How to Become Your Executive’s Greatest Asset

We all want to be an asset to our manager or executive. Collaborating with your manager or executive and adapting a proactive and anticipatory approach to your work can be one of the most challenging and rewarding dynamics of the job. Creating an effective partnership is achieved with deliberate purpose, experience, reflection, and a commitment to effective two-way honest and open communication. 

This course will provide key strategies and tools that will build trust, communication, and help assistants overcome barriers and obstacles. The session will cover the following:

• What does it mean to be an asset and what are the identifying skills, competencies, and qualities that can make an assistant a true asset to their executive?
• How well do you know your executive? Discover easy questions to ask to identify gaps.
• How to build rapport and practice “expectation-setting” guidelines.
• Identify and unpack the key communication skills needed to be a true asset.
• Understand empowerment and emotional intelligence factors that create alignment.
• Learn strategies to identify and resolve conflict positively.

Session 1: Introduction to Empowerment: The Habits that Set You Up for Success
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 1PM-2:15PM ET

The word empowerment is misunderstood in the world of the assistant. This introduction session will unpack empowerment and the habits that assistants can develop in order to ensure a strong partnership.

In this session, you will learn how to: 

• Define empowerment and how it manifests
• Recognize the indicators of empowerment and a proactive work style
• Learn 8 steps to build self-empowerment
• Learn how to use emotional intelligence effectively

 
Bonus Resource: The Building Blocks of Empowerment

Session 2: Building Rapport Through Effective Communication
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 1PM-2:15PM ET

A strong partnership with your executive starts with understanding the key elements of effective communication. This session will cover the principles of strategic communication and how assistants can avoid potential disconnects.

In this session, you will learn how to: 

• Discover communication styles and how to adjust for more effective interactions
• Learn the skills of brevity and conciseness – the two keys to “executive speak”
• Avoid the pitfalls of communication and obstacles that inhibit clarity
• Step into challenging conversations with confidence

 
Bonus Resource: Get to Know Your Manager

Session 3: Dealing with Challenging Personalities
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 1PM-2:15PM ET

No two executives are the same, and some are more challenging than others. This session will introduce different personality types and how best to navigate them with confidence. To be an asset to an executive, it’s vital to understand how to adapt and clarify expectations.

In this session, you will learn how to:

• Handle those prying executives with proven techniques
• Know personality types and how to manage them
• Learn best practices for stepping into crucial conversations
• Conduct a personal HOGS analysis to determine individual gaps and obstacles

 
Bonus Resource: 5 Strategies for Effective 1:1s

Session 4: Effective 1:1s and the Power of Being a Relationship Engineer Through Leadership
Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 1PM-2:15PM ET

This session will cover the elements of effective 1:1s and the power of building relationships through trust, credibility, and professionalism. 

In this session, you will learn how to: 

• Get creative with 1:1s
• Understand how other’s perceptions can affect your executive partnership
• Recognize the elements of image stewardship and leadership
• Review the overall competencies of becoming an asset to your executive

 
Bonus Resource: 10 Leadership Principles for Assistant

Hot Tip: Make 1:1 time high leverage time. Whether it's 5 minutes or an hour, make the most of it. Keep a pulse on changing priorities and adjust the agenda accordingly. Consider adding a standing agenda item called "Hits and Misses." This is a great opportunity to review positive outcomes as well as areas for improvement.

About Lisa Olsen: Lisa is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning, dedicated to inspiring others to unlock their full potential, seize opportunities, and embrace the role of "relationship engineers."

Lisa provides invaluable support through coaching, consulting, transformative training workshops, and keynote presentations. Drawing from her extensive experience as a C-Suite Executive Assistant and administrative manager, Lisa's credibility shines through, setting her apart as a trusted industry expert.

With a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership and five years as a junior college faculty member, Lisa's expertise is both broad and deep.

Get ready to be inspired and empowered as Lisa brings her unique blend of experience, knowledge, and infectious positivity to every engagement.