When people think of businesses, big or small, the first person that comes to mind is the founder or current CEO. However, we often forget about the people behind the scenes who keep the CEO’s reputation in good standing and make their job more efficient. With so many tasks business leaders have to deal with daily, it’s challenging to keep track of them independently. To effectively do one’s job as a CEO or business leader, they need someone to help keep them up-to-speed with their appointments, conferences, events, and even travel schedules.
This is where the executive assistant comes in. Not only are they in charge of managing their executive’s schedule, but they play a critical role in the health, well-being, and overall success of a CEO. With all these responsibilities, it’s clear that the people who hold this role possess a great deal of power in the business and the life of a business leader.
Whether you’re a CEO or fledgling entrepreneur, it’s important to learn more about the role of an executive assistant in your business and how they can help your business grow.
The Executive Assistant’s Role
An executive assistant is more than just a runner; they ensure that each day runs smoothly for the CEO, wearing different hats in the process. Not only do they have to keep track of daily activities, but they also need to learn to foresee the CEO’s mood by properly scheduling and coordinating meetings to make sure that they can participate effectively without any surprises.
The Point of Contact
A business consists of numerous employees, each with different responsibilities. At the same time, a CEO may also need to keep in touch with clients and customers for their business to grow. Having an executive assistant will make communication between both internal and external colleagues or connections easier and more efficient, as they can be the ones to relay the information to the CEO orderly.
Handling Correspondence
Sending important emails to multiple employees, managers, or even clients can become a hassle, especially when the CEO has too much on their plate. When this happens, it’s the executive assistant’s job to draft and send the email to the specific parties as needed.
Creating Reports and Presentations
Depending on the type of business, executive assistants are also asked to create reports for expenses, statistics, and the like via spreadsheets or even make presentations regarding these matters. This can help CEOs keep track of business data and make important decisions to help the business grow.
Planning and Organizing Business Trips
Business trips are a common occurrence for company heads, which is why their assistants need to be familiar with booking plane tickets online, doing their research on the destination country, and organizing the CEO’s schedule according to their business, and at times personal needs.
Managing and Organizing Files
In the digital age, keeping important business files no longer means storing them in a locked cabinet. Sometimes, it means storing them in the cloud. However, it’s still important for executive assistants to maintain and manage these files by updating documents and organizing them into folders while constantly looking for ways to improve the filing system.
Finding Solutions
At times, some situations happen unexpectedly, such as the CEO falling ill or needing medical care. Whether it’s a general check-up, a dentist’s appointment, or even an ear infection that requires an ear wax removal, the executive assistant is often tasked with scheduling these appointments or contacting the necessary people like loved ones, all while making sure that the business continues running as it should be.
How Can They Benefit the Business?
Executive assistants can benefit businesses in multiple ways. Not only do they help CEOs keep business operations running, but they also make sure that they are doing so effectively and efficiently. However, those aren’t the only benefits of having an executive assistant on-call.
While the recent advancements in technology have made it possible to manage certain tasks more efficiently, executive assistants can help business leaders power through their day-to-day activities without a hitch. With someone reliable behind a CEO, they can focus on more important tasks at hand and leave the more menial tasks to their assistant.
In addition to that, they can also help improve company culture by organizing team activities or even parties and celebrations that help employees stay engaged and satisfied with the work they are doing for the business, thus reducing employee turnover.
As they say, no man is an island- no one can do every single thing on their own, especially when you’re a CEO who is constantly running a business. However, with someone as reliable as an executive assistant who can help you make sense of your daily activities and free up some time in your day, not only will you be able to deal with more important tasks, but you’ll also keep your business operations running smoothly.
