So you know why you need a personal assistant and now you are asking yourself ‘what should I look for in a PA?’
I have put together ten key points of the skills and qualities that we think make a good and successful personal assistant. It is a guide or check list, if you like, before engaging with a PA, so you will know what you need to look for when making that decision.
1 Excellent communication skills
A good PA needs to have strong communication skills. Please bear with me, there is a lot to say about this particular skill, which is why it is one of our ten qualities of a truly great assistant.
Your PA will need to be able to interact easily with you and anyone in the practice/business at every level. They must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with compassion, empathy and a focus on patient/client care.
A PA should have awareness of the communication style required in any situation and adapt accordingly.
Diplomacy is ‘the art of dealing with people sensitively and tactfully’, and is a key skill in this category. It is the ability to communicate with people in a way that considers their feelings – and their potential reaction – and being able to find common ground with anyone and everyone.
They need to have the ability to solve problems, work well under pressure with calmness and courtesy and be able to clearly pass on information and instructions with confidence.
They should be able to communicate both verbally and in writing, be confident and up to date with technology, and use it efficiently, especially in the world of remote and hybrid working.
2 Strong organisational skills
A good PA needs to be highly organised and will keep on track with important details and tasks. This is a must-have skill for an effective PA, and multitasking will be one of their superpowers.
They should be able to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines without getting overwhelmed. They are very much detailed-oriented and will bring order to chaos; being organised and organising others is what they love to do. Fact!
3 Flexibility and adaptability
A good PA must be flexible and adaptable. They should be able to think on their feet and come up with quick and practical solutions when dealing with any last-minute changes.
Knowing and understanding your schedule and work pattern will help enable them to work efficiently and proactively when dealing with unexpected challenges that do, and will, pop up.