The Productivity Pro® Blog by Laura Stack - Time Management, Getting Things Done, How to Be More Productive

GO OVER AND ABOVE WHAT’S EXPECTED: BECOME AN INDISPENSIBLE ASSISTANT

1. Identify tasks you are capable of taking over.
Provide a list of tasks to your manager that you believe you are capable of doing. Start with the decisions your manager makes most frequently and repetitively. If she doesn’t like creating PowerPoint presentations or answering her email, maybe that’s something you can pick up for her. Anything she particularly dislikes is a great candidate for you. Doing her expense reports at the end of each trip might be a great way to help out.

Take a look at recurring matters that she handles over and over again. Maybe she is a writer and constantly has to post articles to different blogs. You could learn how to do it and take over any time-consuming details. For example, when I create a video, uploading it on YouTube takes time. Having my assistant take that over for me has been a huge blessing.

Be observant. If there are piles of paper all over her office, coming in and offering a little organizing advice or assistance might be helpful. Or perhaps you can attend a meeting in her place. Perhaps you could type up the meeting notes. If you are comfortable with the content, may you could actually sit in and allow her to work.

Use opportunities like these to use and reinforce your creative talents. Your manager may have no idea that you’re an expert in a particular software package or know a great way to improve a process. You have to speak up with suggestions for improvement.

2. Manage the manager.
The second strategy that I want to share on becoming an indispensible assistant is to manage the manager. That’s right – actually be the manager of your manager. Have a discussion about how you can help your manager be more efficient in scheduling or running her calendar:

Is there a way that we can color code your appointments, so that I know exactly where you are or at which facility? Are you at your office? Are you in your home office? Are you on travel? Is this a phone call?
Do you prefer to have back-to-back meetings or would you rather have me spread them out? How much time in between would you like? Can I sort and process your email?
What about lunch preferences? When you take a client out to lunch, where would you like me to schedule you, depending on the time of the day?
Perhaps you want me to check your voicemail for you and take messages or answer the ones that I know the response for?
Each day I could print out your task list, you could update it and write updates by hand, and each day, I’ll enter the data and print you a fresh copy.

Look into all the ways you’re sharing information and figure out how you can help her manage better, individually and collectively.

3. Have a checklist handy.
The last strategy in becoming an indispensible assistant is to provide a checklist of frequently-needed tasks a few days or weeks prior to a meeting. Have her check off items that are needed either before or after.
For example:

Will you need a rental car? Do you want me to make airline reservations for this trip? How about driving directions? Are you going to need to get from the airport to the hotel to the meeting location and back?
If you’re having a breakfast meeting, where should I schedule it?
Do you have certain notes that you want me to include in this file? Do you need some documents typed up before you go? What copies do you need? Do you need a PowerPoint presentation? Perhaps you need some notes transcribed.
What can I do for you to help you ultimately be the most prepared you can be before you head off on this trip?

I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to open my briefcase, get out my travel file, refer to our checklist, and know with 100% certainty that my assistant has everything lined up. Traveling is much less frustrating and less stressful when I arrive.

Hopefully these three tips will help you become an indispensible assistant.

To find out more about The Productivity Pro®, Inc. or have Laura Stack speak at an upcoming meeting or event, please visit at www.theproductivitypro.com.
Make it a productive day! ™

© 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved

Getting People Out of Your Office Quickly

1. Always choose to visit a colleague, if given a choice.
When scheduling a meeting, you’ll have to decide where to hold the conversation: your office or mine? During a face-to-face conversation, it’s always better to go to them.

Why? You can leave! If someone’s in your office in your comfortable guest chair, “feet up,” so to speak, it’s much harder to get them out of your office than to walk yourself out of their office.

2. Be honest.
If they say, “Got a minute?” and you don’t, you can say, “Actually, I have my back up against the wall right now on a deadline. If it’s okay with you, can I call you back at 3:00?” And actually let them see you type the appointment in your calendar. They walk out feeling like I have an appointment! It lets them feel that they’ve been heard, but you didn’t take on the interruption right then.

3. Deflect low priority interruptions with alternate scheduling.
In our quest to be helpful and to provide great customer service to our coworkers, we are always willing to jump in and complete whatever is asked us of, regardless of what else is on our plates.
You can’t always do things in the order they appear. Some things aren’t that important right now. It’s okay to say, “That meeting’s in three weeks. Would it be okay if we connected the week prior?” By deflecting requests that aren’t mission-critical at the moment, you keep your attention focused on the critical things.

4. Use verbal tactics and body language.
When someone is in your office, do you ever have a problem getting them to leave? They’re still there chatting away and can’t take a hint. Try these verbal tactics.
Sometimes it helps by talking in past tense, such as, “It was nice having talked with you.” Or tou can try to summarize your conversation and the action items. You can even try some body language cues like turning back to email or shuffling papers. But what if the visitor still doesn’t get it?

5. You’re going to have to be assertive.
There comes a point when you can’t get someone to leave your office, you need to smile pleasantly, and say, “You’re going to have to excuse me now.” And keep smiling and don’t make excuses. There is nothing wrong with communicating, “I need to get back to work.” Because sometimes, honestly, people don’t get it. They will say, “Oh! Sorry!” and jump up and walk out. Just smile and wave.

6. Put a clock strategically behind you on the back wall.
When you are talking with a visitor, you can casually turn around and glance at the clock on the wall behind you. It’s perceived as rude to look at your watch, but when you quickly turn and glance at the clock on the wall, guess where they look? It’s a subtle, psychological cue that says, “Okay, we are on a deadline here. I think we need to get moving.”

7. Practice the “slow stroll.”
If the person still doesn’t get it, you could actually get up and walk out of your own office. Have you ever tried this? It really works! Keep a pile of copying on the side of your desk or something that needs to be delivered.

If the person does not stop talking, get up, tap them on the shoulder, say, “Come with me while I make these copies” or “Come with while I get a cup of coffee,” and walk right out of your office. Guess what? They will follow you! Hey, if they’re going to talk, you may as well get something done.

8. Get creative with your chairs.
Several people have told me they keep a pile of papers or folders in their guest chair. When people walk in, there is nowhere to sit, so they stay standing. Because they are standing, they can’t get comfortable. If they are not comfortable, they will leave.

If you want someone to sit down, you can actually move the pile of paper and offer them a seat. But, if not, hopefully they’ll get out sooner.

To find out more about The Productivity Pro®, Inc. or have Laura Stack speak at an upcoming meeting or event, please visit at www.theproductivitypro.com.
Make it a productive day! ™

© 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved.