Sarah Howson, Director of Strategic PA Recruitment and the Founder of Strategic PA Network, discusses great strategies for an Assistant to establish a right work-life balance as an Assistant.
The role of a high performing Executive Assistant is not for the fainthearted. It takes a certain type of individual, with what is seemingly a never-ending skillset, to make a success of this position. One that is determined, resilient and driven. It is a challenging position where the pace, pressure and stakes are often high, making it easy to never truly switch off.
Working with an Executive can be extremely rewarding, I’d argue it is one of the best roles in an organisation. However, when the work of an Assistant is relied upon so heavily, a work-life balance can fall by the wayside.
Have you slid into unhealthy habits where your work life boundaries have blurred?
Do you feel, that to do your job effectively, you must always be ‘on’?
Here are four ways to re-establish a right work-life balance:
1. Be open and honest:
Being face-to-face with your Executive is key when talking about your workload; a casual coffee offsite will offer the opportunity for you to have a discussion. It is, however, important to
consider that your Executive may be unaware that you are swamped with work so remember to keep the
conversation positive and objective.
2. Take a step back:
It is important to take time to evaluate what the issue is. Has your work-life balance always been skewed or is it a recent development that reflects a particularly busy time? If it is the latter, employing some coping mechanisms outside of work may be an effective solution: rest, relaxation, exercise.
3. Set or re-establish boundaries:
If your work-life balance has always been questionable, it might be time to push back; you are allowed to say no and re-establish boundaries. As an Assistant, people pleasing will be in your nature, but when it comes to protecting your mental health, setting boundaries is necessary!
4. Get practical, set communication rules:
Setting boundaries can be tricky but muting your phone after a certain time and having a specific ringtone for work notifications are ways to do this. Whilst the Assistant role is not your standard 9-5, if your Executive really needs to get a hold of you outside your working hours, can you agree that they
will call?
I’m going to leave you with a question:
If you watched your work bestie struggling with overwhelm and completely stressed out, what advice would you give them?
It is time to look after ourselves and take our own advice. Surround yourself with people that understand what you are going through, be kind to yourself! Join an Assistant network to meet other Assistants that will be there to support you.
As the legendary Dolly Parton said; “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
You can find more helpful advice on www.strategicparecruitment.com
Two-thirds of today’s workforce value work-life balance over pay.
