Staying In the Loop with Your Boss

Lunch with Clayton. You come across this entry into your boss’ calendar that they put in there by themselves, and your mind will go into overdrive with so many questions. It is as vague as it gets. Who Is Clayton? Is this a personal or a business meeting? Where is the lunch? What, if anything, are you expected to do?

As an administrative, or executive assistant, being out of the loop is one of the biggest challenges you will face. Your ability to successfully navigate and work through this challenge will impact how well you do your job, and by extension, your boss’ success.

How then, can you get your boss to keep you in the loop? Here is a quick rundown of a few helpful pointers

1. Do Your Job Well

Perform all your duties diligently, always. Hone your skills and strive to do better. Show that you can do your job and do it well.

Some assistants simply do not inspire any confidence in their bosses that they are up to the task. If your track record is wanting, don’t be surprised when your boss chooses to do whatever needs doing on their own, or otherwise delegates to someone else.

2. Prove Your Loyalty

Are you the kind of assistant that always has something about your boss to add to the office rumor mill? Can the boss trust you with confidential client information or business plans?

A lack of trust could be the reason why your boss is not too keen on keeping you in the loop. Prove yourself as an honest and loyal employee, earn their trust and your boss will have no problem letting you be privy to even the most sensitive information.

3. Be Invested And Show Interest

If your attitude signals that you are only there until you get a better job offer, then your boss may also mirror the same attitude, waiting for a better assistant to come along. Earn your boss’ confidence by showing that you are invested in your job and have a long-term interest, not just in your job, but the company itself.

Can you see the bigger picture that your boss sees? Only by sharing in this vision can you best support their efforts. Once the executive figures this out, you will be an asset that they will want to always keep in the loop.

4. Talk About It

As soon as you realize that you are out of the loop, do not hesitate to approach your boss and ask questions. As a professional, you have to recognize that ignorance can never be a defense. Get as much out of your boss as you can by asking direct questions relating to the particular meeting or project.

You may also want to use this opportunity to talk to your boss about why they should always keep you apprised. Talk about how being in the know can help you serve them and support their efforts better. Talk about how much good it will do to your working relationship. It may surprise you just how much good can come out of an honest sit-down.

Having the right information at the right time makes it much easier for you to do your job as an assistant. By building and inspiring trust in your boss, as well as just having a candid conversation, you can say goodbye to the frustrations that come with being out of the loop.