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  • Outlook Email Quick Part

    Hello EA pros! A quick post to show the steps for using and inserting a Quick Part into an email. Using Chat GPT and other AI tools is fine when it’s appropriate but there are simple automation tools that require a small amount of time to set up that will save hours of time in the long-run.

    In the enterprise Office suite, this feature is called Quick Parts. In the free Office Online Outlook, it’s called My Templates. For this post, I’ll call this feature Quick Parts.

    Why use a Quick Part? As EAs, we get the same questions over and over: where do I find the list of team email distros? How to I request office supplies? How to I get my desk tech updated? No matter what questions you regularly get, here’s my rule: when you answer a question 3 times, make a Quick Part.

    Open a new email and write your response. This text can be formatted and include links.

    When you’ve fine tuned this message, select the entire block of text. On the Ribbon, select Insert and then select Quick Parts. The pop-up will offer you the chance to save the highlighted text. Choose this and then create a very simple name for this Quick Part. Send the message you created

    The next time you get this question, Reply and put your cursor in the body of the email, select Insert on the Ribbon and select Quick Parts. Then find the message you created by name and insert. Send. Done.

    Below is a screenshot of an email I made using My Templates.

    As EAs, we are very busy. Finding effective automation tools is an easy way to save time that can be spent on higher priority projects for our leaders.  

    It may seem like a small amount time in the moment, but think about how many times you answer certain questions over and over. Five minutes here and there adds up to many hours in the course of a year.

    Develop a habit to think about how much time you spend on ‘simple’ tasks. This time adds up over the course of a year. Should they spend that time on low-priority tasks they can delegate? 

    Doing this builds critical thinking skills that you can apply to your leader and start acting as a strategic partner with your executive.

  • My 2024 Planners

    In this post, I’ll share how I use planners, what I’ve tried and what I currently use. I’ve loved planners since the only options were those minimalist planners available in office supply stores.

    Planner systems I’ve tried

    • Day Runner
    • Day Planner
    • Franklin Covey
    • Bullet journal
    • Plum Paper planners
    • Classic Happy Planner
    • Handmade Traveller style notebooks
    • Composition notebooks
    • 6 ring binder planners
    • Hobinichi Weeks
    • Hobinichi Techo Cousin

    Digital planning

    One of my previous employers had a rewards program where your coworkers gave you ‘points’ you could accumulate and then use your points to buy something. I saved my points and got an 6th Generation I-pad for the cost of shipping and purchased a 1st Generation Apple Pencil.

    My goal was to use the I-Pad for digital art journaling and planning. I purchased a number of digital planners, looking for the ‘perfect’ planner.

    I used Goodnotes and was pretty happy with it. Then in 2023, there was a major app upgrade and there was a new fee in order to have more than 3 files. Well, that was the last straw for me. I gave up Goodnotes

    I currently have I think it’s just called Notes. It’s ok but the whole experience put me off digital planning. So I went back to paper planning.

    For work planning, I use OneNote meeting notes, goal setting, playbook for my org and leaders.

    For task and project tracking, I use my Outlook calendar to time block tasks and then I group tasks together: travel coordination and expense reporting, team offsite planning. For smaller, one-off tasks, I use Outlook Tasks to keep a running list with reminders. I wish the Tasks there was a built-in way to drop tasks onto the calendar.

    Paper planning

    I’ve always liked the Carpe Diem planners. That company was bought by another stationery company and all the ring bound planners were discontinued. I purchased the A5 Feathers planner from the Carpe Diem website on special.

    I used the A5 ring planner for a personal and business planning in 2023. For 2024, I purchased dated monthly and weekly inserts from PT Paper on Etsy. I’m using this planner for my business: scheduling posts and site promotion. 

    For my personal planner in 2024, I’m using a Hobinichi Techo Cousin, A5 size. I use the monthly grid to record my workouts. The weekly grid is for tracking my learning, media and reading. The daily pages are used as a memory keeper and task list.

