Executive Assistant tips and tricks – week long series

Day four of my week-long blog giving everyone a few tips and tricks on how to be a better assistant. If you have any tips, please add them to the comments section.

Meetings……..we all love to hate them. They always run too long, you always sit next to the wrong person and you walk away wondering what it was all about. Well, maybe these will make your next meeting a bit better:

• Pay attention when people order lunch and dinner on a regular basis. There will come a time when you have to order food for them and they aren’t available to tell you what they would like. If you don’t know specific items that people enjoy, at the very least, quiz your team members for any dietary restrictions they have (vegetarian, gluten free, allergic to nuts) prior to any big events. These days it is easy to order special items and it will make everyone’s life a lot easier and happier to have something they can eat.
• Do not schedule conference calls back to back if you are using the same number. Inevitably, the first call will run long and people will start dialing in for the second call while the first call is still taking place. It’s pretty awkward to hear PING! Hi It’s Jim! ……..  and you were just talking smack about his company on the first call (more awkward if Jim was hovering in the background and you didn’t know he was listening!)
• If you have meetings that always run long, book the conference room for longer than the meeting is scheduled for. You really don’t want to have to cut your boss off mid-thought because people are banging on the door trying to get in for their scheduled meeting. Always allow a cushion!
• On that same thought, if you are going to be using a projector, television, or even just flip charts, book the conference room 15 minutes in advance to allow set-up time prior to guests arriving.

The best meetings are ones that are short and to the point. Long PowerPoints and too much talking will just put everyone to sleep. Cheers to everyone who tries to keep meetings flowing!