Weekender Issue #109

The Assist Newsletter
November 17, 2023

Brainteaser of the day: I left my campsite and hiked south for 3 miles. Then I turned east and hiked for 3 miles. I then turned north and hiked for 3 miles, at which time I came upon a bear inside my tent eating my food! What color was the bear?

Click here to see the answer.

WEEKEND FINDS

Treat Yo’Self

 

🏠 To An Interior Autumn Home Refresh
Get your space ready for cozy fall vibes with these DIY decor tips and inspiration. Make your nest fabulous for the new season here >

💸 To A EOY Budget
Wrangle your finances into a fab budget before 2024 arrives. Effectively manage your end of year cash using this worksheet >

🛝 To More Play
Research says adults need playtime too. Nurture your development with these joyful and youthful activities. Get your inner child giggling here >

👢 To Chic New Fall Shoe Trends
Step into seasonal style with the cutest booties, loafers, and more for autumn. Get ready to strut here >

💪🏽 To Setting Goals In Every Area
Design your dream life by establishing intentions in relationships, career, wellness, and more. Map out your future here >

TOGETHER WITH NATIVEPATH

Fuel Your Body Naturally with NativePath

 

NativePath

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Collagen acts as an antioxidant, which helps to fight off harmful free radicals and repair previous skin damage, leading to a reduction in dark spots.

We suggest enjoying 2 scoops a day (morning coffee is a great way to do this!) to get the max benefits.

Get 45% Off NativePath’s Best-Selling Collagen

FROM ANNIE CRONER, EA COACH & WHOLE ASSISTANT CEO

How to Keep Your Executive on Track

 

Do you ever find it hard to keep up with your executive? Just when you think they’re going to “zig”, they “zag”.

You want to anticipate their needs, but their lack of focus means they often can’t make sense of what they need, let alone you as their assistant.

You end up running around behind them instead of keeping stride beside them.

Here’s the truth: your executive probably hasn’t slowed down long enough to set their priorities.

In my time coaching executive assistants, I’ve found these are the top reasons why executives fail to slow down and set their priorities:

  1. It simply doesn’t occur to them. They’re so busy playing whack-a-mole that they never stop to consider what their priorities are.
  2. They feel overwhelmed by all the demands on their time and the needs of their direct reports.
  3. They’re avoiding the discomfort of loosening the grip long enough to realize they may be handling tasks that are lower priority or better suited for someone else.
  4. They’re insecure and would rather fill their time with low-priority fire drills and meetings than actually face the challenging demands of their role.
  5. They thrive on chaos. They like to make everyone jump on their command, for no apparent reason.

If you have an executive that lands under numbers 4 & 5, I’m truly sorry. My general advice in both of these cases is to do the best you can while you look for your next position. Unfortunately, you can’t “make” anyone do their job (4), nor can you combat narcissism (5).

If your executive falls under 1, 2, or 3 there are things you can do to “manage up” and help your executive find clarity on their priorities.

The Quarterly Meeting That Changes Everything

In order for you to find clarity regarding your executive’s priorities, you’re going to have to guide them toward finding clarity for themselves first.

I encourage my clients to set regular meetings with their executive (quarterly tends to work well). The purpose of these meetings isn’t to go over the status of tasks and projects. Rather, it’s for the two of you to find clarity on what went well over the last period, and what you’ll focus on for the next. Come armed with questions that will help your executive find the clarity they need.

The assistants and business partners who have the most success are those who prepare their executives well in advance of the meeting. Let them know how this meeting will be different from your other touchpoints. Set the expectation that you want their undivided attention, and expect them to be present with you. Schedule at least an hour.

These meetings will help your executive slow down long enough to create a plan… a plan that you can then leverage to show up more strategically for them.

If you want to know more about my process & structure for these meetings, you’re not alone! I get this request a lot.

On December 7 I’ll be hosting an hour-long training, Helping Your Executive Find Clarity {So You Can Too} where I go into detail regarding what questions to ask. I also share strategies for what to do afterward to keep your executive on track. Click here to learn more.

To learn more about Annie, please visit her website: WholeAssistant.com or connect with her on LinkedIn or pop her an email: an***@wh************.com.

TOGETHER WITH FIGMA

Struggling with OKRs?

 

Figma's OKR Tempalte

Q1 2024 is coming in real hot, meaning there’s a good chance you’re gearing up to create your OKRs.

If you’re struggling with this, consider grabbing this free template to structure them with your team.

Set your team up for success to kick off 2024!

👉 Get the OKR template for free here

A QUOTE TO LIVE BY

From Louise Erdrich, The Round House

 

“Now that I knew fear, I also knew it was not permanent. As powerful as it was, its grip on me would loosen. It would pass.”

Joanna’s Recs

 

Joanna Ericta

Show to binge 📺 :
Lessons in Chemistry

Song to bump 🎵:
Streets by Doja Cat

Podcast 🎙️:
Heart Starts Pounding

Book 📚:
Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

Wishlist Rec 📝:
Smart Automatic Cat Feeder

Cameron’s Recs

 

Cameron Huber

Show to binge 📺 :
Bodies

Song to bump 🎵:
TV by Billie Eilish

Podcast 🎙️:
Scam Goddess

Movie 🎥:
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Wishlist Rec 📝:
K18 Repair Hair Mask (MAGIC!)

Other stuff we’re loving this week…

 

💌 Newsletter: We Study Markets. Get the three biggest stories in financial markets each day — explained simply, sign up for free.

📱App: Find Me Gluten Free. You or someone else in your group gluten-free? No problem with this free handy app. Think Yelp but for Gluten Free restaurants.

🐶 Pet purchase: If your pets shed all over your home, this pet hair remover works like a charm, and easy to clean out. Super handy on trips, too, when you bring your furry companions along (especially when an Airbnb requires you to clean AND pay a cleaning fee).

🧥Apparel: We are obsessed with Alo’s cropped hoodie (the Fog color is really cute). If you’re new to Alo, here’s 15% off!

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

Latest Listings

 

The Assist's Corporate Holiday Gift Guide
🔖 Catch up on all Weekender newsletters here.

🏪 The Assist Store: Check out our Etsy Store or get our most popular templates for free here.

🚨 Job Openings

❗If you have a job opening at your company that you’d like us to share in our newsletter, please submit it here.

PETS OF THE WEEK

Capone

 

Capone pet of the week

Capone is his owner’s best friend, and sometimes shows a little attitude when he is told to go eat by growling because he wants to play with his toys instead.

He prays with his owner at night by putting his hand on hers and his head down.

He loves people and every dog in the neighborhood and has a lot of girlfriends.

He understands whenever his owner talks about work, and as cute as he is, he is also hilarious.

💌 We’re huge pet lovers at The Assist and want to feature a pet each week — fill out this form for your fur baby to be featured!
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