    In late 2023, I took a barely used A5 Leuchterm 1917 and converted it to a commonplace book. I am reading classic literature with my sister, which we discuss on our weekly calls. I’m also currently studying French and use this notebook to record vocabulary and track progress.

  • The first 90 days on the job

    Starting a new job as an EA can be both exciting and overwhelming. In your first 90 days, you have the opportunity to make a positive impression on your new leader and the team, as well as set yourself up for success. In this blog post, I provide my thoughts for what to focus on in the first 90 days.

    Responsibilities & Expectations

    In a perfect world, someone is assigned to help you get situated in your new role, understand your responsibilities and expectations, how you fit into the EA team, who is your Lead EA, get your workstation set-up and hand over key information for the job. It may be the outgoing EA or an onboarding buddy.

    If you’re fortunate enough to get a hand-off from the out-going EA, ask for guidance on how to prioritize the work, who are the key players, the leader’s proxies, where are the documents kept. Otherwise, check with your lead EA. Your onboarding buddy may know some answers to org-specific questions if they’ve served as back-up.

    I’ve rarely had a transition as the incoming EA but I like to leave a place better than I found it. For each job, I create a playbook with key info, contacts, leader and team information.

    Whatever the case, you’ll need a clear understanding of your job. Depending on the leader or time of year you join the team, you may be able to dedicate a lot of time in the first couple of weeks to learning the ropes. If you’re thrown into the deep end, block time on your calendar for regular review of new material while you hone the basics.

    Set up your email and calendar mechanisms, get access to the tools and systems you need, get delegate access to your leader’s resources, review (or create) the org chart and take any mandatory training. Take time to explore the team website and whatever shared files are available as well as the company intranet. Start collecting resources you’ll use regularly like travel, expenses, and procurement. Get a corportate credit card if it’s available.

    It’s going to take some time to understand the team’s language. I am a huge fan of joining all the meetings you can, asking questions and taking notes. Your exec needs you to learn the business and will probably allow, if not encourage you, to sit in on meetings.

    As the newbie, you get a free pass for at lease 6 months to ask all the questions. Do it! You may be asking questions other people were afraid to ask because they’ve been there a while they feel they should know the answers. In the process, you gain trust because you’re brave enough to ask questions.

    The first meeting with your leader

    Even when you get a hand-off, it’s up to you and your leader to figure out how to work together. Just because the last EA ran things a certain way, doesn’t mean you need to keep those processes. Use these as a starting point, but it has to make sense to you and your leader.

    Schedule a weekly sync with your new leaders at soon as possible. Depending on the leader and business, you may need more frequent touch points, such as 10 minute morning huddles. This is for you two to work out in the first meeting. You’ll probably touch base every day in some fashion.

    The first meeting is where you re-introduce yourself and collect the basic information you need to work with them: delegate access to the resources you need, meeting and delegate questions, their preferences, key stakeholders, meeting rules and personal information.

    Meet & Greets

    During your first month on the job, get to know your new leader’s colleagues. Schedule one-on-one meetings with their directs and key stakeholders to introduce yourself and learn about their role and how they interact with your leader and the org.

    Ask questions, take notes, learn their names and job titles. You’re going to work with these people moving forward so build a solid foundation to help you work effectively and efficiently.

    Learn the company culture

    Understanding the company culture is important for fitting in and working effectively. Observe how people communicate, dress, and interact with one another. You have to strike a balance between being yourself and fitting in. For example, I work in a very casual, warehouse environment but I’m a suit kinda gal.

    At my interview for my current job, I wore what I thought was pretty casual: a Universal Standard ponte blazer and their Geneva dress (a tee shirt knit fabric). I hit it off with the leader and at the end of the interview, she told me: you’ll need to dress way down for this job or take a lot of guff from the guys. Jeans and a tee shirt are not the most flattering for me but I don’t like to stand out either so I split the difference by wearing a blazer with my jeans & tee or sweater with my slacks and blouse.

