I’ve lost count of the number of assistants I have spoken to over the last 12 months who tell me they are having trouble juggling the sheer volume of work they now have – particularly those that are expected to look after multiple executives.
It’s a false economy expecting an assistant to do an excellent job – especially at C-Suite level – when the manager:assistant ratio is off kilter.
It’s just not possible at that level to support more than two and my preference would always be 1:1 if you want them to do the job properly and make sure that every $$$ of the Executive’s salary is being best spent and that their time is managed properly.
It’s leading to burnout all over the place as assistants try to cope with an ever increasing workload and they are questioning their own abilities because they no longer have the ability to juggle.
Sometimes it’s not them!
Sometimes there is just too much work.
So what’s the answer if you are at a point of exhaustion?
I suggest a time audit. Keep a note for a month of everything you are doing so you can have a conversation with your executive(s) and show how you are managing your time – particularly if it’s a while since you left the office in time or can’t remember not working at the weekend.
And put together a shared calendar with everything you are doing in it so that everyone has visibility on how you are using your time – including you.
Finally, here are three tips for saying no – especially if you don’t report to the person asking you to do something.
The first is to separate the decision from the relationship. Saying yes or no should be about whether it’s the right thing for you to be doing and not about the person who is asking you to
do it.
Secondly, my whole mindset changed when I started thinking in terms of ‘I choose to’ instead
of ‘I have to.’ It gave me back control and made me question whether I wanted to ‘choose to’.
And finally, the shorter it is, the stronger it is. Saying no should be like ripping off a sticking
plaster. Do it fast and its far less painful. No is a complete sentence.
