Christina Maslova - Coffee Break Confidential. Real-Life Tales from Assistants

After our return, Kate became Mrs. Harper and found the new job. And now Max and Kate have two beautiful twins ☺

Do not take it as a too sweet story. I want to say that even if we think that nothing positive can happen, it will do.

And this is the principle. When you decide to change the job, when you decide to relocate, when you want to go where you have never been – just do it.

Taking the very little step – can be followed by something great. If you have read my first book, you remember – I wrote my first article in 2013. 6 years later – it is my second book. But without that first article, who knows if something could happen at all. My friend Kate didn’t want to go with us. She is afraid to fly.

Neither me, nor Kate haven’t seen the whole staircase ☺

And what about you?

Well… you can try. At least. However, of course, not everyone suits for this job. And, no surprise that not all of assistants are successful in what they do. I’m strongly convinced that before to dive deep in this job – the first question should be – why do I need it, second – how special I am to be successful. Yes, assistants – are special, unique people.

If to touch the philosophy – what is success itself? What it means to you? You want be popular, want people to know about you. Or, want to become the manager who leads the big company? If to think – assistant’s job is not about success, as we understand it in our ordinary life. Moreover, I know people who do not consider assistants as part of management team. Then, what it’s about if not about success and not about recognition. And while making the step to become an assistant – you should be ready to face this reality. You should be sure that the reason why you have chosen this profession is not because you’re looking for success. That is why – the questions are why and how? Sorry for tautology. And that’s why not all of us can do this job.

It’s for elected ones, who understand their own place in the story and the roles of others. And, of course, who can accept the opinion of people around and know what to do with it. First of all, of course, not permitted to be broken by this opinion. But this is not what I wanted to talk about in this note. Some of you, or probably most of you, will agree that it took years to get “armored” and face the difficulties on our job with smile. To become those who can shake hands with business owners and don’t feel themselves “bounded by privilege”. Do you know why? Because the business sharks are supported by our colleagues and they know the value.

Everything what assistants finally get – is the respect. But, it costs so much more! And, believe me, assistants would not sell this even for billion dollars. A! Final question before to decide that everyone can do this job – do you really ready to work for the respect of one person? In this world when money sometimes plays much poorer role than you can imagine.

But as a fact, you need just one thing – TALK TO PEOPLE.

First of all, let’s define. There is an internal communication with partners, colleagues, boss. When you discuss the contract, the business issue. It is one thing. But, I would like to talk about external one, when you need to go and ask, take the phone and call, open the laptop and write, when you need help, answer or advice.

Recently, I stirred up, I think, almost the whole office of Disney Land Paris because I couldn’t buy tickets online. Neither on their com. web site, nor the co.uk. It just told me “your reservation couldn’t be completed” during several days. The call on the number mentioned on the web page finished in a 5 minutes as I heard – yes, we know the problem, try later. That’s it. My dear boss – go to Paris, and buy the tickets at the cashier’s office. But, as you can imagine, the issue is really simple and quite stupid. And it couldn’t be finished like this.

My big thanks to Marco Bernini, Vice-president Parks Operations chez Disneyland Paris, he wrote me the number of his office, where his assistants helped me to solve the problem. And now I know both names of assistants and the Russian representative of Disney Land Paris. The secretary in my office was surprised when heard that I communicate with top management of Disney Land Paris. And she asked, how did I know all these people?

I don’t know them. And I don’t know a lot of people from my almost 8 000 contacts on LinkedIn. And they don’t know me personally. But, the main thing what I say on my master classes is that people, in most part, are very nice, open and friendly. And the only thing what you need to do – is to go, write or call and ask. And there is nothing extraordinary in this. I communicate with my colleagues, business owners from Brazil to Australia, I know what I tell you about. And it’s a very efficient tool I should say. Not your communication skill. But your openness, your wish to talk to people. Our big mistake is that we don’t want to deal with people. But, as a fact – very often to solve the problem you need to do a very little step. TALK TO PEOPLE.

No, we can. Just because we’re all human being and if you think that you can work 24\7\365 on maximum of your skills – you’re wrong. Dead wrong.

It’s true that most of assistants are perfectionists. The intention to do everything with high class efficiency and speed – this is what most of us had used to. But, in fact, sometimes you need to stop and do ordinary things just good with no rush. And, very often most of us feel shame, because internally it means that we don’t do as much as possible. But we forget that sometimes it’s not needed. This is the conflict between you and yourself. The internal burnout when you need rest, but yourself cannot afford it, because, well, I’m professional, I can do everything and any time.

I notified this, approximately twice a year if to talk about me. Twice a year I need to slow down. Then I talked to a few of my colleagues, and during the coffee meeting they told me that have the same issue. So, somehow the statistics is correct. When many years ago I went into sport, my father, who is doctor, told me that human body is a kind of a machine. You cannot load everything you want inside, because one day it will be broken. You should take care of it. I think the same approach should be used when we talk about job. We cannot “run” the whole year. And, you shouldn’t be upset that you cannot. Because it is a normal thing. When you feel, that already are on the line after which you will burnout and will reach the level when you don’t want any job, you should stop. We should take care of our job and if we want to do it perfectly – every job needs breaks. Otherwise we face bad mood, we face illness, we feel as we don’t like our job at all, though it’s not true.

I notified an interesting thing. I usually eat in the office. Very bad habit to eat and continue read mail. As I used to do everything quickly, I eat quickly in the office. But the same I notified when was sitting in the country during lunch on vacation. I eat quickly though there is no rush, there is no mail to read and meetings to run. Mentally, I continue working and running. And it was a very upset observation, I should say. When you don’t have habit to stop when you need. It took me couple of months of an intensive internal work to get used that I should think, I should control what I do and how, when I eat, when I need rest, what and when I feel.