*For the sake of this article, “good assistant” will be referred to in the feminine sense.
In all honesty, as an assistant, your job has nothing to do with how much you like (or dislike) your boss; how much you are paid (or not paid); how many compliments you get (or don’t get). Whether you’re the assistant at the neighborhood dry cleaner, a media intern, or the executive assistant to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the good assistant knows it’s about business. Period.
In fact, the “job” isn’t appeasing the employer, supporting the team, or making sure there are donuts on Friday mornings. The “work” is always considering, “Is it good for the company?” If you ask yourself this question every time you hear idle gossip, every time your employer asks you for an honest opinion, or just answers the phone, you can never go wrong by first considering, “How will this affect the business?”
The good assistant knows that the boss is not necessarily the person who signs your paycheck, or the person whose name is on the door. His boss, his real boss, is the corporation itself. As an assistant, he has a higher calling than many, even in senior management. He is likely to be deprived of more information than many department heads. He is likely to be one of the first to know that a new candidate will be hired, or a long-term employee laid off, long before the information becomes public. You can never take your position for granted.
The good assistant knows there’s a fine line between ‘having lunch’ with her colleagues and ‘hanging out’ with the gang. While she appreciates sharing encouragement with others over a meal, she acknowledges that social events outside of work hours can cause confusion among those same colleagues, especially those who aren’t mature enough to respect her clearly defined position within the organization. letting her hair down, particularly among co-workers, could lessen respect for her in the eyes of others. For the good assistant, respect is the key to her success and she guards it very closely.
The good assistant knows when idle talk is fun and when it’s annoying. She’s never in the company of other people who are tarnishing others’ reputations, but she’s good for a joke or two, and even enjoys a harmless joke (that doesn’t detract from her work).
A good assistant knows when to keep quiet. She knows that it’s not important for others to know what she knows, but it’s just as important for her to know what others know…and what they think they know. At the same time, she is a trusted colleague.
She understands that everyone has a bad day from time to time, and she doesn’t judge just because someone has made a thoughtless comment. And if she is the aggressor, she knows how important it is to apologize and be sincere when she does.
The good assistant is tactful, never vulgar… and always reveals the truth as she knows it to be… even if that truth is painful to reveal, and even more painful to hear.
She’s encouraging and helpful, and her compliments are seasoned with taste and fine words…not just sugar-coated to hide her true feelings. If she says it, she means it.
She has the admiration of others in the company, having proven valuable in times of heartbreak, a welcome breeze after “it” has hit the fan, and a strong shoulder to lean on in times of professional struggle and personal duress.
His humor is always in good taste. And her poise is matched by her consistent outfit, always clean and elegant. His wardrobe is neither flashy nor vulgar. You won’t be able to see her underwear and her cleavage is never revealed. For her, “Dress Down Day” doesn’t mean flip flops and a bare midriff, although she could dress down more casually than usual.
His nails don’t look like eagle talons, but they are clean and well-groomed.
The good assistant does what comes next. She is not above emptying the trash, cleaning the kitchen, or stocking supplies in the bathroom when needed.
She is the heart of the organization, the confidant of the manager and the advocate for all those who need support.
And finally, while the good assistant knows she’s a valuable asset to the company and simply couldn’t thrive without her, she has the grace not to say so.
