Top 5 Attrributes

[londonpa]

My Manager is evaluating the PA role for recruitment purposes and he has asked me what the Top 5 attributes a PA should have, (above all others), and why.  I have found this harder to answer than I thought, because lets face it, we need so many skills to perform so many different tasks these days.  For my role, I would say

1)   Organisational Skills
2)   IT skills
3)   Confidentiality
4)   Diplomacy / People Skills  (getting people behind my Manager's projects and getting them to do what he wants, when he wants it!)
5)   Negotiating / Purchasing skills (I purchase a lot of products and services on his behalf).

Are your Top 5 different?  What would be yours and why.  

Would appreciate your feedback.

[diamondlady]

For my role, I would have to change some of the order of those.

1) Confidentiality
2) Computer skills
3) Diplomacy
4) Organizational Skills
5) Negotiating

Confidentiality due to the fact that he is the CFO of our company and it has to stay confidential as long as that shelf life allows it to be.  If it gets out, it's not from these lips!

Computer skills are a must!   Most things are done on computer that we have, billing, etc., power point for those organization charts, all the other office skills just come into place over time.

Organizational skills are a must, if he needs it yesterday I gotta be able to find it in a timely fashion. Especially financial reports, those have to be in a place where I can find them and quickly.

Negotiations-that is something I really don't have much to deal with yet, and that may be changing, but I can do it if necessary.  I have no loyalties to any one vendor at any time, so that can be a good thing in our favor, then again, knowing your vendor can sometimes work for you as well.

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

[suis]

1)Organizations skill - I need to organize much more then my desk, but meetings, calendars, everything involves organization. This is number one.
2) Initiative - I need to be proactive and always think ahead. Streamlining old process always has made me stand out a bit more as well.
3) Tech Savvy - Personally I can pick up a software and not have too much trouble with learning by digging in.
4) Confidentiality - Especially when a rumor is around and you have nosey co-workers trying to coerce information out of you!
5) Interpersonal skill - In my position I deal with everyone, management, staff, vendors, outside customers. Dealing tactfully and knowing how to handle different situations is important.

Well there are my 5!

[misslynn]

Mine are similiar to what everyone else has posted but switched the order around a bit.

1) Trust-worthy - There has to be absolute trust between an admin and the person(s) she works for. You can count confidentiality into here, but really it goes beyond that.

2) Organizational Skills - Organizing, calendars, meetings, expenses, etc. Everything everyone else has said.

3) Initiative - No one supervises my work, it's all self-initiative. I tell my boss that if he's thinking about the job I'm doing then I'm not doing my job.

4) People skills - What has been said by everyone else

5) Tech Savvy - ditto

[kellinm]

In no particular order:

1) Professionalism - the ability to respectfully interact with people at all levels of the company in an open, friendly and polished manner.  Show up on time. Keep his comments between the two of you - his personal & professional life is not for you to share.  You are representing your manager - e.g. your manager may not care to do something and it is your job to gracefully decline on his behalf.

2) Proactive - the skills to forsee and provide whatever (and bring in whomever) he will need to prepare for and at meetings.

3) Organizational skills - definitely. Now, where is that slip of paper he handed you last week?

4) Interest in learning - about his job and the company, industry, etc. Keeping up on business news related to the above as well as researching new vendors and learning new software tricks. Have an inquiring mind.  When I go to a new restaurant, I can't help but wonder if it would be a good place for a team outing, lunch meeting location, etc.

5) Networking ability - know who his key players are, get to know the assistants and the assistants other bosses, etc.  Attend networking events even if you are the only assistant, get yourself out there and you may run into someone that will be a key contact for your boss - knowing you may help them get a meeting setup.

Good luck!

Edited by kellinm on 27/04/07 05:14 PM.