Understanding the Executive Assistant Role: Should Personal Tasks Be Included?

Role of an Executive Assistant

As an Executive Assistant, the primary role is to provide high-level administrative support to executives within an organization. This typically includes managing schedules, coordinating meetings, handling correspondence, and acting as the liaison between the executive and other staff members. While Executive Assistants may occasionally assist with personal tasks for the manager, such as scheduling personal appointments or managing personal errands, the main focus is on supporting the executive in their professional duties. The extent of personal tasks may vary depending on the specific needs and expectations of the manager and the organization.

Dear Colleague,

A big No. The roles like Personal Secretary and Personal Assistant are to perform the official secretarial job for the assigned Management Leader of the business. This involves fixing appointments and handling internal/external communications related to the business for the assigned Manager.

The Role of an Executive Assistant

In the case of an Executive Assistant, the nomenclature itself is misleading as the EA role is typically a highly skilled Technical Assistant to the Management Leader assigned. Here, the EA is expected to advise the assigned boss on technically evaluating and advising the viability, cost, feasibility, and suggesting technical ways forward for the business to support the decision-making process.

Misuse of EAs and PAs

However, in reality, both EAs/ESs/PAs/PSs are often misused by the "so-called Managers" in a highly unethical and unprofessional manner, insisting that they also handle all their personal tasks. Only a few companies, as part of their rules and regulations, allow reasonable personal support such as bank-related tasks, payment of bills, or car services during office hours for PSs/PAs. EAs, on the other hand, should not be assigned any personal work.

In reality, if the EA/PA refuses to do such personal work, the Manager may start victimizing them by not recommending them for promotions or increments.

Handling Unreasonable Expectations

Therefore, it is essential to handle this situation tactfully without jeopardizing your employment in the organization. If your boss is mature, they will not assign personal work, but if not, such demands and expectations may arise. Address this issue from your position within the company, consider any escalation possibilities, or if your employment is under threat and crucial for you, temporarily fulfill the obligations only within professional and ethical limits. If the demands exceed those boundaries, do not hesitate to escalate the issue to higher-ups and prepare for a job change if necessary. Never allow anyone to exploit you; work only within boundaries and do not yield to unreasonable expectations from anyone. Carry out your work with the "Dignity of Labour."

In a similar scenario, one suggestion I made, in jest, was that whenever the boss assigns personal tasks, deliberately perform them incorrectly and present them as such. Eventually, the boss stopped assigning personal work. God Bless!!!

Dear Jidnyasa-N,

You have asked a query on how to handle a situation when a boss assigns personal work to his/her Executive Assistant (EA). While a learned member has given a reply and you have liked it, I will provide some background on why bosses assign their personal work to EAs. My replies are in the Indian context only. The reasons are as below:

Difference between Personal Secretary and Executive Assistant

a) The work of a Personal Secretary (PS) and an EA is completely different. Not many bosses know the difference between the two. How many bosses understand this difference, and even if they do, how many have the willpower to appoint both an EA and a PS?

Customary Overstretching of Work in India

b) In India, it is customary to overstretch work. Therefore, almost all bosses do personal work while in the office and official work while at home. The lines dividing personal and official work have been blurred long ago.

Personal Work in the Office

c) In the Indian context, while in the office, everyone does some amount of personal work. Do other employees in your company do personal work while in the office or not? Therefore, why single out a boss and question his tendency? Bosses do myriad types of work. The diversity of the work occasionally makes them forget to do some personal work, hence they start relying on their EA.

Understanding "Personal" Work

d) When it comes to "personal" work, one needs to understand how much "personal" it is. Managing his/her personal calendar or scheduling appointments, etc., is fine. However, if the boss brings a grocery list and tells the EA to order it from an e-commerce portal, then he/she needs to be reminded of the difference between the two.

Closeness with Boss's Family

e) When the EA becomes slightly older in his/her job, he/she also starts interacting with the spouse or other family members of the boss. Over time, the EA develops closeness even with them. However, the closeness blurs the difference between official and personal work.

Forgetfulness and Disorganization

f) A few bosses are either forgetful or disorganized. They pay a price for their forgetfulness or for being disorganized. Considering their plight, they "request" their EA to remind them about their personal activities too. In the bargain, how the EA starts entering into the personal arena of the boss, although inadvertently, that he/she does not come to know.

Reliance on Others

g) There are a few types of persons who forever rely on someone else to do something. Many of them are neither computer savvy nor mobile phone savvy. If the boss falls under this category, then whether the EA likes it or not, he/she will start telling the EA to do the personal work. If the EA starts raising objections, then they just change the EAs.

Predecessors' Influence

h) While you might have an objection against the boss for doing his/her personal work, what about your predecessors? Did they also object? If they did not object, then over time, the bosses start taking their EA for granted. A new EA is expected to fall into their frame of mind; otherwise, the EA has a choice to quit the company. Under such circumstances, it is the fault of your predecessors and not of the bosses.

Superiority Complex

i) Most bosses deal only with subordinates. However, dealing only with persons from the lower level of hierarchy, they develop a superiority complex. They expect the juniors to follow their orders, whether the orders are for personal work or official, that does not matter. A few other bosses develop a superiority complex for reasons like their business success, high IQ level, outstanding academic performance, etc.

Dominating Nature

j) Many bosses have an extremely dominating nature. They behave as if their company is their fiefdom. If the company has a "Sultan-Khadim" culture or "Ji Huzoor" culture (a culture of unquestioned obedience), will they not expect their EA to be part of this culture?

Hope you understand why bosses tell their EA to do personal work. By writing the above points, my attempt was not to justify the tendency of the bosses. My point was limited to putting forth the context only.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

The Role of an Executive Assistant

An Executive Assistant does not have to be a "SHE." Males can do that job just as well. The world has moved on from this nonsense that only women can do certain jobs. I speak from experience, as I was a very successful Executive Assistant twice in my career. Once as an EA to one of the owners/Technical Director of an IT company, and lastly as EA to an Executive Director in a very large Government department.

In fact, as John said, most EAs I have met are male. EA's jobs are often high-pressure and involve long hours. As long as the boss is working (in the office, out of the office, from home), the EA is also on duty. Considering that most EAs support top-level executives, it's common for their bosses to work very long hours.