Tag: earn trust

Engineering Your First 90 Days
Starting a new role as an Executive Assistant (my cheeky term is Temporal Engineer) is both exciting and high-stakes. The first 90 days are your onboarding period—the time to learn your processes, earn trust, and align with your executive’s workflow.

Here is how to engineer a successful launch.

Phase 1: Diagnostic & Discovery (Days 1–30)

Your first month is about gathering data and understanding the existing architecture.
- The Playbook Search: Identify where key documents, contacts, and historical records are kept. If a Handover Playbook doesn’t exist, start building one immediately.
- Stakeholder Mapping: Identify the key players, proxies, and influencers within the organization. Who does your executive rely on most?
- Calibration Syncs: Meet with your leader frequently. Ask: “How do you prefer to receive information? What are your ‘non-negotiables’ for the calendar?”
Phase 2: System Installation (Days 31–60)

Now that you have the data, begin implementing your strategic mechanisms.
- Master the Calendar: Transition from simply observing the schedule to proactively defending it. Start resolving conflicts before they reach the executive.
- Refine the Pipeline: Standardize how meeting minutes are taken and how action items are tracked.
- The Pulse Check: Begin observing the team culture. Start reporting back factual observations to your leader to help them lead more effectively.
Phase 3: Optimization & Branding (Days 61–90)

By day 90, you should move from learning the system to optimizing the workflow.
- Identify Gaps: Look for inefficiencies in the current workflow and propose updates. (e.g., “I noticed our travel booking process is manual; I’ve designed a template to streamline this.”)
- Establish Your Brand: What do you want to be known for? Whether it’s data analysis, project management, or event orchestration, start teaching the team to fish in your area of expertise.
The Outcome

The first 90 days aren’t just about surviving; they are about establishing yourself as a vital component of the leadership team. By the end of this period, your onboarding is complete, and you are ready to dive deeply into your new team.

Master the logic. Rule the clock.
2023-12-28
Engineering the Entry-Level EA: The Core Operational Mechanisms
A standard job description often makes the Executive Assistant role sound tactical and simple. In reality, the role is a complex series of interconnected systems that require a high degree of technical and emotional intelligence to manage.

Whether you are looking to enter the profession or want to educate your team on what you actually do, here is the blueprint for the entry-level EA skillset.

1. The Trust Mechanism (The Foundation)

Trust is the primary system upon which all other EA functions rely. Without it, you cannot be an effective partner.
- System Integrity: Avoid gossip and stick to the facts at all times.
- Reliability: Under-promise and over-deliver while consistently doing your best work.
- Confidentiality: As the keeper of sensitive data, you must maintain absolute discretion.
2. The Calendar & Travel Engine

Managing time is about more than just booking slots; it is about protecting the executive’s capacity to lead.
- Burnout Prevention: Proactively manage conflicts and ensure your leader has time for breaks, lunch, and dreaming up the Next Big Thing.
- Global Logistics: Coordinate complex travel, including international visas, local customs, and specific leader preferences (like avoiding specific airports!).
3. The Information & Document Pipeline

An EA acts both as a court reporter and a librarian for the organization’s most important information.
- Strategic Minutes: Even if you don’t understand the technical jargon at first, listen for action items, owners, and deadlines to keep the team aligned.
- Digital Architecture: Master word processing, spreadsheets, and collaboration platforms like SharePoint or Google Drive to maintain document control.
4. Tactical Troubleshooting & Event Management

EAs are the boots on the ground for office operations.
- Tech Literacy: Be prepared to troubleshoot everything from printers to the day-to-day apps.
- Event Coordination: Manage the gears of off-sites and conferences, including catering, AV, and guest lists.
- Space Management: Effectively manage desk and office assignments while navigating the weirdly possessive feelings people have about their workspace.
5. The Pulse Monitor (Communication)

You are often the bridge between the executive and the rest of the organization.
- Internal Intelligence: Your leader relies on you to understand the pulse of the team—knowing who is dissatisfied or what the common concerns are.
- Fact-Based Reporting: Share observations with your leader without snitching by focusing strictly on facts rather than emotions.
The Outcome

Being an EA is not about running errands or getting coffee—it is about exceeding expectations every day. It is a demanding role that, when engineered correctly, leads to a long and successful career.

