As a business owner or executive, one of the most important hires you will ever make is a private personal assistant.
But when your day moves at lightning speed it can be difficult to find time to cultivate your relationship with the person doing your administrative support.
Many executives and entrepreneurs work on multi-platform systems. They are bombarded with information and technology. This makes it easy to overlook your most valuable asset – your private assistant (PA). But having a PA means you don’t need to be self-sufficient, they can take tasks off your hands and make your day easier.
Tips for how to get the most from your PA
Mutually beneficial relationships, personal or professional, have communication and open dialogue at their heart.
Taking the time to have meaningful and purposeful interactions is key.
This doesn’t mean you have to discuss personal issues but more that you need to make your dialogue beneficial.
For instance, listen to your PA’s requests and respond accordingly.
Such as when they ask:”What do you need from me in order to make an appointment with the architects?”. This is a great example of how to start the flow of information the PA needs to assist you.
Never presume that your PA automatically knows how you like things to be done, so be sure to take the guesswork out of it.
For instance, if you don’t like being bombarded with emails, ask for one which rounds up outstanding points/tasks.
If you don’t like emails at all, schedule regular appointments with your PA for a meeting or call to run through your tasks. Avoid changing or moving this time.
Asking your PA how they like to do things will also help you get a broader understanding of how your working practices affect them.
Likes and dislikes are what fundamentally help us to connect with each other.
Executive assistants are in their particular field because they are highly skilled organisers. They can tackle any task or request in the most efficient way.
It’s a leap of faith to trust someone to have access to emails, calendars, cloud drives but the more access you give your PA the more effective they can become in managing your life.
Being clear in your priorities will help your PA deliver the results you need.
And understanding your PA’s capabilities and discussing specific personal assistant duties will ensure effective task management and successful collaboration.
We all make mistakes so be accountable for yours.
Creating an environment of mutual respect is always beneficial in the long run.
A good private PA will showcase problem-solving skills by offering solutions and seeking your confirmation or approval.
Allowing a PA to work independently without being micromanaged will increase interest in their role and underpin respect and trust.
However, the boundaries between allowing your PA to manage projects and doing your work for you can become blurred.
Care must be taken not to cross those boundaries, respecting the professional boundaries of the PA role.
Personal tasks vs administrative tasks
The biggest bone of contention for many PA’s is personal tasks.
Many private personal assistants don’t mind handling personal errands as long as they have the time to meet their other deadlines.
Be appreciative of the personal work they do for you.
And if you’re in an environment where it’s a ‘no go’ then there are many agencies that can offer virtual personal assistance to help you out.
A summary of how to get the most from your PA:
- Communicate
- Listen
- Be responsive
- Never presume
- Access
- Trust
- Prioritise
- Be accountable
- Personal tasks boundaries
- Appreciate
For more information about how a private PA can enhance task management and streamline your responsibilities, please call us at Designated PA on 020 7952 1460 and we can talk to you about how we can help and how our virtual assistant services work. Alternatively, you can email us.