Welcome to Episode 185 of Assist With Impact, where we empower administrative professionals like you to make your hard work visible and impactful.
In this episode, we're diving into "Five Ways to Ensure Your Invisible Work is Visible."
It's an important topic because so much of what you do as an assistant is like the proverbial iceberg - hidden beneath the waterline.
Listen to the episode to hear practical and tactical ways you can ensure that your executive and colleagues see the contribution you're making.
Don't forget to leave a rating and review!
Connect with your host Liz Van Vliet on Instagram or LinkedIn, and
Learn more about her coching, speaking and training at The Linchpin Assistant
A solo episode where your host, Liz Van Vliet gets her 'ranty pants' on about advice she sees being given to assistants that is flippant and unhelpful (in her opinion).
Listen to the episode if you want to be reminded that you're more than just an 'admin' and deserve the same level of respect and consideration as any other professional.
Connect with your host Liz Van Vliet on Instagram or LinkedIn, and
Learn more about her coching, speaking and training at The Linchpin Assistant
In the second part of her interview with Liz Van Vliet, Robyn Greaves talks about the silver lining of redundancy, the value of curiosity and the skills and capabilities that allowed her to adapt and adjust as an Executive Assistant.
Robyn shares how her final role as an EA gave her "permission to have a voice" beyond the one on one relationship with her executive. How it opened up a world of possibilities and enjoyment for Robyn. In short, it allowed Robyn to be the same person in the office that she was at home.
We then explore the birth of Start Sort Scale, how assistants can see and leverage Artificial Intelligence as an opportunity rather than a threat and Robyn's adventurous life as a digital nomad.
Enjoy Part Two!
Robyn Greaves is a full-time digital nomad and start-up founder. She spends her time travelling the world and collaborating with business owners to optimise their processes and set them up to scale. She is passionate about giving people the freedom to work from anywhere and live life on their own terms.
Prior to launching her business, Start Sort Scale, Robyn spent 15 years as an Assistant, gaining experience across diverse industries including not-for-profit, media publishing, and digital businesses. In 2021, Robyn won an Australian Admin Award for excellence in a multi-functional admin role.
Robyn's passion for the pivotal role of Assistants led her to create "Mastering the Power of ChatGPT: a Guide for Executive Assistants" and the online course "Intro to AI for Executive Assistants." She has emerged as a leading voice in this space, empowering administrative professionals to leverage Artificial Intelligence and get their work done faster, with less effort.
Links:
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-greaves/
Follow her digital nomad journey on Instagram: @onthegocouple
Buy the ChatGPT Guide: https://startsortscale.com/chatgptguide/
Learn more about Start Sort Scale website: https://startsortscale.com/clarity/
To see a preview of what Microsoft Copilot will be able to do, check out this YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/hGb9UZ8DyDc
Connect with your host Liz Van Vliet on Instagram or LinkedIn, and
Learn more about her coching, speaking and training at The Linchpin Assistant
Robyn Greaves is an award winning business administrator with 15 years experience as an Executive Assistant. Born in the UK, Robyn has extensive experience providing high level strategic and operational support to CEOs and Directors both in the UK and Australia. She has worked across a wide range of industries including not-for-profit, media publishing and digital businesses. Robyn is passionate about supporting business owners to achieve their goals.
In the first of our two-part interview we explore Robyn's origin story. How she began her career as an Administrative Professional and her talent was quickly spotted by a dynamic executive. Listen to the episode to hear about Robyn's experience navigating the career 'spider frame' and the skills and capabilities that have supported and empowered her growth as an Executive Assistant.
Connect with Robyn via LinkedIn and Instagram.
Connect with your host Liz Van Vliet on Instagram or LinkedIn, and
Learn more about her coching, speaking and training at The Linchpin Assistant
A special solo episode sharing the audio from a series of three videos I posted last week on LinkedIn to celebrate my ten year 'cancerversary'.