Master the logic. Rule the clock.
2023-03-06
Engineering the Foundation: Why Trust is the Ultimate Mechanism for EAs
In any high-performance system, the quality of the output depends entirely on the stability of the foundation. For a Temporal Engineer, that foundation is Trust. While tactical skills like scheduling and scribing are necessary, trust is the strategic mechanism that enables you to operate at peak efficiency.

Building trust isn’t just about your relationship with your executive; it’s about creating a network of reliability that includes their direct reports, stakeholders, business partners, and your fellow administrative professionals.

Here is how a high-trust environment functions as a force multiplier for your career.

The Mechanics of a High-Trust System

When trust is successfully installed across your professional network, it activates four critical operational benefits:
- Open Communication: In a high-trust environment, team members feel safe sharing ideas, feedback, and diverse opinions without fear. This leads to superior decision-making because all viewpoints are evaluated openly.
- Fluid Collaboration: Trust allows team members to prioritize the success of the organization over individual interests. The result is a more productive and efficient work environment where everyone moves toward a common goal.
- Increased Accountability: When trust exists, peers hold each other accountable for their responsibilities. This creates a culture of ownership where every team member is invested in the final outcome.
- External Reliability: Trust extends beyond internal teams to clients and customers. When they trust that the business will deliver on its promises, it leads to long-term relationships and increased revenue.
The High Cost of System Failure

Losing trust is perhaps the most significant hurdle an EA can face. When the trust mechanism fails, the damage is widespread:
- Reputational Damage: Your professional standing within the organization is compromised.
- Operational Workarounds: Coworkers will begin to work around you rather than with you, making your role obsolete.
- Inefficiency: Your ability to do your job effectively disappears when you are no longer the trusted gatekeeper of information.
Installing Trust: A Consistent Effort

Trust is not a one-time task you check off; it is a mechanism that requires constant attention. It requires:
- Consistency: Being reliable in every interaction over time.
- Transparency: Communicating honestly and following through on every commitment.
- Integrity: Having the willingness to admit mistakes and take full responsibility for them.
The Outcome

Earning and maintaining trust is the highest priority for any executive assistant aiming to be a strategic partner. By building this foundation, you ensure that every other mechanism in your toolkit—from calendar management to project ownership—operates without friction.

Master the logic. Rule the clock.
2023-02-27
Engineering the Calendar: Strategies for the Control Freak Executive
In the blueprint of a high-functioning partnership, the Executive Assistant manages the calendar. But what happens when the mechanism stalls because your executive refuses to relinquish control? This friction can lead to missed meetings, a damaged professional reputation, and a deep sense of frustration.

At the heart of this resistance is usually a lack of trust. Perhaps they’ve been burned by an ineffective EA in the past, or they simply struggle with the Control Freak archetype. Regardless of the cause, as a Temporal Engineer, your task is to diagnose the issue and find a collaborative solution together.

1. Initiate Clear Communication

The first step in any system repair is direct feedback. At your next sync, discuss how this bottleneck is affecting your ability to do your job.

Don’t just complain —bring data and solutions. Use concrete examples to illustrate the operational failure:
- Missed Opportunities: How many meetings were missed because you couldn’t proactively resolve conflicts?
- Team Impact: What is the hidden cost in hours the team spent preparing for meetings the leader failed to attend?
- Reputation Audit: What feedback are you receiving from stakeholders regarding the leader’s availability?
2. Find the Common Ground

Once the problem is on the table, you must identify the barrier. Work together to engineer a mechanism that accommodates both of your needs.

This is a team of two. Be willing to compromise as you develop your working style. For instance, I once supported a leader who gave me control but required a five-minute warning before every session. Initially, this was a manual burden for me , but over time, as we refined our system and trust grew, we limited those warnings only to high-stakes meetings.

3. Peer-to-Peer Diagnostics

If your internal efforts are failing, tap into the wider network of EAs. Every experienced admin has faced this Control Freak barrier. Seek guidance on the specific tips or creative calendar management techniques they used to successfully gain control.

4. The Last Resort: Know When to Decommission

If you have tried every mechanism in your toolkit and the executive still refuses to trust you, it may be time to move on. Some leaders will never value the strategic advantage an EA provides, and staying in that environment will eventually damage your performance, attitude, and reputation.

You are likely not the first EA to hit this wall with them. Take the lessons you’ve learned about trust and calendar management and apply them to a role where your expertise is fully utilized.

The Outcome

Managing a calendar-clinging executive is challenging, but not impossible. Through clear communication and persistence, you can earn your leader’s trust and respect from the wider team.

Master the logic. Rule the clock.
2023-02-20

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