"Support roles are like being an unseen hero. You're the one who makes the stars shine brighter."
It takes a special sort of person to thrive as an Executive Assistant, or within any sort of support role. We often hear about the skill set required to be an Executive Assistant, where we list organisation, attention to detail, communication skills, discretion etc etc as part of what you need to make a success of this as a career, but what is so often ignored is the sort of personality that you need to have in order to not only succeed in a support role, but thrive.
As much as the role of assistant is finally being recognised as intrinsically valuable, and you´re receiving the sort of kudos (and compensation!) that you actually deserve, it cannot be denied that the very crux of the role is about supporting someone else. Your job literally revolves around doing the hard work behind making someone else look brilliant. Now, as I think we all know, not everyone is cut out for that.
"The world is divided into people who do things–and people who get the credit”- Finley Peter Dunne
It´s not just about being the sort of person who does all the things (and we know you do all the things!), it´s about your ego allowing you to do it whilst others take the credit. Or, at the very least, not requiring credit for yourself on the regular. Now, I am resolutely NOT the person that can do this. It´s not that I have an enormous ego (although probably also that), it´s that whilst I don´t mind doing the work, I find it infuriating to not have it recognised. There are entire textbooks filled with the psychology behind this and it´s not for nothing that people often say that the most shocking part of becoming a parent is suddenly putting someone else first ALL THE TIME.
Now, it´s not about being a doormat, and you´ll know more than anyone how important it is to feel recognised, so how do you find the balance between being the support mechanism for someone else's success whilst being seen for your contributions?
Well, there are a few ways, and everyone needs to find what works for them. I appreciate that this can seem like a get out clause, but the truth is that recognition can look like a million different things. For many, simply having a salary that they feel compensates their work can be enough. One EA that I spoke to, who shall remain nameless said, and I quote “I don´t care if they never even learn my name, as long as they keep paying me” Now, that may work for some but I´m guessing that isn´t the truth for most of us. So what does work as recognition?
Maybe it´s simply your direct Executives taking the time to recognise your contribution, maybe you want further recognition within the organisation for the role you play, or maybe you want external kudos and for your work to be visible even outside of your immediate circle. Whichever it may be, it´s important to recognise the sort of validation that you need in order to be happy in your career. There's only so long anyone can do a job without feeling appreciated before they simply stop wanting to do it. We´ve all heard the phrase “quiet quitting” and that whole phenomenon came about because people simply stopped caring about doing anything more than the bare minimum. Lack of recognition for your work can be one of the most, if not THE most demotivating factor in the workplace. Feeling ignored, invisible and not having your efforts validated can be a killer for your daily resilience, and in a role where you are expected (nay required) to take the back seat that can be hard.
So what can you do to ensure that you maintain your motivation in a role where someone else is the star?
· Check your ego- This isn´t about not taking credit, it´s about not needing to have it all the time. If you want every success to be credited to you, then the role of EA may not be for you. That´s not indicative that you have a problem, but you need to know yourself.
· Build your relationships- The absolute first step to feeling validated and motivated is to make sure that the people that you work directly with are not only aware of the effort you put in, but that they value you for it.
· Grow your network- Sometimes, if work feels like a thankless task, then simply being able to speak to others doing the same thing as you can be enough to keep you going for a while. There´s a reason why parent groups are so popular, and it´s not the quality of the coffee. Find your tribe, and if you can´t find one, build one.
· Find out what´s important to you- What do you want to be recognised for? There are probably plenty of things that you do in your role that you couldn´t care less if people know you did. Figure out what matters to you and make sure you´re credited for that. Pick your battles though. You´re not going to get a high five every time you book a car service, that would be exhausting.
· Keep developing professionally- No matter how incredibly good you are at your job, everything stops being impressive when it becomes routine. Make sure that you stay up to date with your skills, be that technical or otherwise.
Finding that line between being in the background without fading into it can be tricky. Remember to figure out what’s important to you (because validation looks different to everyone) and make sure you get the respect you deserve. You may not need the crown, but that doesn´t mean you don´t deserve your own throne.
😎 Loving this guide!