Annie Croner:
Welcome to The Whole Assistant Podcast, where assistants come to embrace their badassery and discover how to show up more strategically for their careers, their executives, and most importantly, themselves. I'm your coach, Annie Croner. Join us as we dive into the skills, strategies, and mindset that will help you unleash your full potential. Let's go. Hello. So, first of all, I want to thank you for hanging with me. I know I didn't record a podcast episode for last week, and that is because I've gotten in the habit of recording my podcast episodes the week of and I actually was becoming disc certified through everything. DiSC and the lessons and the time commitment that that took was quite a bit.
Annie Croner:
So I just didn't get to record my podcast episode last week. And this is also a gentle nudge that I need to improve that system. I'm always talking about system improvement as a way to show up more strategically for your executives and for yourself as well. And this is just a good, gentle reminder. So thank you for your patience with this podcast episode. It is one that I'm really excited to share with you because it's one that has been on my mind for quite a while now. So today we are talking about releasing the idea of being your executive's gatekeeper and trading up for being the bridge between your executive and the rest of the organization or the rest of your team. And so I looked up the definition of gatekeeping, and the definition is the activity of controlling and usually limiting general access to something.
Annie Croner:
Controlling and usually limiting general access to something. And look, gatekeeping is not necessarily bad, but it's awfully one dimensional. Being the bridge, on the other hand, is multidimensional. First of all, people are going to bring things to you that they feel they can't bring to their. To your executive. You get to decide what gets put into the vault, what gets no air, and what gets strategically communicated. And this is talking both ways. So what I love about the bridge is that you can drive both ways on the bridge.
Annie Croner:
When we're gatekeeping, it's generally information coming in one way and it's very much limiting access. What I love about a bridge is that we're talking both ways. So communicating from the executive's office to the team and also communicating from the team to the executive's office. And it's much more nuanced than just simply not granting access than simply being the gatekeeper. And I would venture a guess that many of you guys are already the bridge without even knowing it, and yet you're wearing this Badge of honor for being the gatekeeper. Instead of looking at your role more holistically and embracing this concept of being the bridge. So when I talk about, you get to decide what gets put into the vault, what gets put into the grave and what strategically gets communicated, I'm going to kind of break that down. Let's talk about what gets put into the vault.
Annie Croner:
So I like to view the vault as a Brinks armored car going across the bridge. You know, those armored cars that carry lots of money between like a casino and a bank is a good example. I like to view what gets put into the vault as putting it into the Brink's armored car. So this includes sensitive information that may require action in the future, but maybe not right now. Right. And we can take that sensitive information from the team when it comes to our executive and have that in the back of our mind for future use with our executive or from the executive to the team as well. So really using your discretion to know what gets to be said and when, and using this vault scenario when it comes to really what gets conveyed to the team and what gets conveyed to your executive. And I'm a big fan of acting with integrity.
Annie Croner:
I'm also a big fan of not selling your colleagues and coworkers out or your executive out necessarily. So really showing a lot of discretion and discernment when it comes to what gets put in the vault and maybe useful later. And when I say maybe useful later, I'm saying that from a place of this may circle back at some point. And so I'm going to collect this information and I'm going to wait for an appropriate time to either bring it up to the team or, or wait for an appropriate time to bring it up to the executive. We are also just really, really prone to sensitive information, especially the higher up you go. So if you're supporting the C suite, you're definitely prone to sensitive information. And it can be a real challenge to know what to communicate and when. And so I really like this idea of this Brinks armored car when it comes to being the bridge between our executives and the rest of the organization.
Annie Croner:
Now when it comes to the team, I definitely get buy in for what you share with the team from your executive. When it comes to the executive and what gets communicated to them, that can be a bit more challenging because we are often unsure what they know, what would be helpful for them to know. And look, this is why I work with my clients so diligently on self trust and really strengthening that voice, that inner voice that tells Us what to share and when, and really getting quiet, really getting still, and not overriding our inner knowing, because our inner knowing can be hugely valuable when it comes to knowing what to put into the vault versus what to communicate immediately. All right, now let's talk about what gets put into the grave, or how I like to put it, what gets pushed off the bridge entirely. So in this instance, gossip is a great example of this. If you are privy or prone, not prone to gossip, but if you happen to overhear gossip, you get to decide not to relay that information. And let me tell you that this is where the real cultural impact can happen. As an executive assistant, and I will say too, that if you want to shut down gossip, somebody's at your desk, they want to talk to you, they want to pick your brain, they want to share gossip, you can simply look up and ask them, how may I help you? And what I love about this is it pulls everybody back on track.
