Let’s make 2026 the year we get clear with our organisations on the significance of the administrative profession and the impact we have, says Kathleen Drum
2026 is shaping up to be a big year in the Assistant community with the release of the updated Global Skills Matrix, the 14th World Administrators Summit, and Executive Support Magazine’s 15th birthday! We will have some exciting updates closer to our birthday on 25th March, but the one thing that will not change is our commitment to providing you with thoughtful, interesting, and practical articles that challenge the way you think about your role.
But before we rush headlong into the New Year, let’s take some time to pause and reflect on the closing of 2025. Lucy Brazier’s article, A New Year of Possibility: Setting Intentions for 2026 encourages us to resist the urge to write resolutions and instead set intentions to help us step into our power as capable and strategic administrative professionals.
We have a fascinating profile piece with Danny McCubbin, who worked with Jamie Oliver for 17 years and now runs a community kitchen in Sicily. Danny shares some great ideas for Assistants who want to increase their fulfilment in their existing role, suggesting, amongst other things, “approaching your role not just as a job, but as a space to learn, contribute, and evolve.”
We also dive into the emotional intelligence aspect of our interaction with colleagues within our organisations. Holly Mills shares some practical strategies that Assistants can use to help neurodivergent executives perform at their best; Professor Marcantonio Spada explains how EAs can help provide support for those with addictions; grief recovery specialist Jess Goyder examines what Assistants can teach us about grief in the workplace.
Flo Schwab’s excellent article on Staying Resilient and Positive When Job Hunting in a Tough Market provides some excellent tips on dealing with the pressures and rejections in the current market. If you are in this position, I hope this article brings you comfort that your next role is out there waiting for you.
And finally, in our cover story, Change or Clarity? Elevating the Value of Administration, Simone White expresses the complexity of the ongoing debate around job titles and job families. I encourage you to take some time and read her very thoughtful and considered piece. As Simone says, “for the titles Assistants hold to be truly valued… their skillsets, behaviours, and competencies must be embedded into firms as talent, like every other employee and function.”
Let’s make 2026 the year we get clear with our organisations on the significance of the administrative profession and the impact we have.
