Weekender Issue #117

There’s a lot that goes into strategically partnering with your executive. You need to establish trust, get clear on priorities, and figure out the best way to communicate with your executive. Then there’s getting out of the weeds long enough to actually spot the potential holes, and see 10 steps ahead… Not to mention, you’ll need to build your confidence and use your voice more. After all, what’s the point in seeing the holes, and developing a strategy to fill them, if you lack the confidence to be able to present your solution?

With the many facets of strategic partnering, where to start can be confusing. What I’m about to share with you is my framework for developing a strategic partnership. It’s the exact framework I use with my clients to help them develop trust with their executive, and position themselves as indispensable strategic business partners.

The Foundation

The foundation of strategic partnering is your systems. Why? Because systems are essentially intentional routines that reduce mistakes and create predictability for your brain.

Predictability fosters reliability which fosters trust.

I’ll give you an example. Just imagine if you didn’t have a carefully considered task-tracking system… A system that lets you track projects and prioritize them accordingly.

Your executive asks you to take care of a task. You scribble it down on a sticky note or in your notebook. With the pressure of all that you have going on, the task gets lost and forgotten about.

Your executive follows up with you only to discover that it hasn’t been done.

Did this interaction with your executive foster trust, or weaken it? The answer is obvious.

Yes, we all make mistakes, but well-defined systems minimize them and are foundational to your success as a strategic business partner.

Many assistants want to ignore the power of systems and fruitlessly move on to other strategies they think will land them closer to “strategic business partner” status. Don’t be one of them. You will make very little headway.

Lay a solid foundation of well-defined processes first. This will give you a good foundation to build on.

The Structure

If the foundation to building a solid SBP is your ability to intentionally implement processes, the structure is the continued trust you’ve built in other ways. (Are you noticing a theme here?)

How do you build trust? One painstaking brick at a time.

Consistency matters. Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it. Meet deadlines. Do the mundane things even when nobody’s looking.

Communication is key. Bend to your executive’s preferred communication style but don’t back down when it comes to setting up communication protocols (another extremely important system).

Transparency, integrity, and remaining radically accountable for what you do (or don’t do) will go a long way in fostering trust. Own your mistakes & let your executive know how you plan to rectify them. Don’t hide or get defensive as these responses seldom end well.

Last but not least, trust takes time to build. Just as buildings aren’t built in a day, neither is trust. Place your focus on showing up daily to “lay the bricks”. Trust the process even when you can’t see the progress.

The Roof

The roof to your strategic partnership “building” is a more strategic mindset.

Mindset work isn’t just a trend or a bunch of “fluff”, it’s an absolute necessity if you want to take your career to the next level.

It’s going to be hard to show up as a strategic business partner if you haven’t worked on leveling up your thought processes and developing your strategic brain.

A strategic business partner…

• Isn’t afraid to say “no” in order to make room for a more stragegic “yes”
• Doesn’t need to be all things to all people
• Embraces growth
• Isn’t afraid to put herself out there even if she misses the mark
• Asks better questions
• Is humble enough to admit she doesn’t have the answers but trusts herself enough to figure it out

In order to make the shift to SBP you’re going to have to level up your mindset.

The Whole Picture

Start with these three things: finetune your systems, establish trust, and level up your mindset. I promise your work life will never be the same again.

P.S. The week of January 15 I’ll be hosting a free masterclass, Embrace Your EA Badassery: 3 Steps to Develop Your Strategic Partnership. There are several times to choose from for your convenience. To learn more and register, click here.

To learn more about Annie, please visit her website: WholeAssistant.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.