DEVELOPMENT j handle the other demands of the workday .
If your boss gives you access to their email or phone , could you reinforce their protected time by addressing anything urgent that comes in ? Think : “ Rob , I noticed you asked Angela to comment right away on the attached document . I just want to let you know that she ’ s tied up until 11 and I ’ ll make sure she sees it then .” This keeps Rob from coming down the hall or texting Angela while she ’ s reconfiguring a complicated and expensive marketing plan that ’ s due in two days . Other means of enforcing sequestered time are do not disturb features on office communications – or a good old fashion sign on a closed door .
PAs can find it more difficult to get deep focus time than their bosses because so much of the job is handling immediate needs for your exec . But that doesn ’ t lessen the expectation that you will also get projects completed on time , despite the overwhelming volume of messages , notifications , Zoom sessions , and calls coming your way .
So , you may have to make compromises , like working on a project early from home or ignoring emails and messages until you ’ re at work . Then , surrender the rest of your day to on-demand mayhem . By doing this , or something like it , you can consistently make progress on larger goals .
Here are two guidelines for you to use daily , both in guiding your boss and managing your own time .
Getting to clarity One of the many roles of EAs is to help the boss think through difficult problems because , most of the time , a leader doesn ’ t have a ‘ safe ’ place to work through their rough thought process before making more public statements – or even to say : “ At this moment , I have no idea what to do about this .”
That ’ s where you can help your exec ( and by extension , the whole team ) gain a better footing – be their sounding board and help them figure out where to put their time and attention :
w Get your boss to identify what matters most today . Recognise that if that list is longer than one or two items , none of them will get done . So , help them choose one thing that will benefit most from their attention today . w Do the same for yourself . That might mean picking up a task that ’ s on your boss ’ s list , or it could be something you ’ ve identified in your own area . Whatever it is , put that frontand-centre in your mind as early in the day as possible .
Note that it ’ s more productive to be decisive about what to focus on today than it is to overthink which choice would be perfect or ideal . Just by establishing a ‘ choose one thing and drive
“ It ’ s more productive to be decisive about what to focus on today than it is to overthink which choice would be perfect or ideal .”
it to completion ’ pattern , you will make future priorities easier to identify and complete . And whatever you choose today , remember you ’ ll have one less unfinished item waiting for you tomorrow .
As you get better at this , you ’ ll find it also gets easier to identify things that can wait so more important things get a little more focus . You ’ ll find that saying “ I ’ ll handle that this afternoon ” often works to group lower priority interruptions into an after lunch bucket when they can be handled in a batch .
Creating capacity One big obstacle to concentrating deeply on a priority project is that you or your exec may not have the capacity ( meaning the tools , time , place or training ) to handle something or get it done . This could be a failure of your facilities to support your needs , the absence of up-to-date technology to help you save time elsewhere or enough staff or expertise to handle a persistent or overwhelming need .
Help your boss identify and correct this situation by lobbying for the resources you both need because without the capacity to do what ’ s most important , it ’ s impossible to succeed .
Final word As you plan the next week or month , keep in mind the two types of attention you use – the distraction immediately before you and the desire to plan and manage the future . Teach those above and around you about the difference and encourage those you work for to set aside a quiet zone for productive , uninterrupted work each day for those longer-term , future-oriented projects . Then leverage your own schedule to get some of that deep-focus time for yourself .
Getting clarity about what ’ s most important is the key to organising how you use your sequestered time and having the capacity to do that work – the tools , time , and support you need for it to happen – will make or break your ability to finish important projects .
By the way , studies show that humans are happier when we achieve more . So , if you let a little brain science guide your working day , you could be more satisfied in your job . S
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62 Executive PA | Winter Issue 2023