One of the most important skills you can develop as an Executive Assistant is to value your contribution at work (also, a bit of gumption never hurts 😉!). Understanding and valuing your contribution to your Executive and team is crucial to your motivation, general wellbeing at work and the progression of your career. It also benefits our industry – the more confident EAs we have cheerleading for the importance of the administrative function, the better!
While valuing your contribution is great for your confidence, it’s also a game changer when it comes to increasing your visibility and influence. You feel more confident to speak up and suggest a different way forward. Really understanding your value and using that to your advantage inspires you to challenge and create opportunities for yourself.
Here are some key ways to focus on your value:
Keep a record of your accomplishments. Make it a habit to document your successes, no matter how big or small, on a regular basis. I used to call this folder my “Bouquet Board”. Use quantifiable indicators where you can – this will help you at appraisal time. What was the problem you solved? What skills did you use? What was the outcome? When you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps or are refreshing your CV, your key accomplishments are in easy reach.
Take the opportunity to seek feedback or recognition. This will help you to identify your strengths – those skills in your toolkit / brand that make you stand out. Perhaps you’re looking for more than just “great job today” from the boss as they walk out the door.
(subtly) Broadcast your value. This isn’t a “beating of the chest” moment but if there is a skill gap or unanswered question that you can solve, pop your hand up and contribute. You’re stepping outside of your comfort zone by supporting someone to achieve an objective or answer their question, and you’ve barely broken a sweat.
Learn and grow. You can never broaden the horizon too much. Seek out an EA network, get to know others around you, ask a senior EA for advice, jump into a training course or workshop. Avoid becoming complacent – if you’ve lost your spark, what can you do to get it back?
Give yourself an internal pep talk. You’ve actually got this! We’re not going to move mountains every day, but every day we come to work, we contribute to the success of our Executive. When they say they can’t do without you, hear them. It doesn’t matter the task they’re referring to. Be proud of what you’ve achieved today, this week, this month, this year.
An office with a confident, positive and valued EA has such a big impact on your Executive, team and wider organisation.
How will you acknowledge your value today?