As an executive assistant, you have plenty going on. To accomplish your job effectively and keep your employer happy, you must be able to focus on the tasks at hand.
Easier said than done, right? It’s not as if you can turn off your phone, close your e-mail inbox and lock yourself in an office.
To start, identify and manage priorities. Some tasks take precedence over others. I use a number-based priority system for my task list:
- Priority 1 tasks need immediate attention.
- Priority 2 tasks must be dealt with today.
- Priority 3 tasks must be finished this week.
- Priority 4 tasks are any tasks that can be completed beyond a week.
Identifying priorities is only the first step, however. From there, you must create a schedule that adheres to those priorities.
I like to take the first 15 minutes of my morning to look over my task list and map out a rough sequence of events for the day. For events that have specific times, such as meetings, I list the time. For other tasks, I simply list them in order of priority.
It’s also important to take life one step at a time. When I work my way down my list, I’m not concerned with what comes next. I’m only concerned with the task at hand. I have reminders set on my computer to let me know when scheduled events occur. It helps keep me on track.
Finally, you have to train yourself to deal with distractions quickly. If you get a phone call, give it your full attention. As soon as you’re done, though, transition directly back to the task you were working on before.
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