An episode for new listeners who haven't heard my cancer story and old listeners who I'm fortunate to have in my life because of the serendipity of my cancer diagnosis.
An episode that shares both the grim and the grateful. Because we're human beings, not human doings.
Amy Crumley learned the intricacies and nuances of the Executive Support profession from her mother and grandmother, who rendered their support to high-level executives in Atlanta, Georgia, and Denver, Colorado in the United States.
Amy's own career path has followed a diversified route, traversing the foundation of owning a cabinet company, owning a staffing company, traveling around Europe, and teaching English as a second language. Returning to the United States, Amy pursued a remote working dynamic, managing a bookstore and cocktailing while deliberated about her future endeavors. Eventually, she secured a part-time remote executive assistant position that sparked her passion for the field once again and never looked back.
In part two of our interview, listen to Amy explain her approach to being not just efficient but effective as an Executive Assistant supporting the C-Suite leaders at Samba TV. Amy talks about the importance of putting yourself in the shoes of your executive and managing them the way THEY want to be managed, not the way YOU want to be managed.
We also discuss Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies and how so many assistants (including Amy) are 'Upholders'. You can do the survey for free here.
Amy epitomises what Liz describes as a Linchpin Assistant. She has exceptional functional competencies (her hard skills) as well as displaying high strategic competency. Even more, in this interview, you hear how Amy uses her Power Skills, her supercharged 'soft' skills to manage up and influence others to not just get things done but get the RIGHT things done!
Enjoy Part Two of this Assist With Impact interview with Amy Crumley.
Connect with Amy here
Check out the new and updated website for The Linchpin Assistant
Amy Crumley learned the intricacies and nuances of the Executive Support profession from her mother and grandmother, who rendered their support to high-level executives in Atlanta, Georgia, and Denver, Colorado in the United States.
Amy's own career path has followed a diversified route, traversing the foundation of owning a cabinet company, owning a staffing company, traveling around Europe, and teaching English as a second language. Returning to the United States, Amy pursued a remote working dynamic, managing a bookstore and cocktailing while deliberated about her future endeavors. Eventually, she secured a part-time remote executive assistant position that sparked her passion for the field once again and never looked back.
In this first in our two-part interview, join your host Liz Van Vliet as she interviews Amy to explore Amy's journey to becoming a lifetime EA and her role now remotely supporting the dynamic C-Suite leaders at Samba TV.
Connect with Amy here
Check out the new and updated website for The Linchpin Assistant
Join your host Liz Van Vliet as she gives you an overview of what will be covered in her upcoming webinar designed to help you build your strength in the area of strategic thinking!
We discuss the 4 areas that Liz will be outlining that all contribute to you being able to show up as a more strategic assistant. The four focus areas are:
If you like the sound of Liz's strategic thinking 'workout', register for the webinar to be held on July 12, 2023 12:30 PM AEST. The recording will be made available to those who register but cannot attend live.
You can register here or by going to bit.ly/linchpinsarestrategic
Check out the new and updated website for The Linchpin Assistant
Nikki-Lee Prismall is an extremely busy woman. She is EA to the Enterprise COO for KPMG Australia and also National Manager Business Support at KPMG Australia.
In Part Two of this episode pair, your host Liz Van Vliet explores Nikki's EA role supporting the Enterprise Chief Operating Officer for KPMG Australia and how an invitation to contribute to a project team exploring ways of more efficiently leveraging the Administrative Support Function across the enterprise opened up a new and exciting path for Nikki.
We discuss the impact of Covid and being intentional around your communication and how assistants can lead by being ambassadors within their teams and for their managers.
Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-lee-prismall/
Make sure to catch up on Part One of Nikki's story in Episode 176 if you haven't already!
Learn more about Liz and how she can support you through training, coaching or speaking to your team by visiting the website - The Linchpin Assistant
Nikki-Lee Prismall is an extremely busy woman. She is EA to the Enterprise COO for KPMG Australia and also National Manager Business Support at KPMG Australia.