    If you didn’t research this information before your interview, learn about the company’s values and mission, and how they are put into practice. If there is an employee handbook, read it to understand the company’s policies and procedures.

    Identify opportunities

    Take a critical look at your current skills and identify areas for improvement. Discuss your goals with your supervisor and lead EA and develop a plan to achieve them. Taking a proactive approach to your professional development will help you grow in your role and make a positive impact on the organization.

    Start building your internal EA network, initially with the EAs you’re most closely connected to. Over time, you can expand your network further. You never know where your next job will be or when you’ll need help finding a new role. Your internal network will be your lifeline when shit goes sideways.

    Establish your brand

    Intentionally creating a reputation that showcases your skills and strengths. While EAs share the core responsibilities, each EA shapes their role to suit their skill set and leaders. What do you want to be know for?

    For example, projects and data are my jam. My leaders think of me first when they need a quick turnaround on data analysis or a project. For the longest time, I dreaded event coordination. While I still lean toward opportunities that use my strengths, I’ve come to appreciate event planning because my team is dispersed across the US. The only time I see them in person is during our team summits. Still not getting super excited about event planning, but I have trackers and lists to jumpstart planning the next team summit.

    What sets you apart from others and how you can contribute to the team? How do you want to be perceived? Take the initiative to offer your help and expertise, and look for opportunities to showcase your skills. You can’t directly support everyone on your executive’s team but you can be a teacher and coach. Or as my friend Candace says, “teach them to fish.”

    The first 90 days on the job as an EA are critical for establishing yourself as a valuable member of the team. You were hired because you have a valuable skill set. Taking time to get to know your new leader and colleagues, understanding your responsibilities and expectations, asking questions, learning about the company culture, identifying areas for improvement, and establishing your personal brand, will set you up for success in your new role. Remember to stay positive, be flexible, and own your professional development

    Feb 29, 2024: minor edits made to post and restricted to subsribers.

  • My life today vs 1 year ago

    Daily writing prompt
    Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?
    View all responses

    There have been some changes since this time last year. Overall, life with my hubby is pretty much the same. No new siblings appeared, which is great because I was developing survivor guilt – the sister I grew up and I were the children my mom did not put up for adoption.

    I lost a dear friend to ovarian cancer after her fight over many years, far more than most women with Stage 4 ovarian cancer typically get. I’ll miss her so much. She was a truly good human.

    After a decade of planning, writing, learning, and taking over 1,000 photographs edited in Photoshop, I self-published my first graphic novel, The Takashima Extraction. It’s a futuristic crime drama set in Seattle in 2123. You can read more about this project and purchase a copy here.

    In February 2023, I launched this site and my coaching business, EA Mentor for executive assistants.

    This time last year, I was fully virtual at my full-time job. Now I’m back to the office three days a week, even though none of the people I work with is based in my city. I go to work as required and spend my days on calls with my team. The floor I’m on has a low attendance so there are days when I’m sitting by myself.

    I stepped out of my comfort zone at work and applied for an internal job supporting a VP. It was out of my league and I didn’t really expect to get the job but I prepared for it and did my best. I was seriously considered but not chosen. I received feedback on skills I’m missing and I’ll work on those in 2024.

    How about you? What’s changed in your life in the past year? Leave a comment & tell me more.

  • Writing prompt – what others say

    Daily writing prompt
    Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.
    View all responses

    What I hope people say most about me is that I’m a good teacher. Overall, I was a pretty good student. I skipped class once in high school to attend a concert.

    Mom wrote me a note so I guess that doesn’t count as skipping class, does it?

    My dad was an engineer by training but he was a doer not a teacher. I grew up in the era of New Math, which drove dad crazy. And…he was a bit short on patience. Every session ended with him grabbing my book and working out the problem for me.

    That worked out great for dad, who learned New Math without the pressure of pop quizzes or grades, but I didn’t get anything out of it. As much as I love my dad, I didn’t learn anything until I started doing my homework, leaving the hard questions to last, then asking dad for help.

