The Devils Is In The Details | Online Executive and Admin Assistant Training

The Devil Is In The Details

Submitted by Ethan on September 25, 2009 at 03:33 PM

devil in coffee I’m sure you’ve heard this expression before:

“The devil is in the details”... right?

It’s a great expression that can be applied to any number of different circumstances but here at ProAssisting, we truly believe in this statement when it comes to assisting… any kind of assisting, period.

The ultimate step to being a great assistant is to gain the complete trust of your boss. When this trust is built, even if you do screw something up (which is rare because you’ve spent time doing your job right to build that trust), you’ll get a pass and they’ll let the mistake go.

So the logical question is: how do you build that trust? - WARNING: get ready for my baseball analogy…

You build that trust be consistently hitting singles and doubles with the occasional triple or home run. And consistently hitting singles and doubles amounts to: making the car service reservations perfect every time; if your boss can’t find the car, you struck out… by making sure the schedule for the next day is up to date and confirmed; if an appointment never shows, you’re out… by making sure your boss’ desk is stocked with their favorite pens and paper; if they have to ask, out again.

These little things, details if you will, are the singles and doubles that you need to nail every time to gain your boss’s complete trust and then have a chance at hitting the triples and home runs by taking on bigger and more important projects. Hit one of those out of the park and you’re well on your way to being a “right hand” and either an eventual promotion or raise, your choice.

In the end though, the devil IS in the details and if you can keep that front of mind when assisting anyone, you’ll be well on your way to gaining their trust.

Flickr Creative Commons image by Chris Blakeley

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