Importance of upskilling and keeping up with new tech for EAs & PAs
The Future: Upskilling for the EA & PA Profession
We are now starting to adjust to life post-Covid and we are in the midst of a transformation in office working practices. The traditional office we knew has now been changed forever. Futurists are predicting that the acceleration of remote working might be more important than the introduction of the internet to the public in 1993. As employers scrambled during pandemic restrictions to implement remote working for all employees, there is no sign that a full return to 5 days a week working in the office will return.
What does this mean for Executive Assistants & Personal Assistants?
With hybrid working becoming the ‘new normal’ in the office you are now at the forefront of managing software applications and working digitally. Overnight you had to grasp the workings of Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex, Go To Webinar and other conferencing applications. In the early days of lockdowns the conferencing technology did not always work well and buffering, crashing and losing important clients on a video call where some of the challenges you faced – along with managing multiple diaries and communicating across time zones! However I know that EAs & PAs always rise to the challenges that confront them, with the grace and ease of The Swan.
So many new technologies have emerged mainstream in the last 2 years – and I often get asked – what is the best software for time management? – is it Trello, Monday.com, ToDoist, Microsoft To Do, One Note, Evernote … the list goes on. Project
Management abilities have become a ‘must have’ skill for Office Professionals. EAs & PAs are tasked with managing company events, golf days, team off-sites, conferences, dinners, lunches – all of which require coordination and project management skills. Working remotely requires showing your digital skills and professionalism on video calls by sharing spreadsheets of how you are coordinating an event. The days of the notepad and pen, visiting your Executive at his desk, and organising an event in your notebook are long gone, plus printers no longer exist in many offices! Minute taking for many of you is now via video calls, which present new challenges in note-taking and transcribing. The skill of a minute taker in a face to face meeting is the ability to read the room and connect directly with each speaker, this ability can be lost on video calls.
Skills for Hybrid Working
In the digital office environment the future is promising for your profession. You are needed more than ever to coordinate and manage complex situations, so your Executive is freed up to be super effective in their role. Continuous upskilling is now the ‘de facto’ standard for employees everywhere. No one can afford to sit back and stay the same; we are all living in an era of rapid transformational growth in tech and soft skills. At the Global PA Association & Training Academy we recommend you continue to attend soft skills and tech skill courses to maintain your competitive edge and increase your value to your organisations. For career and training advice do contact us at www.globalpa-association.com
Rosemary Parr, Business Skills International Trainer, Founder Global PA Association
Do not miss the Executive Assistant Conference of the Year! Venue: Carlton Tower Jumeirah Hotel, 1 Cadogan Place, London SW1X 9PY
Over the years, the role of PAs has evolved into business assistants rather than personal. They have become specialists in office management, but we still hear people (including PAs themselves) refer to them as “just a PA”. This observation shows that the role is underrated sometimes and that even some of the people who have those roles, do not realize how important they are to every executive they are assigned to and the organization as a whole. It is concerning because if you do not understand your value and authority, you probably will not deliver in the right capacity needed. Here are some points to highlight the importance of the PA with the right skills.
When we train PAs and Managers, one of the most frequently asked questions we get is how to become more assertive in the workplace. We have observed this to be a struggle for many people due to their own nature. Some people do not like confrontations or difficult conversations, therefore, they would rather be passive and just take instructions, tasks, or whatever is thrown their way, even if they have better ideas they could suggest. Some others have been labelled “aggressive”, and for fear of challenging higher authorities and losing their jobs, they avoid speaking up. Then there is the category of people who do not know how to present their thoughts without actually being aggressive. This article will help you find the balance on how to be assertive rather than passive or aggressive. Here are some ways you can politely decline or contribute without being rude or taking more than you can handle and eventually burning out.
Global PA Association is known amongst many other qualities, for organizing networking events for PAs and we understand that networking events are part of the life of a corporate worker, and planning to attend them can be quite tough. The idea of being in a room with numerous people meeting themselves for the first time, striking up a conversation, and holding a conversation for some time can be difficult to deal with. Hence, we have noted down some useful tips on how to show up and make your presence memorable with good conversations at networking events.
Social media has changed the ideology of traditional networking. It has provided various platforms for virtual networking in diverse industries. Every industry has a platform where it sells best and for the corporate world, LinkedIn is one of the best marketplaces. If you are wondering why the buzz about LinkedIn, then you definitely need to learn a lot about the app. Get to know the key beneficial factors to gain from a LinkedIn profile as a job seeker, recruiter, executive, or employee.
Communication is beyond speaking and writing, it also involves non-verbal messages. Good communication encompasses the way a message is passed from one person to another. Here are some useful tips on how to communicate confidently to get the attention you need.
Are you a Senior EA looking for Professional Development, but the time commitment is an issue?
An article in the Daily mail on Tuesday 6th July 2021 today highlighted the evolution of the EA and PA role post Covid. It is true that Covid has accelerated workplace change, probably bringing it forward by as much as 5-10 years. Larger organisations are re-structuring and it is often the Office Support function that feels the impact and loss of jobs. However a new dawn is emerging as the rise of the Virtual Assistant has accelerated in the last 10 years, offering flexibility to SMEs and a valuable asset to larger corporations as 'back up' support. Technological advances are moving so fast that we are all running to catch up - EAs, PAs & Secretaries are the anchor in companies who use their initiative and get to grips with the technology first, and then train everyone else. I strongly believe in the value of VAs, EAs, PAs & Secretaries to an organisation - they are the engine room, who ensure the seamless flow of processes and systems, they are agile and flexible whilst remaining calm through pandemics, terrorism, floods, fires and anything else that is thrown at them! They are worth their wait in gold, they offer overwhelmed Executives who are juggling multiple priorities the space to breathe, reflect, problem solve and make the right decision. They will never be eliminated in the workplace, I certainly could not do without mine. They have moved from 20th century stereotyping to 21st century modernity, coping with every twist and turn in the road whilst smiling serenely and gliding along like a Swan! Article Daily Mail: Link here Author: Rosemary Parr
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