    I was a solid B+ student without putting in a lot of studying. I went to class, took notes, read the material, did the homework. Maybe an assignment or two required some additional effort. Overall, school work was pretty easy for me. I did go attend public school in the US, so you know, take that statement with a grain of salt. 😉

    There was one class I worked very hard for: geometry. I put in hours of study and had three tutors. I just didn’t get it. I needed an explanation that would make the lightbulb in my head go off. That never happened.

    Geometry was the only class I flunked in my entire scholastic career. I got an F the first semester and the teacher acknowledged the effort I put in trying to grasp geometry and gave me a D for the second semester. My grades meant no advanced placement classes in my senior year and advanced algebra instead of algebra/trig.

    The lesson I learned: you have to teach material in a way the learner can absorb and use on their own. Or as my friend Candace says, “Teach them to fish.”

    This is always at the back of my mind when someone asks me for help. I try to find their lightbulb moment.

    What do you hope people to say about you? Leave a comment below and share your story.

  • Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

    Yes in college and my professional life. I earned a BA at a small university. A requirement of the arts is sharing your work. I’m not comfortable in the spotlight but I’ve developed my process to feel less awkward.

    I was a member of the college dance troup. For our year end performance, I was a Morel mushroom in a modern dance piece. This was a good first performance because I was encased in a giant hand dyed bag and couldn’t see the audience.

    My friend Marva and I performed a 2 person scene for our acting class final. The performance, as I recall, was for our classmates but might have been open for anyone to attend. I don’t recall. It was a blur.

    Fast forward a few years to when I was a project manager at Fred Hutch on a small smoking cessation project. Our study was invited to present results at a scientific conference. I asked the principal investigator if I could go. She agreed and I traveled to New Orleans. My presentation was scheduled in a small room that held about 40 people. Sixty people turned up and crammed themselves into the room and spilled into the hallway. I was terrified. This was my first time facing my audience in the harsh fluorescent light of a conference room. I focused on the project and data and did my best. Despite my fears, it went well and I received good feedback.

    Two years ago, I wanted to give back to the Amazon EA community. There is a quarterly training for EAs and other admins. It was a virtual training so I didn’t see the audience. I practiced extensively, which might seem funny because I have decades of experience with calendar management, my topic. My presentation went well and I received good feedback.

    Public speaking or performing is not my favorite activity but I have learned a few things about myself: I do well with preparation and practice, I ramble when I’m not prepared and to have some faith in my abilities.

    How about you? What’s your experience with performance or public speaking? Leave a comment and tell me your story.

  • SMART Goals

    Hello office pros! Today is the last in the series of my Top 3 Tools for EAs: SMART goals. Goal-setting is important but if the goals are not specific, relevant or achievable, you won’t be motivated or possible able to continue. If there is no deadline, it will never get done. Life is hard enough.

    SMART, which stands for:

    • Specific
    • Measureable
    • Achievable
    • Relevant
    • Time-specific

    This is a great for goal-setting. It helps you to consider all the variables, work backwards to set milestone dates, determine your data points and decide if a particular goal is going to serve your career or needs.

    The SMART format is also great to use when you’re considering a job or career path change. Taking the time to put each of your work projects and achievements in this format will help you develop compelling and cohesive stories for the interview.

    I hope you found this series and the tools helpful. Let me know how you’re using the SWOT, Priority Matrix and SMART tools.

    To get a pdf version of this form, check out So You Want to Become an EA.

  • SWOT Analysis

    Hello office pros! In part two of the three part series on my top 3 tools for EAs, I’ll examine the SWOT analysis tool.

    SWOT stands for:

    • Strengths
    • Weaknesses
    • Opportunities
    • Threats

    Traditionally used by business executives to make informed choices, say for a product launch, the SWOT tool has other uses as well. I find it useful to assess the current state of my career as well as prepare for a job change.

