CEO's PA

[gee4]

Need some advice here...

My boss reports to the CEO as do others at his level.  Frequently myself and other secretaries have to liaise with the CEO's PA on various subjects, including meetings, diaries, site visits as well as other ongoing daily business.

However I find that on occasions when my boss or I require information or an answer to something in particular, the CEO's PA is not always responsive.  Today for example I needed an answer on something which up until yesterday she did not know.  I called her this mornnig only to be told she is on holiday today which leaves my boss in limbo.

I detest this "not knowing" business, and even if I am in the same position myself, I will always follow up with some kind of response even if the answer is, there isn't one.

I also find that if she requests a placeholder to be put in the diary, she never comes back to confirm if the event is taking place which is so frustrating as I have my own boss's diary to manage for other activities.  I therefore end up chasing her only to be told, oh no that's no longer required/happening.

Do any of you have the same problem?  What is the best way to deal with this?  She only has one boss to look after, whereas I have a boss and a team of people to look after.

[Dusty *]

gee4,

Not sure if I can offer much advice here, as she's the CEO's PA maybe its hierarchy.  I can only suggest that whenever you ask her for information try to put the ball back in her court for a response.

In my early secretarial career, a company I worked for had a PA to the CEO who was very much in to hierarchy when dealing with the other secretaries.  I vowed I would never be like that to my fellow colleagues, and to this day she has stuck in my mind.

[gee4]

I do try and request a response, at various stages.  I usually try and not pester her too much, giving her ample time to respond, regardless if it's a week/few days before the event itself.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's her boss who doesn't know, or his boss even, or if she just doesn't follow things up?

[peaches2160]

Coincidentally, I had a discussion with my boss the other day with a similar situation.  I tild him I guess I take my job too seriously, because I always know where he is, how to reach him, and always know when he is and is not available.  We are in sync.  If I don't have an answer, I try to find it, or direct the person to the appropriate party to get the answer to their question.  Some EA's are not like that, and it is frustrating to me.  He had to actually call his boss to find out if he would be attending a meeting, because I received an answer of, "well, not sure if he will want to attend at at time, but he is open, so you can send it and see if he accepts".  I accept and decline all meetings for my boss.  I manage his schedule and if there is a conflict, owrk to resolve it.  I am aware of the priorities.  I do not complain when asked to sit in on staff meetings, monthly mgmt team mtgs, etc., as I want to be included and have an understanding of what is going on.  Is that taking my job too seriously?  Hmmmm.  I don't know whether it is laziness on the other EA's part, or a lack of interest.  Maybe they are disenchanted with their role, or just there for a paycheck.  I understand having to play the hierarchy game though.  And it is frustrating to me when my boss has to call his boss to find out if he will attend a meeting that is being scheduled for his knowledge, when his EA will not step up and manage his time. 

[gee4]

Peaches you are someone I could definitely work with.  I wouldn't say you take your job too seriously, I would say you sound like you do your job to the best of your ability and do what is expected of you, and more.

I've had a think about this and I do believe PA's all work differently.  What I also have to remember is, this PA has worked with the same boss for about 15 years, been in the company maybe 20.  Whereas I am new, here just over 18 months and yes I do work very differently and sometimes it can be frustrating when others don't act/re-act how I think they should.

I guess I shall just have to do my job and keep chasing for the answers I need, frustrating though it may be.

[rose.winter1980]

Gee,

This is a difficult one.  It's never easy to appreciate the pressures that someone else has in their job, but that does work both ways.

I must say that my own way of working is that all requests for information or replies are dealt with either immediately or diaried into my Outlook calendar for reply by/on a certain date.  Yes, it can leave me feeling as though I am chasing my own tail or trying to juggle too many balls along with the million other tasks and projects I am progressing, but I think that clear and effective communication is key.

And, rule numero uno: ALWAYS make sure you stay on good terms with everyone's gatekeeper (be it EA, PA or Admin) and be very nice to cleaning ladies, security men, delivery men and people who come round to fix things.  That way, you make a heap of friends you never thought you would and can always call in lots of favours.

[Jackie G]

As a CEO's PA I always respond to requests, even if it's to say I will have to get back once I know/get the info required.

Equally, my emails receive the same speedy response.  After all, it's me asking for bossie...

