Executive PA Australasia October November 2016 | Page 23

answer queries from an end-user perspective.
Creating this environment for EAs creates a
better environment across so many other facets
of the university.”
UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS
Tammy Tantschev, EA to Tracey Fellows, CEO
of REA Group, maintains a key task for any new
EA is to align yourself by understanding the
business, the priorities of your boss and what
you can offer them.
“There is lot of work in building up your
brand and profile within a company before you
"Educate yourself about the
priorities of your executive
and the greater business,
consider and understand
what role you can play in
that, prepare a well thought-
out proposal. Then hold your
head high – and pitch for it.”
– Tammy Tantschev
Tammy Tantschev
can be taken seriously as an innovator or leader
of change. It’s remarkable how the role changes
from business to business and boss to boss.
Empowerment often comes from enlightened
employers who understand the value in working
collaboratively with their EA.”
Tammy, who often speaks on progressing
from business support to business partner,
believes EAs can offer valuable insight as well
as alignment.
“Often executives are tied up with constant
meetings and extensive travel. Understand
what’s happening from the receptionist to
the CEO. PAs see the issues in company
culture and frustrations with process, and are
across multiple areas ripe for change and
improvement. That’s a prime asset you have for
your executive, understanding their business in
ways they cannot.”
For Tammy, disruptions and changes
represent a real opportunity for EAs to step up
and show what they can do.
“I have seen EAs develop and drive
company-wide efficiency training, health and
wellness initiatives, be champions for green
office transitions, create and run mentoring
programs, run initiatives for positive cultural
change, manage lines of business in their own
right... just off the top of my head.”
Leading these changes gives EAs the chance
to take control of their role’s evolution.
“If you are waiting for your dream role you
will wait forever. If you don’t ask you don’t get!
Educate yourself about the priorities of your
executive and the greater business, consider
and understand what role you can play in that,
prepare a well thought-out proposal. Then hold
your head high - and pitch for it.”
For Tammy, this is an exciting and
empowering time to be an EA.
“The new tech-savvy generation of
executives answer their own phones and write
their own emails, and they aren’t tied to the idea
of the traditional EA. What an opportunity! I
believe the very definition of ‘assisting’ is being
rewritten by the EAs who can identify and
embrace these opportunities full on.”
BE EMPOWERED BY CHANGE
Denise Keen, EA to Peter Bailey, Chairman of
Arup in Australasia, agrees that change can be
empowering.
With 50 years in the profession, she looks for
the opportunity even in difficult circumstances.
Most recently, when redundancy was planned for
the team she was working with, she completed
a Diploma of General Management which
enabled her to take her current role with Arup.
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