It reflects your values and that of your Executive’s and your Organisation. It is making sure that everything you touch is high quality, everything that you put your name and reputation to is professional. This quality is in everything an Assistant does. However, attention to detail goes beyond proofreading.

It goes without saying that the documents produced by great Assistants are grammatically correct and look professional. Although not all of us are blessed with unwavering self-confidence, there are areas within the role that every assistant should feel comfortable with and have confidence in their own abilities. It can lead to feeling unchallenged, unappreciated and, more importantly, managed ineffectively by your Executive. We have a difficult job, and if we cannot stand up for ourselves, this makes the role a lot harder. Having low self-esteem or confidence issues can be a real challenge in life, particularly in the office and particularly for assistants. It would help if you always were alert for opportunities to make processes and procedures better, have the confidence to make decisions and adopt new ways of working to support your Executive and the organisation’s objectives. Showing initiative and being proactive is vital for a great Assistant. We have to rely on our self-confidence to bounce back from worst-case scenarios, and more often than not, we will be asked to help when colleagues want to limit damages (or should I say we are asked to clear up the whole sorry mess!) We are constantly faced with changing and challenging situations. For these reasons, it is sooooo helpful if assistants can be diplomatic, which is why it is one of our 10 qualities of a truly great Assistant.Īssistants need to have resilience. It is a skill that allows assistants to find common ground with every person at every business level. In my mind, diplomacy is ‘the art of dealing with people sensitively and tactfully.’ It is the ability to communicate with people using an approach that considers their feelings and potential reaction. It is imperative that Assistants can communicate and build rapport.

It is the ability to choose the right communication method for the situation, the awareness of your own communication style and adapting that to fit with others, and the confidence to articulate exactly what you mean in any scenario. It is the ability to look at a task, understand why it needs to be completed, how it fits in with the business’s overall strategy, why it takes precedence over other tasks, and what impact it will have on the bottom line.Ĭommunication skills are a vital quality needed for a great Assistant. It means making decisions and taking ownership of the results.Īssistants have to think strategically to help their Executive’s execute the Organisation’s objectives. What do I mean by being more accountable, and why is it important for assistants? For me, being accountable means taking control of your own success, managing your workload, your career and your relationship with your Executive and your colleagues. These are the qualities that will make every good assistant great! Yay us! Today I thought I would have a look at the 10 qualities that make a truly great Assistant. We are often described as a ‘jack of all trades’, which means we have many skills and can take on many different tasks. Assistants bring many, many amazing qualities to their roles.

The perfect assistant 2021