Annie Croner:
It pulls everybody back to the actual work that needs to get done instead of it kind of devolving into gossip territory. And look, you may be wondering, well, what's the difference between gossip and just listening to venting? You will know there will be something that will shift in you, and you will know what lands in the gossip territory versus what lands in the just venting territory. And I will also say that even though somebody may be venting to you, that you can also put this stuff in the grave as well. We can also push it off the bridge when it comes to what you communicate with your executive and what you communicate with the rest of the team as well. There again, I'm a true believer that this is where the real cultural impact can happen. And I think oftentimes, as executive assistants and strategic business partners, we forget this piece. We forget this integrity piece and how impactful that can be on a company culture. Now, I will say that if you're privy to information like an unhealthy work dynamic or something like that, you may need to communicate that with your executive.
Annie Croner:
You may need to communicate that with hr. But typically, gossip falls in the just push it off the bridge and don't give it a second thought or put it in the grave or anything else fruitless for that matter. Say your executive is picking your brain or say they're really frustrated with someone or something. They may also be venting to you. This is also a fruitless conversation from an action standpoint. It may not be fruitless from a getting it off their chest standpoint, but it may be fruitless from an action standpoint, this is where we get to decide what needs to get communicated to others and what needs to just maybe pushed. Be pushed off the bridge or put into the grave. Okay, let's talk about what strategically gets communicated.
Annie Croner:
What actually makes it across the bridge to your executive, what actually makes it across the bridge to your fellow teammates as well. So things that will help your executive to be informed and do better at their job. There again, oftentimes people will share things with you that they won't share with other people or your executives because no one wants to complain to the top dog, but they sure don't mind complaining to their executive assistant. So really being aware of those things that can help your executive better be better at their job. If you notice a certain team dynamic, you can bring that team dynamic to your executive. And even things like favoring a specific executive. I've had, I've coached executive assistants in the past where they're like, I feel like my executive is really favoring this other person on the elt and I don't know what to do about it. I'm like, well, this is a great opportunity for you to bring up that cultural dynamic with your executive and to point that out to them, because chances are, if you know this, so does the rest of the elt.
Annie Croner:
By actually sharing this information with this person's executive, they were able to actually help bridge that gap. They were actually able to help their executive see how they're favoring this specific person. And that actually helps to there again help the company culture instead of harm it. So I love this, and I feel like executive assistants and administrative professionals are very strategically positioned to be able to point certain things out to their executives that most people are not. You can also prep the team on how best to communicate with your executive or what they're hoping to see in a certain presentation. You can have them send you their deck, their. Their slides for a presentation and look it over and be like, this is going to resonate, this is going to resonate, this is not. And this is where strategic alignment comes in handy.
Annie Croner:
If you are strategically aligned with your executive, you're going to know how they best communicate. You're also going to know how they best like to receive communication. So you will be able to coach the rest of the team with regards to communicating with your executive. I also feel like you are strategically positioned to be able to communicate the hard things that are affecting the team dynamic or the customer experience. Many, many years ago, I was working in a, in an office environment where my executive was going to be meeting with clients all day long behind closed doors. And we had a junior associate get out of her office and meet with this person and then come to me and tell me, annie, you gotta go talk with the executive about their foot odor. And I'm like, foot odor? And he was, this poor guy was like, yeah, her foot odor is pretty bad. And so I walked into her office and sure enough, it was just terrible.
