It’s that time of year again—performance review season. But this year, the landscape is very different. With economic pressures and rapid advancements in AI and technology, completing your Assistant performance review in uncertain times will require a fresh approach.
Many of you are working remotely or in hybrid roles, navigating the challenges of staying visible and effective while balancing new technologies and evolving responsibilities. With a focus on efficiency and adaptability, you may also be thinking about how best to future-proof your role in a fast-paced and changing business environment.
Throughout these shifts, you’ve likely worked hard assisting your Executive and your teams. Despite the changes in your role, it’s essential to have a performance review that acknowledges your efforts, offers constructive feedback, and recognizes the value you bring, especially given the rapid pace of innovation and digital transformation.
This comprehensive SMART objectives and goal-setting template for the Executive Assistants package will ensure you hit all those important review deadlines and move forward in your Assistant career.
At its core, your performance review should still be a detailed discussion of what you’ve achieved and the improvements you can make. The goal remains the same whether you have your review face-to-face with your Executive or over video.
We have an in-depth article on performance reviews that walks you through each step of the review or appraisal process for Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants. To help Assistants make the most of their reviews, the article starts with the basics—your job description. We then cover both the annual review and mid-year reviews. Finally, we provide guidance on goal setting and objectives for Executive and Personal Assistants.
Although the goal of your performance review is ultimately the same, there will be some differences this year in light of economic shifts and technological advances.
In times of change, the thought of a performance review might feel especially challenging. But it’s essential for Assistants to have performance reviews with their Executives, particularly as your role may have shifted toward managing digital tools, supporting tech-driven efficiencies, or adapting to new organizational goals. Many of us don’t take the time to reflect on our achievements and promote the value we bring to our organizations. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to demonstrate your value. So, my first point is this:
Make Sure You Have a Performance Review.
Show your Executive that your career and growth are important to you. If you don’t take your career seriously, why should they? First and foremost, ensure you have a performance review this year.
A starting point for any performance review is self-reflection. Take some time to look back on the year and write down your accomplishments and the areas where you’ve grown or struggled. With the accelerated pace of AI and new technology, this may include skills you’ve had to learn quickly or processes you’ve adapted to streamline your Executive’s workload.
Some organizations ask employees to write a self-reflection document before going into their performance reviews. I know some Assistants struggle with this process. A great article on The Muse covers this exercise and includes a helpful template. In a nutshell, they suggest focusing on the following questions:
It’s more important than ever to showcase your achievements and goals hit over the past year. But more than that, you need to be very specific in linking your accomplishments to the business’s growth, whether through cost savings, efficiency improvements, or leveraging technology. How do you do that?
Reflect on the tangible outcomes of your work this year, especially as it relates to supporting your Executive in a fast-paced environment. What specific tasks added value? What tasks helped move your Executive’s objectives and goals forward? Where did you save time or streamline operations, thus saving the organization money?
Given the rapid adoption of AI tools and tech platforms, it’s likely that much of what you’ve done has slipped under your Executive’s radar. Now is the time to bring it to their attention.
This past year has seen many Assistants quickly pivot into tech-savvy, forward-thinking roles. Adapting to remote work, automation tools, and new digital processes has been a major shift, particularly if you enjoyed the in-person contact and fast feedback that come with working in an office. It’s been incredible to see Assistants step up, support organizational transitions, and help manage new challenges.
Looking ahead, we can expect much of the same. Now is a good time to consider what can be improved and how you might adjust to work even more effectively in a digital or hybrid environment.
This also includes providing feedback to your Executive. What can they do to ensure you’re working well together in the evolving workplace?
Setting goals and objectives for next year, especially as businesses face economic pressures and rapid changes in AI, may feel challenging. But it’s still essential to focus on what you can control. Here are a few goal-setting tips for Assistants during these times of change.
Go Back to the Fundamentals of Why You’re Employed.
Why are you there? The obvious answer is to “save your Executive time.” That will be more important than ever next year. Think about objectives that save your executive time and make them more efficient, possibly by using new technology to automate processes or by building their schedule around priorities that maximize productivity.
Go back to the basics of your role and build your goals from there.
Set Short Goals for Now.
Given the rapid pace of change, consider setting short-term goals each quarter and prioritizing what needs to be done in the near term. Completing your Assistant performance review in uncertain times will be easier when setting short, flexible goals.
Be Realistic and Lower Your Expectations.
The past few years have taught many of us that “done is better than perfect.” The same will likely be true next year. Be realistic about what you can achieve and how you approach your goals. You may need to be flexible in how you get things done, with the focus on achieving results rather than following a rigid process.
Find the Time to Learn New Skills.
Lastly, make sure to schedule time to learn new skills. In uncertain times, the demand for skills that support adaptability and innovation will only increase. This year’s changes have shown the importance of staying ahead with new technologies. With more AI tools being integrated to support efficiency and automation, now is the time to upskill. Set goals that will stretch you and push you to learn something new.
To keep growing, stay ahead of changes, and connect with other forward-thinking Assistants, join The EA Campus Community. Our supportive network is filled with resources, exclusive content, and discussions that dive into the latest trends and skills you need to thrive in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re looking to upskill, network, or gain insights from other high-level Assistants, The EA Campus Community is here to support you.
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