andrea shaffran The Leader Assistant Podcast

Andrea Shaffran is an Executive Assistant to eight executives, the District Secretary for the Board of Directors, and the Designated Election Official for the Aspen Valley Hospital District.

In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Andrea talks about her role supporting eight executives, and the additional roles she has in her organization, how she manages the workload, and tips for making an impact on company culture.

Andrea Shaffran Jeremy Burrows - 2023-11-01 The Leader Assistant Podcast

LEADERSHIP QUOTE

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

– John Quincy Adams

CONNECT WITH ANDREA
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ABOUT ANDREA

Andrea Shaffran is an Executive Assistant to eight executives, the District Secretary for the Board of Directors, and the Designated Election Official for the Aspen Valley Hospital District. She currently serves as the Western Healthcare Alliance Executive Assistant Peer Network Chair. This organization helps 30 rural hospitals in Colorado, Utah, and Michigan find collaborative solutions, including resource sharing, to help save its members money to keep healthcare in rural communities local and sustainable. Andrea also serves on the Employee Housing Committee for the hospital to find creative solutions for providing staff with affordable housing options. She is also spearheading the redevelopment of the beloved Volunteer Program, allowing the hospital to reconnect with the community post-COVID and enhancing employee morale.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida with a minor in management and she is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration. She is passionate about learning and actively seeks new leadership opportunities and company culture projects that leverage her strengths to create a positive impact on the organization and her community. She loves being in a position that allows her to advocate for staff while supporting the organization’s strategic plan. Last month, Andrea was awarded the 2023 American Society of Administrative Professionals Impact Award for her problem-solving, resourcefulness, and dedication to enhancing staff morale. The executive team refers to her as the “Swiss army knife of the hospital.”

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00.000 –> 00:00:01.820

ANDREA: Hi, my name is Andrea Shaffran.

00:00:01.860 –> 00:00:14.380

ANDREA: Today’s leadership quote is by John Quincy Adams, and it is, If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, or become more, you are a leader.

00:00:20.293 –> 00:00:27.713

<v SPEAKER_3>The Leader Assistant Podcast exists to encourage and challenge assistants to become confident, Game-Changing Leader Assistant.

00:00:35.490 –> 00:00:38.210

JEREMY: Are you tasked with ordering food for your office?

00:00:39.010 –> 00:00:40.890

JEREMY: Let me tell you about Easy Cater.

00:00:41.590 –> 00:00:54.170

JEREMY: With over 100,000 restaurants to choose from nationwide and 24-7 customer support, Easy Cater helps assistants like you and me succeed at work and makes our lives easier.

00:00:54.750 –> 00:01:00.210

JEREMY: Visit easycater.com/leaderassistant to find out more.

00:01:01.330 –> 00:01:03.630

JEREMY: Hey friends, welcome to The Leader Assistant Podcast.

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JEREMY: It’s your host Jeremy Burrows and welcome to episode 244.

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JEREMY: You can check out the show notes for this episode at leaderassistant.com/244.

00:01:15.310 –> 00:01:19.830

JEREMY: leaderassistant.com/244.

00:01:20.470 –> 00:01:24.170

JEREMY: And today I am speaking with Andrea Shaffran.

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JEREMY: Andrea is an executive assistant to eight, yes, you heard that right, eight executives.

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JEREMY: And she also holds multiple roles and titles and we’ll let her kind of walk through that.

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JEREMY: But Andrea, welcome to the show.

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ANDREA: Hi, thank you.

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ANDREA: Thanks for having me.

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ANDREA: This is an honor.

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JEREMY: Yeah, what city are you in?

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ANDREA: We’re in Aspen, Aspen, Colorado.

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JEREMY: Aspen, nice.

00:01:48.010 –> 00:01:53.530

JEREMY: So the movie Dumb and Dumber is probably, you know, kind of your guys’ favorite movie, right?

00:01:54.290 –> 00:01:55.130

JEREMY: It’s all about Aspen.

00:01:55.150 –> 00:01:57.170

ANDREA: Yes, and Aspen Extreme, they love that too.

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JEREMY: Nice, nice, awesome.

00:02:00.250 –> 00:02:02.070

JEREMY: Well, let’s jump right in then.

00:02:02.090 –> 00:02:06.130

JEREMY: I first wanted to hear a little bit about you personally.

00:02:07.470 –> 00:02:08.670

JEREMY: What’s your favorite hobby?

00:02:08.690 –> 00:02:18.750

JEREMY: Do you have a favorite book or drama show or comedy movie that you’re into these days?