[gee4]

Thank you Jackie.  That reassures me that not every CEO's PA is the same.

Rose, I don't think it's about "making friends",  I just want some co-operation while doing my daily work.

[rose.winter1980]

Gee,

Perhaps "friends" was the wrong word. But, judging by your regular posts in these threads,  I'm sure you are quite excellent at establishing good working relationships and effective lines of communication.  You probably could show the PA you mention a thing or two about those virtues!

Best wishes,

Rose Winter

[gee4]

Thanks Rose.

It just causes me concern (if that's the right word) that these individuals have obtained their jobs by default and not by the usual method, simply because their boss has been promoted over the years or because of a company re-organisation.

Makes me question if they really are CEO PA material.

If they knew what redundancy meant, had to temp or attend interview after interview, they would soon toughen up and become part of the real world.

[Cathy S]

The organisation has a responsibility for recruiting quality staff and maintaining that quality through appraisal and review mechanisms BUT sometimes these formal structures don't work well ... especially in the PA/Boss relationship because very few organisations actually ever provide support to developing that relationship formally.

... what could work really well is a really high quality peer network - maybe the CEO's PA in your organisation Gee feels isolated from her peers? Isolation makes us behave sometimes in a way that further isolates us.  Perhaps she would benefit from others' skills and knowledge at handling tricky PA/Boss relationships?  It is very easy after all for any of us to look on from outside a relationship, make judgements without understand the workings of that relationship.

I am sure we have all been involved in peer networks where the same few folk get together once a month to whinge about their employer and non present colleagues for an hour ... that does nothing to further professionalism within our ranks.  A good peer network needs to offer something to everyone at every level; needs to be positive and constructive (ie problem solving not nit picking); and needs to be interesting enough that admin/secretarial staff prioritise attending rather than allowing their work to be an excuse ... again

Maybe it is something worth developing?

Cathy

[gee4]

Cathy,

I don't think it's a question of being isolated at all.  As mentioned previously, I feel it's about being in the same company/job for 15 or 20 years.  We become stale, set in our ways and yet there's a big bad world out there.

I have just had some very positive and interesting feedback about myself, so obviously what I do is being noticed and noted.

Over the years whilst I have been made redundant I have taken work where I can and that includes temporary contracts.  You gain experience in doing so and I think that's why I have such a different approach when I go about my daily work, whereas others plod along doing the same thing every day with their eyes shut.  I agree, it can't be motivating.

For me, the reason I posted this thread initially is, there has to be some common sense in what we do each day and if being pro-active is one of those attributes (which I have just been praised for) then some of these PAs need to get their act together.  For me it's a no brainer.

In a company this size, with so many admin staff, I cannot believe there is no admin network to speak of, even from a corporate/division perspective.  Perhaps in the past 20 years it was tried, tested and was found to be unproductive.

[gee4]

Ok here is another prime example of why I posted this topic....

Weeks ago our CEO's PA asked the exec team to hold 2 dates in their diary for a VIP visit ie. this Thur and Fri.  So I put a placeholder in my boss's diary.

Yesterday on behalf of her boss, the PA sends an agenda for the visit, asking everyone to confirm their attendance.  So I read down the agenda and see my boss isn't really required for Thur however there is a Fri slot which relates to the department and our current/future projects.

I replied to the email saying my boss wouldn't attend dinner on Thur evening but since I have rejigged his diary he is available for the slot on Friday.

This morning I have come in to an email from the CEO, cc'd to his PA, asking me which slot on Friday?!  Now is it just me or what?!  Is my boss not required to attend this event at all?  So I replied to the CEO, cc'd his PA and indicated which slot I meant inquiring if my boss was no longer expected to attend.  If that is the case why was I asked to hold 2 days for the event when he was never supposed to attend in the first place?

I would have thought the PA in charge, would have confirmed attendees and made it clear who was to cover what agenda topics, however the slot on Friday had no-one's name or initials beside it yet my boss is the business area director for that department.

I can't figure these people out....

[gee4]

Just as I thought, CEO's PA confirms my boss is not required 

[Cathy S]

... however the slot on Friday had no-one's name or initials beside it yet my boss is the business area director for that department.

... maybe the agenda should have been presented more clearly - however, had I been sent that I would have mailed or called the PA to ask whether my Boss was to be present since his/her business area was involved; I would not have made the assumption ...