In this two part series, Liz Van Vliet uncovers Nikki's early career experiences and the transferable skills she developed and brought across into her EA role with KPMG.
We discuss the importance of emotional intelligence and self insight, self belief and confidence.
Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn here
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-lee-prismall/
Make sure to join us for Part Two of Nikki's story next week.
The new and updated website for The Linchpin Assistant
Connect with Liz on Instagram or LinkedIn
In this weeks solo episode your host Liz Van Vliet shares five tips that Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants and Administrative Assistants can implement that will ensure they are seen as more than transactional and reactive and instead be perceived as strategic, big-picture thinkers.
Description: In this solo episode, we explore how AI and ChatGPT are changing the administrative profession and whether they pose an opportunity or threat for you as an administrative professional. We discuss a recent experiment conducted by the New York Times and share insights on how AI can help you in your daily tasks while also emphasizing the importance of adaptability and staying ahead of the curve.
Show Notes:
Introduction
Adapting to AI and ChatGPT
Insights from Toby Walsh, chief scientist at UNSW's AI Institute
Opportunities for administrative professionals
Tips and precautions when using ChatGPT
Links:
Liz is sharing some big news in this weeks podcast episode relating to her business.
Listen to this episode to hear the what, when and the why!
Connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn and make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter to be the first to hear when my exciting new program launches.
In this episode of Assist With Impact, Liz’s guest is Dr. Kirstin Ferguson AM an author, columnist and company director. Liz talks with Kirstin about her experience navigating the career ‘climbing frame’ and her latest book, Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership.
Kirstin shares some pivotal moments in her career, including when she was debating whether to become a journalist or join the military after leaving school. She ultimately chose the military, but her love for writing and journalism remained. She shares that she often suffers from imposter syndrome, but has learned to say yes anyway and trust herself.
Listen to the podcast to hear Kirstin discuss what readers can expect from Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership and why it is different to the many other leadership books that have been published. Kirstin explains that the book is unlike any other book on leadership because it combines her own research and experience with interviews of a diverse range of people, not just corporate leaders. She also talks about the importance of an Australian view on what it means to be a modern leader and how the book covers a mix of theories and research behind leadership.
The Head & Heart Leader Scale™ is a tool developed by Kirstin Ferguson with Lisa Bradley at the QUT Business School to assess leaders' ability to integrate emotional intelligence with their professional skills. The scale is based on the concept that leadership involves not only technical competencies, but also a range of emotional intelligence skills, including empathy, self-awareness, and social skills.
The scale consists of 24 questions that assess a leader's ability to lead with both their head and their heart, with each question assessing a different aspect of leadership. The aim of the scale is to help leaders identify areas where they can improve and develop their emotional intelligence skills to become more effective leaders.
Kirstin and Liz discuss the results of Liz’s Head & Heart Leader Scale Survey and how the results should be interpreted.
Throughout the interview, Liz and Kirstin discuss the various ways Kirstin has advocated for women, including her viral social media campaign called #CelebratingWomen and how Administrative professionals can and do lead from within, and we discuss the contribution of Kirstin’s own Chief of Staff Luisa.
Visit https://headheartleader.com/ to take the 24-question survey and find out where you can order your copy of Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership.
Connect with Liz
- You are valuable and of value as an assistant
The Boston Consulting Group I reference can be found here: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/heart-ceo-effectiveness
Connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn and make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter to be the first to hear when my exciting new program launches.
In this episode, Liz shares a simple yet effective framework for assistants to build and maintain their understanding of their manager's needs and priorities. She talks about how managing different needs and priorities across different executives can cause stress and anxiety and contribute to overwhelm.
Liz introduces the 3 Ps - Preferences, Priorities, and Pet Peeves - and explains how they can be used to set up new relationships for success and reset existing relationships.