00:02:20.310 –> 00:02:24.110

ANDREA: So my favorite hobby, I actually have quite a few of them.

00:02:24.130 –> 00:02:25.750

ANDREA: I’m very outdoorsy being in Aspen.

00:02:28.550 –> 00:02:28.930

JEREMY: Yes.

00:02:29.710 –> 00:02:35.490

ANDREA: We love hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, pretty much anything outside.

00:02:38.790 –> 00:02:48.490

ANDREA: My favorite book, I’m currently taking my MBA course, so I don’t really have any time for reading outside of that, but I’m getting an MBA, so that’s really exciting.

00:02:50.650 –> 00:02:51.190

ANDREA: Thank you.

00:02:52.110 –> 00:02:55.930

ANDREA: My favorite movie is an older one, but I still love it.

00:02:55.950 –> 00:02:56.830

ANDREA: It’s Jurassic Park.

00:02:57.490 –> 00:03:05.190

ANDREA: I’m really into paleontology and archaeology, although they’re not totally correct.

00:03:05.470 –> 00:03:05.870

JEREMY: Right.

00:03:05.950 –> 00:03:06.950

JEREMY: Right in the movie.

00:03:07.770 –> 00:03:09.010

ANDREA: But it’s still a fun movie.

00:03:09.610 –> 00:03:10.090

JEREMY: Oh, yes.

00:03:10.590 –> 00:03:11.210

ANDREA: Love it.

00:03:11.250 –> 00:03:12.110

JEREMY: Love that movie.

00:03:12.130 –> 00:03:12.750

JEREMY: Classic.

00:03:13.010 –> 00:03:15.570

JEREMY: Watch it with my boys a couple of times.

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JEREMY: Love it.

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JEREMY: Love it.

00:03:17.850 –> 00:03:20.270

JEREMY: Well, yeah, thanks for being on the show again.

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JEREMY: What was your career journey like and how did you end up being an assistant?

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ANDREA: So I ended up getting my EMT certification in 2011, and I became a ski patroller for six years, as well as overlapping, working in an ER for six years.

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ANDREA: We had several years of overlap between the two.

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ANDREA: And then I ended up in this position because I applied for a different one, and they came back and said, I’d be perfect for this role and wanted me to apply.

00:04:00.770 –> 00:04:07.470

ANDREA: I kind of fell into this on accident, but it was an incredible journey to get here.

00:04:07.910 –> 00:04:14.250

ANDREA: And I also used to teach the EMT classes at the community college, which was a lot of fun as well.

00:04:14.670 –> 00:04:26.650

ANDREA: But I ended up in this position and it really clicked, and it fell into the first time I’m really using my degree, which was in BS in business administration with a major in management.

00:04:26.670 –> 00:04:28.850

JEREMY: Nice.

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JEREMY: So you’re the first assistant role, and you’re still in it eight years later.

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ANDREA: Exactly.

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ANDREA: Well, this is two years in this position.

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JEREMY: Same organization.

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JEREMY: Yeah.

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JEREMY: Yes.

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ANDREA: Yep.

 

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JEREMY: That’s great.

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JEREMY: So what’s your favorite part about being an assistant?

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ANDREA: I, besides loving my ET members, I have eight incredible ET members, which is I’m really blessed for that.

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ANDREA: But I like taking on, in addition to all my other roles that I have, I really enjoy the cultural, organizational projects that enhance culture and morale.

00:05:11.350 –> 00:05:13.210

ANDREA: That is really what I thrive on.

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ANDREA: I love it.

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JEREMY: So, okay, you said eight executives and I’m sure there’s an assistant listening.

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JEREMY: Hopefully, they’re being safe as they’re driving to work or driving home and listening to this name.

00:05:29.230 –> 00:05:31.890

JEREMY: Didn’t swerve off the road when you said eight executives.

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JEREMY: That’s how many you support.

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JEREMY: But there’s also probably another assistant that’s like, well, hey, well, I support nine, technically, so, you know, that’s nothing.

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JEREMY: What, like, how did that happen?

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JEREMY: Did you start off as an assisting eight?

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JEREMY: Did you start off as assisting a department, which kind of involved a bunch of people?

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JEREMY: How did that come to be?

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ANDREA: So it started out as eight right off the bat.

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ANDREA: I had nobody to train me.

00:06:01.410 –> 00:06:04.690

ANDREA: This position was vacant, I think, for six months because of COVID.

00:06:04.710 –> 00:06:06.010

ANDREA: They just didn’t hire anybody new.

