Page 29 - Leveraging Up ebook by Joanne Linden 2021 ACE Peer Network

Leveraging Up!

as how often you two should meet, whether they prefer formal or
informal meetings, if you should always be reachable by email and

cell, and how they will measure your performance.

Observe Your Manager’s

Non-verbal Cues

As an Administrative Professional, you are sometimes

asked to be a mind-reader. How to become a mind-reader, of course,
is to stop talking, and instead listen and observe. Not every Manager

will convey what’s important to him or her publicly. So, in addition to

asking directly, watch their actions in meetings. Observe what
annoys them. Observe what they praise. See which individuals

engage them well and ask yourself what it is about them that the
Manager finds so engaging. Look at the Manager’s style of running

meetings and the level of candor and push back between the
Manager and the meeting participants. Look at their office – what

does it tell you about their lives, their needs for organization, the

demands on them, and their preference for scheduling versus
spontaneous interactions. If the Manager had a previous Assistant,

ask that person what really irks the Manager – they’ll know better
than anyone.

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