Why 4 Famous Executives Rave About Admins as a Crucial Hire
You’re the best. Three little words that when coming from your boss or co-worker, you take with a grain of salt. But when someone outside…
You’re the best. Three little words that when coming from your boss or co-worker, you take with a grain of salt. But when someone outside…
If you’re running a company, you're probably busy, stressed and struggling to keep your head above water. On the other hand, if you’re an executive with a great assistant, you’re still busy and stressed—but there’s an island of calm in the midst of your chaos. And trust me, that can make all the difference."
Who do you hire after you have a product built and shipped and being used in the market? Who do you hire when you raise that first $2–3 million? My answer will surprise you and I’m sure many will not agree. But I give this advice to nearly every company I work with so at a minimum you’ll know it’s authentic and not intentionally controversial. Your first hire after that first round of capital is an office manager / company-wide assistant."
One of the best decisions we made at the time was to hire a “Do-It-All Office Admin” (DIAOA) as one of our very first hires. The point was to free up everyone else to focus exclusively on building the business. Basically, we needed someone to tackle all of the “distractions," anything that isn’t a direct action related to a core goal. All important things but also all things that are incredible time sucks and aren’t going to make or break the success of the company at the early stage."
A good executive assistant is like an air-traffic controller for your life. Not just your business—your whole life. They help manage not only the intricacies of the office, but all the treacherous intersections between work, family, social obligations, and more. An executive assistant is an extension of the executive he or she works for. In my case, Suzie and Danielle are thinking and acting on my behalf all day long—things I wouldn’t even think of or do because I just don’t have the bandwidth. And they help coordinate all the needs and demands of my life so there are very few—if any—collisions between the personal and professional."
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received for being an awesome Office Ninja? Share in a comment below!