    Strengths and Weaknesses are pretty obvious categories. Opportunities are the people or resources that can support your strengths; Threats are people or resources that are barriers or the negatives (for example, taking a pay cut or demotion).

    For example, let’s say you are working in tech and are considering a lateral job change to a nonprofit organization making the world a better place. Noble idea, of course, but before you jump into a new industry, take time to deep dive the world of nonprofits. Nonprofits are very different from corporations. There are plusses and minuses to each. To make a good decision for you and your career, spend time doing research to find out what you’re really getting into. Changing industries is akin to starting over for EAs – you have no or limited knowledge about the new industry and business.

    You need to learn the language, new acronyms, and rhythm of business, so you may have to take a demotion or pay cut if you change industries. It’s better to know upfront than get through the interview process and receive an offer only to find out the salary is below what you are able or willing to accept.

    I’ve created the SWOT Analysis workbook for my So You Want to Becomen an EA series. Follow this link to the EA Mentor Google Drive and download a copy. For personal use only.

  • Priority Matrix

    Hello office pros! The next three posts will feature my favorite tools for EAs. I feel the most important skill a strategic EA uses is data analysis. The ability to compile, analysis and make data-driven recommendations to your executive will transform your career from a calendar jockey to strategic business partner. Today’s post about the Priority Matrix.

    Back in college, the financial aid office had a sign on the wall behind the desk that read: Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part.

    Effective prioritizing is key. Without it, you’re running around reacting to requests rather than taking stock and focusing on what is actually urgent and important.

    Everyday, you’re dealing with your stakeholders, direct reports, vendors, all manner of people who want your and your executive’s time. There are only so many work hours per day and none of us want to work 10 – 12 hours per day every day. Having a system to prioritize will help you work efficiently and efficiently. The last you want to do is spend days on a low priority/low urgency project, or as I like to call these: Someday Projects, which means they’re probably not going to rise in urgency or importance.

    The priority matrix pretty straightforward to use: take your list of tasks, drop them in the quadrants below based on your and your executive’s priorities. Then start working on the tasks in the upper right quadrant (high urgent & high important), next work on the upper left quadrant and so on.

    I find the Priority Matrix particularly useful when I’m having a bad day – maybe I’ve got a migraine coming on, didn’t sleep well the night before or it’s just a Bad Brain Day. Tools like the Priority Matrix help me focus and plan.

    I hope you’ll give the Priority matrix a try.

    If you’d like a copy of this form, check out my article, So You Want to Become an EA for this and other handy forms, in pdf format.

  • Note Taking

    Today’s post is, as you might guess from the title, about note taking for administrative professionals. While it is not about taking meeting minutes, I feel the practice of note taking helps you take better minutes. If you’re interested, here is a link to my post about taking minutes on complex/technical topics.

    I started my note-taking journey early in my career. Perhaps I was influenced by the vintage rock star admin: Miss Della Street, who never went anywhere without her steno pad.

    It probably had more to do with the fact my first full-time admin role was the Program Assistant (equal parts receptionist, admin assistant and technical writer) in the Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) department at Fred Hutch. I had to quickly learn the basics of safety training, biohazard, radioactive and chemical safety because I took notes at the monthly safety committee meetings, wrote the monthly newsletter and proofread the safety manuals.

    All my learning was on the job by taking notes and asking questions. I’m curious by nature and I like to understand how things work and why. In my career, I’ve supported anywhere from 2 – 9 leaders at a given time and primarily supported doctors. They don’t have time to revisit anything – they need focus on patient care. I needed to develop a solid, repeatable, scalable note taking system.

    A quick Google search revealed very few people have eidetic or photographic memory, anywhere from 0-10%. It is unlikely you have a photographic memory. This is my first tip: don’t rely on your memory.

    EAs and other admin pros do a high volume of task switching every day. As people head back into the office, we’re returning to what I call: The Drive By – random people who stop by your desk throughout the day and interrupt you without bothering to acknowledge they’re disrupting your work flow. They’ll walk away and now you’re stuck trying to pick up the threads of what you were working on.

