I believe there are some very basic and simple rules that assistants should follow in order to make nice in the assistant-to-assistant world. My rules may not be everybody’s rules, but I’ll be there are at least a few in here that you practice regularly. So without further ado, I give you my Top Ten EA Rules of Etiquette, as Decided by Me.
1) General pleasantries will get you further than being grumpy. Have you ever called an EA who was immediately short and rude on the phone? Of course you have. I have, too, many times. Someone who just sounds irritated to have even answered the phone, or answers me with abrupt responses. We all have bad days, but I try to never transfer my bad mood onto someone else (especially from another company). Try to smile when you speak to others, even if you’re faking it. And P.S., this translates through email, too. Try to make nice in all communication formats. If you are irritated by someone, wait half an hour before you respond.
2) When you send a request for time, make the first offer. There’s nothing I loathe more than the line, “Would you send me all availability for the next two weeks?” Really? This could not be more lazy. First of all, since you’re the one asking for the meeting, you send me yours first and I’ll try to match it. But if you said that because you know my exec is way busier than yours, then perhaps say that up front – and only ask for me for a few days at a time. Or, if it’s going to be that difficult, just call me.
3) When you send a request for time in a different time zone, offer the conversion. Okay, I haven’t always been so great at this, but I’m getting better. At least if I do this now, I recognize that I’m being the lazy one. I like to use the following meeting planner to help me: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/meeting-planner.aspx. This has saved my skin on more occasions than I would care to admit.
4) Make a counter offer. If I offer a time slot that doesn’t work for you, so help you if you answer me with nothing more than, “No, that doesn’t work.” Please make a counter offer. This saves me having to email you twenty times with different slots in a type of meeting-request-battleships.
5) Please don’t rub their face in it. If an assistant makes a mistake and misses the mark on a previously offered slot, please don’t answer with, “Like I said below…” It comes off so condescending, and I know you don’t mean to be that snotty (or maybe you do). Just re-state it. Chances are s/he is going to figure out that s/he made the mistake. We’re all human. I’m sure you’ve done it too.
6) Once you agree on a time, I believe the one who requested the meeting should be the one to send the meeting invitation. This rule can be broken when it’s between two different companies and there are certain conditions that are more conducive to the opposite. You’ll know when. But on internal communication, if you requested it, please prepare and send the invitation.
7) When writing out meeting invitations, please be clear and specific. Understand that other execs might have multiple meetings with similar topics. Please make sure you include participant names, a subject, whether it is a CALL or a MEETING, the dial in information or location, and it helps to add the assistant’s names and phone numbers (the ones who arranged it). If you can, I’d also recommend including a summary of the meeting, or attach the email chain relating to the set up of the meeting so if the meeting is far in the future, you can remind yourself as to why it was set up in the first place. Yes, it takes a few extra minutes to put all of this detail in your invite. Do it anyway. We will all love you for it.
8) Please. Don’t. Counter. Offer! Outlook had the best intentions with the “counter offer” on meetings. Yet, I haven’t met one assistant who thinks this is a good method of proceeding. Counter offers mess up everyone’s invites. PLEASE, I beg you! Just call me and tell me you can no longer do that slot. Or send me an email. When I get nothing more than a counter offer, not only does it screw up the invite, but I think it’s rude (you couldn’t even send me an email?). Plus, what if I miss it? Easy to do, actually. And then we both think we have different meeting times, or it’s left out there hanging. Also please note that a Decline should come with a separate note. A flat decline with no explanation is just mean. We’re left staring at our inbox saying, “What? Declined?! Why? Why?” …crying and flailing about on the floor.
9) Confirm all of your meetings, especially those in person. Imagine calling to confirm a meeting and the assistant on the other end responds with, “Oh, the 3:00? Yeah, we have to cancel that.” Now imagine that conversation taking place at 2:55 when your boss is already on his way. Cue: major freak out. An email the night before will do, just as a courtesy. And a couple of days is required for any meeting hosting someone from out of town.
10. And last but certainly not least, Don’t send blind invites. It’s not okay and there is never an excuse. Always, always give the other party the courtesy of a call or at the very least an email. No, don’t assume that because you plugged their name into Outlook and it ‘looked clear’ that it’s good for the taking. ESPECIALLY don’t do this to other people at other companies. This is especially bad when you don’t follow rule 7 and give them an idea of what the meeting is about in the first place.
And there you have it. Like I said, your rules may be a little different, or maybe you have some good ones that I missed. But these rules, according to me, are rules to live by.
If you have any specific to you, I look forward to hearing them!
Diary of a Modern PA 