Melba J. Duncan

There is no single agreed-upon description of what the Executive Assistant’s role entails, or even what the title should be. The position is structurally, strategically, socially, and politically unique, and extraordinarily situational. Today’s business leaders are faced with a changing work environment, where technological growth and competitive world events are affecting business strategies.  This marks an important new stage of challenge and opportunity in the evolution and professionalization of the role of the Executive Assistant:  how you understand your role is the imperative.

This is the opportunity for Executive Assistants who exemplify strategic insights and who take on the challenge of intellectual innovation, to pursue a credible career path:  that of Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff role facilitates the executive’s vision while enabling other members of the leadership team to work together effectively to identify and achieve company goals.  What better way to increase the odds that the newly appointed Chief of Staff will be successful in the role than by filling this role with the individual who has already proven that they know how to get things done within the organization, has relationships with internal and external stakeholders, understands the company, is a cultural fit, and has a proven track record of effectiveness in translating the executive’s intent into action?

Learning Outcomes

• You are not tyrannized by the urgent
• You manage for strategic effectiveness
• You plan for and manage your own development

When Melba Duncan speaks, you can hear a pin drop. Why? Because she is the only leader in the Administrative sector to have the ear of America’s CEOs and she uses her voice to explain to them how best to use their Assistants.

Simply put, she understands and is eloquently vocal about why the best Executive Assistants are indispensable. The tech world will never develop software that can calm a hysterical sales manager, avert a crisis by redrafting a poorly worded email, smooth a customer’s ruffled feathers, and solve a looming HR issue—all within a single hour, and all without interrupting the manager to whom such problems might otherwise have proven a distraction.

Executive Assistants give companies and managers a human face. In Melba’s only Australian appearance this year, join her as she explains how after years of cutting back, companies can boost productivity by arming more managers with this kind of help—and executives who are fortunate enough to have a skilled Assistant can benefit by finding ways to delegate higher-level work to him or her.

Executive–Assistant relationships are business partnerships: Strong ones are win-wins between smart people. In fact, they’re win-win- wins because ultimately the companies reap the benefits. We guarantee that you will leave this session understanding how vital your role is to business and why the role of the EA is truly one of indispensability.