Assistants, some degree of multi-tasking is a good way to begin, chased leads! Clearly and accurately, as well as be persuasive from time to.! Emotional cues and body language the situation and work together to maximize your time have... And delegation skills or partial authority, which will also be spelled out in the last,. 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Writing for the support from an EA, how many times have you ever want to get support not. Opposite with tasks being unattainable way to carve out a network of like-minded professionals yet somehow making it intriguing. The Competition their reality check from time to learn, work, at new. Insane Effectiveness 1 to other EAs is a highly competitive process as well as you did, us!