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The Today’s PA Survey carried out last year threw a light on many issues – from the image of PAs, to bullying in the workplace, to what makes a good (and a bad) boss. It’s fair to say that we have been amazed by your answers.  The question ‘what one thing would make your role easier?’ gave us many more surprising answers.

Several of our respondents asked us, “just ONE thing?” which speaks volumes!  But the majority of PAs and EAs, all with many years’ experience, said that the one thing that would make their role easier would be … support from their boss.

It’s hard to believe that some bosses still don’t realise PAs are there to help them. To be at their most effective, PAs and bosses need to work as a partnership.  But if that aspect, that sense of working together as a team, is lacking, it can lead to a stressful and demoralising working environment.

Other comments along similar lines included:

• respect for work/career
• acknowledgement for a valued contribution
• consideration
• more understanding of the role/PAs’ capabilities
• faith in PAs’ decisions
• respect from Senior Managers
• appropriate PA training (without having to fight for it)

This leads us back to the ‘tea and typing’ image …

Another popular answer was “a better IT system”.  Now that we are all working in the 21^st century, surely having the most appropriate technology for the job is essential?  This doesn’t mean constantly upgrading to the very latest, highest spec equipment – an impossible task, unless, of course, you work for Apple or Microsoft … But failing to invest in a suitable IT system is a false economy, as staff will spend most of their time fighting the out-dated equipment, simply in order to do their job.

Alongside this is the need for appropriate training, as mentioned earlier. In the case of IT training, this can have an immediate impact. With software packages such as Microsoft, we all tend to stick to what we know and love. But MS Office has a range of advanced functions that can help manage daily or routine tasks. As a specialist Microsoft trainer, I know that teaching PAs just a few of these features can transform lives, saving time and helping them become much more organised, with information at their fingertips.

PAs also reported that they needed:

• A GPS tracker for their boss
• A change of boss.
• Four eyes and 20 fingers
• Telepathy
• Superhuman powers

Some interesting skills to develop …

However, the best answer – and one that we can all identify with – came up time and time again:

What one thing would make your role easier?  “A PA!”

PAul Pennant
MD & Principal Trainer at Today’s PA