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Quick Tips for
Top EAs

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WELCOME
Looking for inspiration to be the best EA you can be?
Look no further. We’ve surveyed Australia’s Executive and
Personal Assistants and packaged their top quick tips into this 70
Tips for EAs guide. So grab a cuppa and enjoy!
Have your own tips to share? Connect with us below and share
your personal favourites
Australian Executive Assistants & Personal Assistants
1858 members and growing!
National EA PA Convention

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Be….
a good listener
a sponge and continually improve skills and absorb knowledge
an extension of your boss, but don't become a road block.
aware of the strategic and 'hot' issues for your organisation and have a good 'antenna'
for information to bring to the attention of your Executive.
confident in your abilities: you can manage much more than you might think
flexible and open to change
honest and trustworthy with your boss. He needs to know you have his back.
open and honest in your dealings, embrace change and share knowledge
technologically savvy
approachable and keep a cool head
one step ahead
open to learn new things
organised. Make a plan and plot your progress
true to yourself
have a solution to a mistake instead of relying on someone else to think of a solution
patient, eye for detail, organisation and communication
3 time saving tips to find the
25th hour in your day

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Always….
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keep your mind active - know what your boss knows and be open to new opportunities
out of your comfort zone
look ahead and be prepared for unexpected changes to routine.
look for new and more efficient ways to do things; be an advocate for change.
maintain your values in your role. If your job does not align with your values, then you
will ultimately be unhappy in your job.
remain positive, no matter how bad it gets
remember what the prime focus of your job is, and do it! Anticipate and value add
say YES, prioritise and enjoy every day!
schedule in time every week for the unexpected – plan to be interrupted
share what you learn with the other assistants.
stay true to yourself and be loyal to your manager.
strive to better your best!
CHECK: proof read/ double check your work/ diary appts etc.
What personality type are you?

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Don’t….
• be afraid to ask a questionbe afraid to put your hand up to complete tasks and extend
your skills.
• be scared to challenge an idea or decision.
• belittle yourself, you are NOT just an Assistant
• ever assume your bosses role!
• isolate yourself from colleagues. Build strong relationships with your fellow EAs and
other key members of staff. Buddy up with a specific EA to back fill for you at the drop
of a hat or to cover planned leave. But ensure it is someone your boss knows and
likes. Lastly, don't be a Princess. Be a person who is positive to deal with.
• let everything get to much, make a list, prioritize and work through everything one bit at
a time. Celebrate the small wins don’t dwell on the loses.
• panic - a solution to problems is always at hand
• pass the monkey
• sweat the small stuff, as an EA you have to keep your eye on the big picture in order to
be strategic
• think everything needs to be done "today"
Emily Boyd, PowerfulPoints shares her #1
presentation tip

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Learn…
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about Human Resources related issues
how to say no in a respectful manner. Don't be afraid to say when you are
overwhelmed.
not to say 'yes' to everything. Do one job very well rather than 100 jobs not so well.
to be observant and learn from others. If I see something someone else is doing that
seems to be working really well - I give it a go and adopt it for myself if it works.
to say no, learn to delegate the little stuff. You don't need to do everything.
Your superior's traits/personality type and tailor your abilities and skills to their needs
from each other
to listen first, then think then act.
and develop your skill set and have a strategic plan for the next five years because the
EA/PA role will continue to evolve as the next generation of company leaders are
being more and more self sufficient.
4 ways Executive Assistants can play a
strategic role in their organisation

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Keep….
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learning new technology and skills to use in the workplace – just keep learning
an open mind and be proactive.
calm and positive
up with as much organisational skills as possible with professional training
you ear to the ground and listen. Not just to your immediate boss but from all
staff.
your mind open at all times.
your own counsel.
focused on daily tasks, while there will always be interruptions and urgent
requests that need to be dealt with you need to pay attention to what's on your to
do list. Each morning or at the end of the day you should reassess this list and
prepare for the day ahead.
one step ahead of your boss
Celebrity PA tells…
5 tips for keeping 3 steps ahead

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Remember….
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a calendar/diary is only a daily suggestion, it can change in a minute!
you ARE important and valuable to the company.
you are often the first impression of the executives in your organization. Be
Professional
you must enjoy what you do and only then will you be able to exude positivity and
enjoy time spent at work
you must think ahead of your boss
you need to teach people to treat your position with respect and value it
your relationship with your boss is key, if you don't have a strong relationship, it's
just not going to work.
to look after yourself too
respect yourself, your boss your company and those around you. If you can't then
maybe this isn't the role for you.
A positive attitude goes a long way!
3 steps to design a stylish work wardrobe

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Essential resources
Our National EA PA Convention is now in its 7th year and we invite you to come and
check it out at http://www.eapaconvention.com/
Here’s some other fantastic resources for you to check out on our blog.
4 ways Executive Assistants can play a strategic role in their organisation
Celebrity PA tells…5 tips for keeping 3 steps ahead
3 time saving tips to find the 25th hour in your day
Career Q&A with Diane Walker, Executive Assistant at Deloitte
3 key steps to maximizing your workplace productivity
What personality type are you? – Part 1
How to communicate with different personality types – Part 2
Emily Boyd, PowerfulPoints shares her #1 presentation tip
How to make strategic career choices
9 lessons to be a successful senior leader
Rocks, Pebbles, Sand – the important things in life
Leadership – it’s the art!
Guest Post: how to build emotional intelligence to enhance performance
14 ways to stay sharp and be an effective EA
3 steps to design a stylish work wardrobe

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For further information, please contact
John Burgher
criterion conferences
john.burgher@criterionconferences.com
About Criterion Conferences
At criterion conferences, we pride ourselves on independent research practices. Striving to be first to market with solutions to the big
issues, we take the time to talk to businesses and organisations to get to the heart of key issues. Criterion conferences are based around
developing tangible solutions through the discussion and presentations from our balanced speaker panels representing stakeholders and
their interests. From our keynote speakers, to international experts and Government Ministers, we have all the issues covered.
Our National EA PA Convention is now in its 7th year and we invite you to come and check it out at http://www.eapaconvention.com/
We believe in building relationships with notable experts, leaders and peak bodies. It’s these relationships that are key to bringing people
together via conferences, masterclasses summits, workshops or awards ceremonies.
In today’s fast moving online environment we believe its even more important to bring people face to face to discuss and debate and our
conference facilitate an invaluable exchange of information, learning and networking.
Criterion conferences offers events that produce practical steps to implement in your organisation while tackling the strategic need to
know issues.
Author
John Burgher
Special Thanks
To all those EA’s who took part in the 2nd Annual National EA PA Survey. Full survey results coming soon!