The Anatomy of a Strategic Partnership

The following is an excerpt from Joan Burge's latest book, Underneath It All.

In my previous article, I discussed the benefits of becoming a strategic business partner with your boss. Now, we're exploring exactly how to go about doing this.

Here's how I view the anatomy of a strategic partnership:

The Brains:

Use them!

Both you and your boss use your skills to the optimum in order to be a successful duo. You arrive at the office with all your senses engaged (AKA as a Cognitive Being!). You think through all the steps (i.e., beginning, middle, and finale) related to projects, situations, tasks, actions, and relationships. Your partner must be free to focus on work and think at a high level.

Then to keep everything moving and to work in tandem, the following skills operate in high-gear:

• Communication (This includes good listening, initiating purposeful conversation, asking questions, providing feedback, giving details, using the right tools, visual and verbal, managing conflicting views, and more!)
• Organization
• Time and project management
• Preparation Know-How so that meeting time is not wasted 
• Cooperation
• Self-management

Resource: I invite you to read my book, Become an Inner Circle Assistant (Insight Publishing, Sevierville, TN, 2005) to gain a greater understanding of what it means to be a "cognitive being" and to discover more about the twelve main competency areas you'll want to master to be successful in this role.

The Heart:

You genuinely care about each other - your successes and happiness. You are aware when something is going on in the other person's personal life that can affect their work. I remember one of my executive's whose wife had melanoma; another executive's wife had a brain tumor. It was my job to express empathy, be a great gatekeeper, proactively take projects off my executive's plate and do anything I could to make his or her life easier. You also are excited when your work partner has a success, his or her child graduates, or spouse got a promotion. It is not a "weird" or "getting personal" thing. It's all on the up and up.

The Soul:

This is about using emotional intelligence which is not the same as getting emotional. I consider Daniel Goldman the grandfather of EI. (He has written several books on the topic. I have reviewed all of them and you may wish to do the same.) He tells us, "Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection and influence." There are four dimensions of EI:

Self-Awareness (means I know me)

• As the executive, I know myself. I know my strengths, weaknesses, habits, peculiarities, what I like and don't like; how I react to certain things, the way I like to work and more.
• As the assistant, I know myself. I know my strengths, weaknesses, habits, peculiarities, what I like and don't like; how I react to certain things, the way I like to work and more.

Self-Management (I manage me)

• As the executive, I stay composed. I manage or channel my emotions, and have self-control. When I'm interacting with my administrative business partner, I do my best to not explode but sometimes it happens.
• As the assistant, I channel my emotions rather than get emotional. When my executive explodes, I know it is not about me.
  

Social Awareness (I try to know you)

• As the executive, I can see my administrative partner is having a rough day today. Maybe something has happened at home. I show sensitivity and try not to overload my partner.
• As the assistant, I thank you for the feedback you provide. I know your intention is to help me be the best I can.
  

 Social Skill (I attempt to facilitate situations for a positive outcome)

• As the executive, I step forward with my administrative partner to use visionary leadership and be a change catalyst.
• As the assistant, I move in tandem with my executive to influence others to make the necessary changes. I manage conflict resolution and use diplomacy and tact in tough situations. I step forward as a leader as my executive is a leader.
  

The Attitude:

This is a cornerstone-piece of the anatomy. To some extent, it's a cheerleaders' attitude - not shy and retiring and definitely positive.

Assistants and executives, who have great working relationships, have an attitude of, "This strategic partnership is important to my individual success, productivity, and happiness." They believe:

• We are a team!
• Together we can tackle anything.
• We accept each other's differences and unique personalities.
• Each of us brings something different to the table.
• Challenges may come our way, but we'll work through them.
• I appreciate your point of view on this.
• You are a part of my success.
• I respect you and admire your work.
• I trust you with all the details.
• We depend on each other to achieve results.
• Today was really rough but tomorrow will be better.
• You did something that upset me today and I need to tell you about it.

It probably sounds like I'm painting a picture of an ideal team and such teams don't exist.

Fact: they do exist!

Those people face challenges, obstacles, and know what it's like to feel frustrated. But they know how to work around the challenges and therefore, share the glory of a successful team.