Being an EA requires you to have certain soft skills at your disposal, five of which we outlined in our last article. Constantly improving on these essential skills will ensure that you are well equipped to handle the variety of scenarios you'll encounter, as well as helping you build on your partnership with your Executive. 

What are the best ways to develop your soft skills as an EA? 

Improving your people skills means paying closer attention to your interactions with others. Here are some simple ideas to put into practice: 

1. People skills

• Become aware of the body language of the people you're talking to.
• When speaking to a group, make eye contact with them and acknowledge everyone involved. 
• Practice public speaking. Even if you start small with informal gatherings, the more experience you gain, the more natural you'll become with it. 
• If someone presents an idea in conversation, don't immediately dismiss it. Take the time to consider it so they know you're keeping an open mind, and listening to them. 
• When possible, make sure you praise people. 
• Work on making everyone you interact with feel important by giving them your attention and respect. 

2. Confidence

Building your confidence can involve changing your mindset. Focus on the fact that you can learn and improve, rather than feeling overwhelmed or unequal to a task. Avoid comparing yourself against others, or thinking they're better than you. Instead, change your concentration to how it presents opportunities for learning, either from them or the scenario that's challenging you.

Confidence gives you the ability to tackle the challenges that might come your way within your role.

3. Listening skills

• Focus and invest in each interaction you have during the day. 
• Turn your attention to what they're saying, rather than thinking about how you'll respond. 
• If they're trying to present an opinion, attempt to put yourself in their shoes to see it from their perspective. 
• Make eye contact with the person you're talking to during the conversation. 
• Avoid cutting in while they're speaking. Make sure you let them finish their point. 

4. Time management and organisational skills

Concentrate on prioritising work, taking the time each morning or the night before to look over what needs to be done. Think about using apps or technology to help you organise.

It's also important to attempt to reduce any stress you're feeling as this can negatively impact productivity. Take regular breaks to refresh your mind.

Instead of multi-tasking, learn to focus on one thing at a time when possible to help your time management. Constantly switching between tasks can use up mental resources, slowing you down. 

As an EA, soft skills can help you manage the different scenarios you encounter.

5. Curiosity

Build a beginner's mind, taking a fresh look at everything you do and your daily routines and tasks in case there's a more effective way to manage them.

Ask questions and become more inquisitive, extending this to include what people think on subjects and their perspectives. Try something new, and make this a regular challenge so you're constantly coming into contact with new ideas and areas, helping keep you curious. 

If you'd like help growing and developing as an EA, we can help you do so.