Annie Croner:
And it was an awkward conversation, but it was one that needed to happen to protect my executive's reputation. And it also needed to happen for the comfort and sake of the customer experience. So these are the things that you are uniquely positioned to point out. And while that may be awkward in the moment, your executive will thank their lucky stars that they have you on the team because they will know that you have their back. Okay, this is not about selling someone down the river. This is not about pointing out negative things. This is really about ensuring that your executive is set up for success both with clients and also with the teams that they are overseeing or who are under them. So just be aware of those dynamics and recognize and realize that you're the person, you're the person that often has to have these conversations.
Annie Croner:
And look, I'm not opposed to allies either. So if you've got someone in HR who you feel like you can lean on, if you've got other people in your organization who you feel like you can create allyship when it comes to certain things with your executive, especially if they are strong willed or they don't want to listen to what you have to say. I'm also a fan of that. I'm also a fan of strength and numbers. But when it comes to some of these dynamics, you're. You should be the instigator because you are literally that bridge between your executive and the rest of the organization. Now, can you see how impactful being the bridge is as opposed to just being the gatekeeper, having it be one sided to your executive? I'm such a huge fan of this idea of the bridge because it is so multidimensional and it's such a great way to show up more strategically in your role with your executive. Now I'm going to share a few benefits of being the bridge instead of being just the gatekeeper.
Annie Croner:
The first benefit, which I've already touched on throughout this episode, is your cultural impact. You can impact the culture by being that bridge between your executive and organization. You can say things in a much more palatable way. You can fill in the gaps for your executive for the team with regard to your executive. And you can kind of cushion the blow there. Again, people are going to be much more forward and straight with you than they will with your executive. And so if you're able to frame things in a way that your executive can hear, that will go a long way. Also, if you are able to frame things that your executive may say, perhaps your executive is a bit terse or direct, and there are people on your team who do not relate to that direct dynamic, you can then relay things to the team in a way that'll be much more palatable to them as well.
Annie Croner:
That is a huge cultural impact, and I think that we often underestimate this cultural impact piece, but it is 100% real and it is 100% there. Another benefit of being the bridge instead of just the gatekeeper is that this will also afford you the ability to be the trusted confidant of your executive, because your executive is going to know that you have their back, that you can see the dynamics, and that you will communicate effectively with them and communicate effectively with the team as well. And your executive knows that what you put into the grave will remain in the grave. Or what you push off the bridge and decide not to share with the team will also create a safe space for your executive to trust you as their confidant. Now, I will say that if you're put in a compromising position and your integrity is being compromised because your executive implicitly trusts you with certain things, it is okay to bring those things to hr. It is okay to bring those things and to stay in touch with your gut with all of this. So I'm not saying to override anything. You override your inner knowing, to be trusted by your executive who's doing some.
Annie Croner:
Something nefarious. That's not what I'm saying here at all. But what I am saying is in a healthy dynamic and a healthy work dynamic, you can become the trusted confidant and sounding board to your executive, which is kind of a great thing about strategically partnering with your executive. I will also say that the last and final benefit that I'm going to be sharing today with being the bridge instead of just being the gatekeeper, is integrity with the team. The team will also know that you have their best interest at heart when it comes to dynamics with your executive as well. There again, if you're able to kind of coach the team on what the executive wants to see in a meeting, coach the team with regards to interpersonal dynamics and how the executive best receives information that will also ingratiate you with the team as well. So just a lot of cultural dynamics when it comes to being the bridge instead of just the gatekeeper. And I would encourage you to consider ways in which you can be the bridge.
Annie Croner:
And if you have another benefit of being the bridge instead of just the gatekeeper, please feel free to email me at [email protected] and I hope that this episode was helpful to you. I hope that it has reframed something that we all claim as a badge of honor. I know I have claimed being the gatekeeper as a bad job owner in my past and now I'm just all about being the bridge and really that strategic piece and that strategic place in an organization that can be the bridge between their executives and the rest of the organization. All right, guys, that is what I have for you today. That is all for now. Hey, before you go, don't forget to grab my free Strategic Planning Session guide. This stealthy playbook will help you and your executive find clarity on their priorities so you can make a greater impact. Go to wholeassistant.com/guide or click the link in the Show Notes to snag your copy.
Annie Croner:
And if you're loving the podcast, please subscribe, leave a review and share with another assistant ready to level up. Thanks for listening, and until next time, keep embracing your badassery.
