Making time to think

As an EA, you're often flying from one task to the next, without much time in between to stop and think. Throw in a few interruptions throughout the day and you might be left feeling like you don't have any time to think strategically about your role and requirements. Here are a few ways you can carve out some precious thinking time.

1. Schedule more meetings: While it sounds counterproductive, by scheduling meetings with people you talk to regularly, you control when the conversations take place. When people know they have an opportunity to talk to you later on, they're less likely to interrupt when you're trying to work through a list of tasks.

2. Put time in the calendar: Block out some thinking time in your calendar. Just once a week for 30 minutes might be enough to get you started. Make it look like a formal meeting and you should find colleagues respect that you're busy and avoid disturbing you. Head off to a quiet space and get some thinking done.

3. Adjust your hours: Many people find getting to work a little earlier than usual is brilliant for productivity because there are fewer people around to give you new jobs to do. This is a great time to quietly think, perhaps away from your desk while brewing a coffee.

Is the paper to-do list dead?
You've probably noticed that are numerous online to-do list apps available now. Many people have ditched paper in favour of an online solution, but which option is best for you?

• Planning ahead: One of the benefits of an online to-do list is that you can hold tasks in there until you're ready to do them. With a paper notebook, you start a fresh page and lose sight of anything you haven't yet achieved. Online lists allow you to note down jobs you need to complete a few weeks or even months from now.

• Prioritising tasks: If your priorities change regularly, you may find it difficult to keep track of what you need to do next with a paper list. Digital lists often allow you to drag-and-drop tasks to ensure they're in the right order for your day. You could also separate what tasks are for you, versus your Executive.

• Carrying it with you: Unless you always have a phone or tablet on you, you might find that a paper list is easier to take with you to meetings or for ad-hoc conversations in the corridor. You ideally only want one to-do list, not one on a post-it because someone caught you off-guard and another online. Whichever method you choose, it should be easy to keep it up-to-date by looking in one place.

• The detail you need: Paper allows you to write exactly as much or as little as you want to. Sometimes online apps require you to complete more fields than you want to or than you have time for at that moment. If you need flexibility or don't record much information, paper might be the solution for you.

Avoiding procrastination and staying focused

Often we procrastinate to avoid doing a task we don't want to do. However, we end up feeling stressed and under pressure when deadlines creep up and we still haven't completed our share of the work. Here are three tips to help you stay focused on the task at hand.

1. Notice and ask why: Are you procrastinating because you can't make a decision about something, want to avoid a boring task or put off doing a job you don't really understand? Even if you can't do anything about it right now, at least working out why you're not focusing on your priority tasks allows you to address it effectively later on.

2. Break the task down into smaller steps: No matter your reason for avoiding it, a smaller version of the task is probably going to be more appealing. Decide what needs to be done to get started, and commit to doing it today. Pick up the rest of the job tomorrow.

3. Reward achievement: Pick something small you enjoy, like a sunny lunch break walk or a barista coffee. Allow yourself this reward only when you've completed your essential tasks and let them incentivise you to focus.

How to make a performance review work for you

Performance reviews have a bad reputation for being awkward and uncomfortable experiences. However, try viewing them as an opportunity to review your achievements and ensure you remain satisfied at work.

In busy environments we rarely get the opportunity to focus on ourselves. These one-to-one meetings allow us to do just that. Dedicate some time before your meeting to thinking about what you're pleased with, and what you'd like to improve. Don't take it as an opportunity to air all your grievances, but do turn them into points you'd like to work on, with your Executive or other colleagues.

They're also a chance to get your Executive to listen to your goals, and get them onside. Say, for example, you want to take a day per month to undertake a course. A snatched conversation between other meetings that day might not give you time to persuade your boss that it'll be worthwhile. During a dedicated performance review though, you have their undivided attention and you can tie it into your overall career objectives.

Can you be part of an Agile team when you mostly work alone?

Agile is one of today's buzzwords. Maybe your colleagues are using the methodology to organise their work already. However, as an EA you often work alone. So, how can you adapt to be agile too?

• Planning: You can still dedicate some time to planning what you need to achieve in the next week or fortnight. You won't be dividing it between team members but it'll focus your mind on your short-term objectives.

• Daily stand up: Instead of gathering your team once a day to run through what you've done and what you're working on today, run through it on your own. Prioritise today, check for anything you didn't finish yesterday.

• Retrospective: Every time you get to the end of your sprint, block out half an hour to list what went well, what didn't and if there is anything you can try for this next sprint that could help you work smarter.

You could always bring in your Executive for your planning or retrospective sessions - whether or not you explain that it's part of your Agile working methods.

Managing conflict at work

Unfortunately, occasional conflict at work is difficult to avoid. Whether it's personality clashes or different approaches to getting the job done, knowing how to manage conflict can make your work life much happier.

One of the keys to maintaining a sense of calm at work is to deal with issues at the outset. Don't let little problems become big ones by ignoring them. If you disagree with a colleague or your Executive, clarify their expectations and your opinion at the time. That way, you clear the air and reduce the chance of it happening again.

You can also avoid conflict by learning to really listen to other people. Perhaps someone has gently been trying to ask you to do something differently for a while, but you've been so wrapped up in your to-do list you haven't actually heard them. Listening also helps if you are discussing the cause of the conflict, as it's crucial you ascertain the facts before finding a solution.