I have long been a believer that the real power in any office does not lie with the “bosses”, but with those who look after the bosses. And now I have the research to support my hunch.
Dilemma-Assist, in conjunction with the International Management Assistants (IMA) network recently released a report ‘The Secret Power in the Office’ (read it here), which is the first international survey of the executive assistant’s role in integrity and business ethics. The findings are fascinating, and at time disturbing.
So rather than being the ‘gate keepers’ Executive Assistants (EA) are actually seen more as the ‘confidant’ or ‘trusted advisor’ of their bosses, frequently being asked for their advice on all manner of issues, including internal promotions and hiring new executives. The report actually uses the analogy of spiders in the web, because the EAs are seen as having access to all the most confidential information, internal politics and personal behaviours within the organisation. A very powerful positon indeed.
However, the research also found some quite disturbing things as well. For example:
- EAs are frequently confronted with serious misconduct, the most common being waste or abuse of corporate resources
- Facing inappropriate or rude behaviour
- They also do not feel comfortable to speak up when faced with inappropriate behaviour (only a third are prepared to, and even less if their immediate superior is involved)
The report goes into each of these (and other issues) in some depth, and is a very interesting read. The challenge is to image how much better the organisation would fare if these talented and well informed individuals were even more onside and treated better.
So take a moment to reflect on the relationship between you and your team – is it as good as you think it is, or are they too scared to speak up?
The Avondale Business School (ABS) is able to help you and your team maximize their potential. To find out how, call Warrick Long on 02 4980 2168 or email [email protected]