She emphasizes that assistants are not mind readers and need information, insight, and experience to manage their manager's needs and preferences effectively. Liz breaks down each of the three Ps and provides examples of how assistants can gather information about them, including asking their manager directly.
Liz also emphasizes the importance of ongoing dialogue and structured approaches to checking in with managers as priorities are constantly changing. She suggests documenting the three Ps for managers and keeping the list handy and updated.
Liz highlights the 3 Ps as a dynamic document that can be used as a handover document and shared with other EA colleagues. She encourages assistants to be proactive, curious, and interested in their manager's needs and priorities.
Finally, Liz talks about how to put the 3 Ps into practice, emphasizing the importance of using open-ended questions and fostering curiosity for insights. She also mentions that she provides a workbook for coaching clients and training program attendees that guides them through how to set up a 3 Ps conversation with their manager.
Listeners who want to learn more about Liz's training programs and membership platform can sign up for her email newsletter at myeacareer.com.
Liz’s guest is Ruth Kilah, Founder & CEO of Hoxton Hyde. She is an Australian based, International Executive Assistant Coach + Mentor and International Speaker. Ruth provides one to one and group coaching program for Assistants.
Ruth specialises in helping assistants become strategic thinkers and operators. As a former Senior Executive Assistant and Project Manager, Ruth has over 13 years’ experience in managing time for C-Suite Executives in Australia and in the United Kingdom, predominantly for large global corporations.
Listen to this interview to hear Ruth share her background and her experience navigating the career Spider Frame. Ruth also outlines her approach to working with assistants, what motivated her to establish Hoxton Hyde (and the origins of her business name).
Ruth also shares three top tips for upping your effectiveness when it comes to being a strategic partner to your business leader.
Ruth also shares a bonus tip that is pure gold…so make sure you listen right to the end!
Connect with Ruth Kilah via Instagram and LinkedIn and join the Extraordinary Executive Assistants free Facebook Community.
All good things are worth waiting for, including Liz's word for 2023!
In this episode Liz shares the word that she has decided aptly describes her outlook for 2023.
If you want to stay across all the upcoming announcements around Power Skills for Linchpin Assistants, make sure you're following Liz on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lizveevee/
Liz also invites you to connect on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizvanvliettrainerspeakercoach/
A solo episode encouraging assistants to embrace their inner 'slinky' and reflect on the Power Skills that enable Linchpin Assistants to stay in that impactful zone.
Episode 107 - Why Assistants Are The Human Equivalent Of A Slinky can be found below:
https://myeacareer.com/podcasts/107-why-executive-assistants-are-the-human-equivalent-of-a-slinky/
The following are two blog posts I wrote on the same topic:
https://myeacareer.com/why-executive-assistants-need-to-adopt-a-slinky-mindset/
https://myeacareer.com/how-executive-assistants-can-manage-expectations/
Connect with Liz on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/lizveevee/
Connect with Liz on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizvanvliettrainerspeakercoach/
My interview today is with Jessica Davies. Operations Manager for Dr. Peter Fuda, based in Sydney, Australia.
Jess has worked with Peter for over four years now. Commencing in an EA capacity and subsequently moving into the role of Operations Manager early in 2022.
In that capacity, Jess partners with Peter across three key streams; his consultancy; The Alignment Partnership, his leadership app; Enixa and any speaking engagements he undertakes.
In the Operations Manage role, Jess works across account management, project management, marketing and content creation, always with the intention to amplify Peter’s work.
Prior to TAP, Jess worked at a Fintech start-up in London as the EA to the CEO, and has held a number of executive assistant and team assistant roles prior to that.
I met Jess Davies when I reached out via LinkedIn to connect with Peter Fuda.
I was immediately impressed with her professionalism and communication skills. In my interactions with Jess, it was clear that Peter placed enormous value and trust in her and this was articulated by him when I interviewed him in Episode 165 of the podcast…if you haven’t listened to that episode…you must go back and take a listen.
