Maybe it’s time to change the way we think and feel about our role says Laura Belgrado
I love being an Assistant … Yes I do! Lately I have been reading quite a lot of articles and blogs that talk about how un-appreciated we are as Assistants, how the workload keeps growing, how we are not seen as a valuable part of a team or company. Well I want to write about ‘what a cool job’ being an EA can be.
Maybe it is time we change our mindset
Let’s change the way we think and feel about ourselves and our role as Assistants. Try thinking about how fast our brain works with continuous changes, how swiftly we can move appointments and conference calls around for our managers without even blinking an eye. Try to think of the powerful network we have that you can use for your own personal growth and development. Being an Assistant is challenging but it keeps my mind & brain young; it keeps me fit in my ways of thinking of finding new ideas, solutions, negotiating with suppliers, meeting new people …
I want to tell all of my fellow Assistants out there around the globe to change the way you feel and think about yourselves and our roles. I have been giving workshops and training for a few years now and I feel very privileged to meet so many amazing Assistants. The best feedback I can receive is when Assistants write to me or tell me right after a workshop, “Laura, you made me feel proud again of being an Assistant”.
Tell your friends your family what a great and cool job you actually do. Start talking about the exciting things, the challenging things you do every day and I guarantee you that suddenly your positive mindset will make you change how you see yourself as an Assistant and as a person. Once you reach that stage I guarantee you that your colleagues and your managers will start to notice you and to see you in a different way.
We as Assistants need to stop feeling we are less than anyone else and start feeling and acting like we are the most central person for our managers, our teams and our organizations and companies we work for. We cannot be happy every day but we sure can be positive! I am proud to tell everyone around me, I am an Executive Assistant, I lead and manage great managers to become even better leaders and I am darn good at it as well! So there you go folks, spread some positive vibes between each other tell the world what a great Assistant you are and see the changes that will happen around you both at work and amongst friends and family.
It is only by changing our mindset and seeing ourselves as true leaders in what we do and what we are so good at, that we can all together change the perception of how our roles are valued and seen within our companies!
As my favorite quote says
If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.
Mary Engelbreit
My definition of the Assistant today:
Ambassadors of our Executives
Smart
Sense EIQ
Innovative
Successful
Talented
Always continue to learn
No is the new Yes
Time to rethink your Wow
AMEN to this Article! I am in total agreement with the author, and happy that I am not alone in my thoughts.
So much of how YOU and your role is seen and respected by others is simply how YOU present yourself and how YOU see your role.
Oh my goodness! IncreԀible article dude! Thank you so much