Be the ultimate communicator
Effective communication is the key to success in the Assistant role. In this article, we will share tactics from April Stallworth, who recently presented at the Practically Perfect PA Virtual Summit, on how you can become the ultimate communicator and level up your professional game.
Be a lifelong learner: To become an effective communicator, you must be a lifelong learner. This means continually working on your personal and professional development plan. You don’t necessarily need to go to college, but you must have a thirst for knowledge. You should be a reader, take classes, listen to podcasts, and attend webinars to stay knowledgeable and ahead of the competition.
Be a change manager: Change is inevitable, and you need to be able to manage it effectively. If you’re uncomfortable with change, you will have difficulty leading and moving forward during uncertain times. You need to embrace change and navigate successfully through it. Being a change manager will help you stand out as a leader and position you for greater success.
Don’t let fear win: Fear is a natural human emotion, but you can’t let it control you. False evidence appearing real (FEAR) is what fear is. Instead of thinking of the worst thing that could happen, push yourself into thinking about the best outcome that could happen. Taking action is one of the biggest killers of fear, so do it afraid.
Develop executive presence: Executive presence is the ability to project confidence, and composure, and engage others. It’s that charisma that sets you apart as a leader. You need to flow in and out of rooms with all levels of the organization and keep your composure. Drawing others to you will give you the executive presence you need to level up in your career.
Commit to good self-care: Self-care is critical for your overall well-being. Taking care of yourself is not selfish; it’s selfless. The more you pour into yourself, the more you have to give to others. If you’re always rundown, you won’t be considered for higher levels of responsibility. Take your vacation days and model good self-care for others around you.
Develop emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of your emotions and the impact they have on your behaviour as well as the feelings of others. It’s about being self-aware and socially conscious of what’s going on around you. Developing emotional intelligence will help you become a better communicator and leader.
Communication is the building block for progress. Taking the time to develop communication skills will be well worth it in the long run, whether you’re looking for more job opportunities or want to improve your current role. April Stallworth’s advice has been invaluable to this article in showing us promising approaches to mastering effective communication through email, phone and video calls. Those three methods are essential strategies for conveying our message quickly and accurately.
Employers love efficient communicators who can confidently think on their feet and communicate effectively under pressure, so make sure you take the time to explore these tactics further and understand the nuances involved. After all, enhancing our effectiveness is critical to becoming the ultimate communicator and emulating April’s success in her Assistant role. To get you started, why not enrol on The Assistant Essentials Online Course and begin your journey today.