Peter described how Jess has the ability to '10x' what he is doing. She is a force multiplier. I had already decided that I wanted to invite Jess to be a guest on the podcast, and that recommendation just cemented it.
It was a delight to speak to someone like Jess who embodies the characteristics of the Linchpin Assistant. In this interview, you will hear how Jess reflects all five levels of the Linchpin Model that I train and teach.
Jess speaks about how the culture Peter has created is one where busyness is not a badge of honour. Instead, effectiveness and creating capacity are capabilities that are encouraged.
It was a delight to interview Jess and to hear her describe her curiosity, her thirst for knowledge.
In this final episode of the podcast in 2022 it is a delight to bring you an admin professional who has truly revealed her leadership capabilities and continues to grow and develop. Someone who truly represents the idea that Leadership is not a position; it’s a mindset and a toolset.
Connect with Jess via LinkedIn or they’re welcome to contact me on email: jessicadavies@tap.net.au – and of course, the best way to access Enixa on a 30 day free trial is via www.enixa.co
For two decades, Dr. Peter Fuda has been a Sherpa to leaders, teams and organizations across the globe as a consultant, coach, author, researcher, speaker and professor of management.
Andy Penn, the former CEO of Telstra (Australia’s pre-eminent telecommunications company has said of Peter “If I can only spend an hour with one person, I choose to spend it with Peter.”
Most recently, Peter has been driven by a mission to democratize leadership, via an innovative digital product. It’s called Enixa.
I am a huge fan girl of Peter’s having first come across his thought-leadership when I was an EA.
I will also say that as a proud Aussie, it brings me enormous pleasure to be bringing Peter to you, my lovely listeners who are spread across the globe and who more than likely are unfamiliar with his work. It is so wonderful for me to be able to share such a brilliant and innovative leadership expert like Peter with you. As you know, I’m a strong believer that as an assistant you have the ability to lead from where you are and we don’t need to be leaders of people to be leaders and to demonstrate self-leadership.
In this wide-ranging discussion you will hear
- Peter’s take on this and how leadership is not a position.
- What it means to have influence: How it’s a factor of two vital ingredients.
- His observations on the value assistants can bring to their leader and in fact he sings the praises of his own former EA and now Operations Manager, Jessica Davies….and, spoiler alert, in my next episode (#166) you will hear my interview with Jess where we talk about how her role as a Linchpin Assistant supporting Peter.
- The ONE resource (aside from Enixa) that Peter feels should be on your reading list
It was an honour and privilege to interview Peter and I want to extend my deepest thanks to Jess for facilitating the interview. Peter shared that he turns down 9 out of 10 speaking/media opportunities. The fact that he chose to spend some of his valuable time with me is a wonderful compliment that I do not take lightly.
What a way to finish off 2023. Two back-to-back episodes with a brilliant leader and leadership expert and his equally brilliant Linchpin Assistant. Stand-by for Episode 166 in two weeks time!
Find out more about Enixa and sign up for your FREE 30 Day Trial at https://www.enixa.co/
Follow Peter on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/peterfuda/
Follow or Connect with Peter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-peter-fuda-5870ab4a/
It’s a delight to bring you my interview with Candice Burningham, the Founder of Admin Avenues and a former Executive Assistant to some of the biggest names in media.
Leaders Candice has supported include the President of NBC News International, Managing Director of Channel 9 and CEO of SBS.
Candice is the Founder of Admin Avenues, an online platform specialising in administrative roles. Launched in late April 2022, it is fast becoming the go–to place for matching candidates with recruiters and employers in the Australian marketplace.
At the time of launch Candice stated that “After 20 years in the industry, I could see a gap in the market for a place where Australian admin job seekers could find great roles and where employers could find qualified admin candidates,”
In our chat we talk about the vision Candice has for Admin Avenues to become a “one stop shop” for all admin roles. It comes to market with the ambition to provide a more curated jobs portal from the established employment platforms.