    I feel taking notes is key to being organized as an admin pro and a core skill. I’ve noticed that admins of any level (Receptionist to EA) who fail to take notes are not productive or effective. They apologize a lot, ask the same questions and struggle getting their work done on time. This cycle negatively impacts their confidence and fuels Imposter Syndrome.

    Make your job easier: take notes.

    Taking notes and minutes are skills to be learned and practiced regularly. I view notes as minutes for me. What helps me do my job efficiently is I treat notes much like minutes: summarize the instructions, identify due dates, task owners, resources, stakeholders, ask questions.

    If you’re groaning right now about having to take notes and how you hoped to be done with notes after finishing school. Sorry cupcake, the learning never ends for the admin professional. Don’t believe me? ChatGPT didn’t exist 1 year ago. Now, AI chatbots and sweet new ways to leverage them are a hot topic all over LinkedIn. Keep learning or get left behind.

    Here are the benefits of taking notes:

    • Time saver – by capturing all the details from the jump, you don’t have to procrastinate because you failed to take notes and have to go back to your executive because you can’t recall the details of the assignment. Now 2 people have lost productive work time.
    • Reference – by keeping notes for every meeting you attend, you can review them later, refresh your memory. My notes have saved my bacon countless times. Over time, they help me look around corners and see patterns that are otherwise missed without notes.
    • Documentation – everything from instructions or links for rarely used processes, performance, preferences, to post event notes on venues, catering, and hotels.
    • Reflection – take time reflect and summarize discussions, projects that went well and those that flopped, record key takeaways and lessons learned.
    • Taking notes will improve your minute taking. You’ll develop the ability to summary information as well as tracking team metrics, deadlines, owners.

    Note taking system

    You need a system for note taking in order to build your muscle memory. To keep things super simple, I recommend using the same system for note and minutes.

    Physical

    I started with paper and pen by creating a daily running list of tasks. Like a bullet journal, I transferred unfinished tasks to the next day.

    Ten years ago, I had carpel tunnel release surgery on both hands. As a result of carpel tunnel syndrome, I lost a lot of hand strength and muscle tone so my handwriting is illegible. Great for art journaling. Terrible for recording work notes.

    At the time, I wanted to convert to digital but my employer was a non-profit and didn’t offer OneNote as part of the standard computer install. Not wanting to purchase a license on my own dime, I searched for free options.

    Digital

    Outlook Tasks – it’s there and I tried it, but don’t like that my tasks are separate from other notes.

    EverNote. It’s simple and is organized like a binder so I could capture everything in one spot. I tried it for a while and still use it for my own personal note keeping.

    I tried TeuxDeux for a year. Nice as a task list, but I didn’t feel it was good for project or event management. Minutes were recorded elsewhere and I like to keep it simple.

    Goodnotes. Nearly every company I’ve worked for used Windows OS. At home, I use Mac and Goodnotes for personal journaling. It is easy to learn and use. I love that you can annotate pdfs and I keep a digital planner for myself.

    In my previous company, OneNote was part of the standard install so I adopted it and haven’t looked back. I love it because it integrates with other Office products. I can link meeting details in my minutes. A super simple, all in one solution. I’ve tried using special OneNote templates, but find they get in my way. I still prefer a hybrid of Bullet Journal & narrative style of note taking.

    Experiment

    Unless you know exactly what works for you, plan to experiment. Give each system time to work. You have to find your groove. And that’s ok. It’ll be fine. At the end of the trial, reflect on what worked and what didn’t in order to determine the next system to try. Repeat until you hit on what works best for you.

    Whatever method you choose, I recommend picking 1 method; otherwise, you run the risk of wasting time trying to find your notes. Is it in OneNote? On my note pad? On a Post It? Yes, sometimes you need to jot a quick note outside your system but create the habit of transferring that note into your system as quickly as possible.

    Embrace note taking as part of your admin toolkit. It will serve you well your entire career.

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