Are Today’s Demands on Assistants Impossible to Meet?

In today’s busy workplace, it’s easy to get into a slump. With so much coming at you on any given day, it can feel practically impossible to keep up. So today, we’re addressing this simple question: Have expectations for assistants become unrealistic?

Go on, think about what you’re attempting to do on a daily basis:
Manage an overflowing email inbox

• Execute a growing list of tasks and projects
• Oversee a complex calendaring system for others
• Handle endless requests from a demanding executive (or many!)
• Ensure your executive(s) stays on point and focused
• Navigate office politics and workplace relationships
• Utilize new and complicated technology
• Respond seamlessly to constant change
• Present a poised and polished image

And that’s just the beginning!

Looking at this list, one might easily think the standard is impossible. After all, you’re only one person and you only have a limited number of hours to devote to the job. Most of us have families and lives to attend to outside of the workplace.

But these exceptionally high standards have become the norm. That’s because the pace of work itself has increased across the board. Everyone is stretched to keep up, from assistants to the executives they support.

The standard might seem impossible on the surface, but these days, it’s what’s expected.

So, the question we should be asking isn’t about whether or not it’s possible, it’s about how to make it possible.

As an assistant, we know you have a lot on your plate. But you also have more power than you think. You can—and should—be an active part of the expectation-setting process.

To paraphrase a famous quote, you can do everything—just not all at once.

Today’s accelerated workplace requires a new set of skills. It’s not enough to simply work hard and let the chips fall where they may. You have to step up to the challenge and become more effective, not just more efficient. You have to help guide the ship.

At times, that might mean negotiating deadlines and explaining priorities. At other times, it might mean delegating to others. You have tools at your disposal, but many of those tools are not the same ones you’ve used in the past.

This heightened expectation placed on assistants is the inspiration for this year’s Conference for Administrative Excellence. Here at Office Dynamics, we believe excellence is still possible, even in the face of increasing demands. In order to adapt to this new world in which we operate, you have to become The Accelerated Assistant.

We can’t wait to share the exciting, new strategies you need to be successful in the modern workplace. Our agenda is truly groundbreaking. We’re going deeper than ever before, and we’re confronting the reality of life as an assistant.

If you’ve ever felt like this new workplace standard is impossible, you’re not alone. Stop simply surviving and start thriving. When you become The Accelerated Assistant, you find that anything is possible.

Learn more at our 2017 Conference in Las Vegas!