We also discuss Candice’s experience as an EA and her observations around what it takes to survive and thrive in the role.
Grab yourself a beverage and settle in for a fantastic discussion with a leader in the admin community and someone you can expect to hear more and more great things coming from.
To connect with Candice and Admin Avenues go to
https://www.linkedin.com/in/candiceburningham/
https://www.instagram.com/adminavenues/
https://www.instagram.com/candice_burningham/
Sign up for the newly announced FREE membership option here
Episode 163 is my interview with Jeanette Botha.
Jeanette is an experienced business leader and currently VP of Sales Development for a multi-national based in Bonn, Germany. Her main responsibility is leading all Sales initiatives, programs and initiatives with the 40 EU countries to deliver their revenue targets.
Jeanette is also an ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited coach with a specific focus on empowering professionals with the presentation skills to ensure they are visible in their organisation. Jeanette says:
In this wide-ranging interview we cover:
- Navigating career spider frame, moving from South Africa to Germany.
- How in her experience, “the next best step is not always up”
- Shares her experience of believing that simply being great at her job would make her visible and promotable and the hard lessons she can share in this area where she had to push herself out of her comfort zone and make herself visible
- Valuable tips on presentation skills - that they’re underrated “they’re the black sheep of corporate skills”, not a “nice to have, but a must”.
- How being visible within the org is key to you being seen not just for career profession but also to be visible as role models for others.
- A fantastic suggestion that you as an assistant get time in team meetings…helpful for you to start developing your presentation skills. Helps others see you as an equal member of the team. Opportunity for you to stand up and stand out.
- How presentation skills build your ability to communicate your value
- Why you need to get comfortable with nerves
PLUS
Four tips for how to get present more effectively
Listen right to the end to hear about a brilliant free tool that Jeanette is making available for you to get an understanding of the strengths you already possess as a presenter and how you can amplify them.
You can find Jeanette's website and the link to the tool here:
https://jeanettebotha.com/free-quiz
Connect with Jeanette on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanettebotha/
https://www.instagram.com/jeanettebotha_europe/
This week's solo episode is a 'love letter' to the committed and concerted efforts of the delegates, members and observers that attended Week 1 of the WA-Summit this past weekend.
If you aren't already aware of the tireless work being undertaken by this global coalition of administrative networks and associations then I encourage you to familiarise yourself with it.
If you want evidence of the outcomes that this group of volunteers have delivered, look no further than the Global Skills Matrix which you can find details of here:
https://wa-alliance.com/home/global-skills-matrix/
I'd love to connect with you if we haven't already done so.
You can find me on Instagram and LinkedIn
https://www.instagram.com/lizveevee/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizvanvliettrainerspeakercoach/
Episode 161 is a solo episode sharing an article I recently read in the Harvard Business Review by Liz Wiseman, author of Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact.
https://hbr.org/2022/09/should-you-really-be-indispensable-at-work
I shared a book review in Episode 145 that you should listen to if you’d like an overview of the book and the valuable research Liz shares. You can find the episode here:
https://beingindispensable.libsyn.com/145-book-recommendation-impact-players-by-liz-wiseman
The other authors that I’ve interviewed on the podcast and feel you should definitely listen to if you haven’t already are Jo Miller, author of Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive and Andrea Clarke, author of Future Fit: How to Stay Relevant and Competitive in the Future of Work.
You can find the links to these episodes below:
https://myeacareer.com/podcasts/121/
https://myeacareer.com/podcasts/122-interview-with-jo-miller-part-2/
https://myeacareer.com/podcasts/indispensable-skills-future-fit-by-andrea-clarke/
Make sure to follow me on Instagram to receive my Monday Motivation and Wednesday Wisdom from inspirational humans and thought leaders, past and present.
You can find me here:
https://www.instagram.com/lizveevee/