BOSS SWAP
What happens when an
executive moves on and an EA
has to adapt to a whole new
personality? We’ve gathered
responses from EAs in several
different industries and put
them together so you can be
fully prepared for the next time
a ‘boss swap’ looms on your
professional horizon
Building a successful working relationship with an
executive requires EAs to establish trust, earn respect
and develop a sophisticated understanding of their boss’s
personality and working style. This process—while essential
for the partnership’s success—takes time and energy, with
many EAs not ‘finding the groove’ with their executive until
three or even six months down the line.
Many of you reading this will have cultivated relationships
with your executive over many years, forming a strong
professional and personal bond. But, sometimes a boss moves
on. To me, the idea of a boss leaving and another taking their
place seems like an incredibly tumultuous time for EAs.
To understand exactly what happens and what EAs
can do to prepare for this challenge, I sent out a call to our
audience. I wanted to know how they dealt with a ‘boss
swap’, how much notice they got, what they did to prepare
and what challenges they faced.
Research by the Australian Institute of Company Directors
shows that CEOs in Australia generally hold the top job for
six-and-a-half years. After a quick bit of math, an EA with a
20-year career supporting CEOs will on average work with at
least three.
That’s three new relationships to develop, three new
working styles to adapt to and three new ‘boss swaps’ to ride
out. With this in mind, I’ve also pulled in leadership and
people management expert Karen Gately to help me figure
out what strategies EAs should have when their boss is about
to change.
Adapting to a new work style
A boss change is different from walking into a new role.
Instead of assimilating into the tried-and-tested methods
and culture of an organisation, a new boss means EAs have
to apply a whole new set of expectations and way of working
to something they have already been doing.
For Swee McGowan, EA to the Managing Director of
Mazda Motors New Zealand, this adaptation was the hardest
part of her boss swap.
“After 10 years working with the same boss, my biggest
challenge during the changeover was learning a new
management style and work ethic,” Swee said.
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Issue 1 2020 | Chief of Staff 19