 

00:06:07.450 –> 00:06:10.070

ANDREA: And then I got hired for eight.

 

00:06:10.290 –> 00:06:19.450

ANDREA: And then I’m also the district secretary for the five board of directors and on the designated election official for the Aspen Valley Hospital Special Taxing District.

 

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JEREMY: So were those roles tacked on over the years?

 

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JEREMY: Nope.

 

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ANDREA: That was this role.

 

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ANDREA: And as far as I know, it was the role I applied for and I received.

 

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ANDREA: I didn’t really know too much about the position before I applied and read the job description.

 

00:06:45.750 –> 00:06:47.710

JEREMY: So you knew what you were signing up for, is the point.

 

00:06:48.270 –> 00:06:56.570

ANDREA: I did, but it was pretty funny because in my interview, I even looked at them and I was like, reading this job description looks like I need an assistant.

 

00:06:56.590 –> 00:06:57.310

ANDREA: And they all laughed.

 

00:06:58.630 –> 00:07:00.390

JEREMY: That’s actually was going to be my next question.

 

00:07:00.990 –> 00:07:04.090

JEREMY: You know, it’s been, you know, a few years now.

 

00:07:04.110 –> 00:07:09.150

JEREMY: Like what have you gotten to the point where you’re like, no, I literally need an assistant.

 

00:07:10.050 –> 00:07:13.370

JEREMY: Or, yeah, how have you navigated the workload?

 

00:07:14.650 –> 00:07:16.390

ANDREA: Depends on the week that you ask me.

 

00:07:17.330 –> 00:07:21.890

ANDREA: Oftentimes, I do think I need my own assistant or just a second assistant.

 

00:07:24.030 –> 00:07:24.750

ANDREA: It would be nice.

 

00:07:25.370 –> 00:07:27.630

ANDREA: But like I said, I take on extra projects.

 

00:07:27.650 –> 00:07:29.270

ANDREA: I don’t do well with downtime.

 

00:07:29.270 –> 00:07:32.550

ANDREA: So in the rare event, I find downtime.

 

00:07:33.190 –> 00:07:36.970

ANDREA: I tend to find a staff morale project to fill it.

 

00:07:37.530 –> 00:07:42.970

ANDREA: And then it always takes longer to accomplish than the two weeks I had available.

 

00:07:43.930 –> 00:07:46.010

ANDREA: But it becomes my favorite part of my job.

 

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ANDREA: I just continue to do it.

 

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ANDREA: I halfway bring it upon myself, all the extra, just because I love seeing the difference in staff morale and the appreciation it brings.

 

00:07:59.370 –> 00:08:15.990

JEREMY: Well, so what’s maybe the best, speaking of like company culture and staff morale, what’s maybe the biggest thing that you’ve seen done poorly at organizations or companies or teams that’s negatively impacted staff morale?

 

00:08:17.610 –> 00:08:37.270

ANDREA: I, in my opinion, I think one of the quickest ways to deflate staff morale is to not show recognition and appreciation for the work that is done, as well as, I’m sure, other companies as well and organizations during COVID.

 

00:08:37.970 –> 00:08:51.050

ANDREA: People that were able to retire did retire, leaving remaining staff required to pick up the additional work through extra hours, and that alone increases burnout.

 

00:08:52.130 –> 00:09:12.990

ANDREA: This was a hospital, so we clearly had our own set of challenges in addition to the rest of the world with COVID and trying to figure out how to navigate it, which is what led to the Zen Den that I created to help with support for that.

 

00:09:13.570 –> 00:09:15.830

JEREMY: Okay, so what is Zen Den?

 

00:09:17.750 –> 00:09:22.750

ANDREA: So the Zen Den is a room that, I was here in this position my first week.

 

00:09:23.010 –> 00:09:42.630

ANDREA: I started in 2021 and I noticed a huge group of people that were upset and the situation was tense, the stress levels were high, the staff morale was low, like I said, a bunch of people retired.

 

00:09:42.650 –> 00:09:53.050

ANDREA: And we were always used to being in the 90 percentile for staff satisfaction nationwide across other hospitals.

 

00:09:53.610 –> 00:09:57.310

ANDREA: So having a little morale wasn’t something we were used to, we took it extremely seriously.

 

00:09:58.210 –> 00:10:11.870

ANDREA: And I was like, we need to create a Zen Den, we need a place for staff to go decompress, relax, and just start new in their shift.

 

00:10:12.930 –> 00:10:15.690

ANDREA: So we weren’t sure if people were going to use it.

 

00:10:15.970 –> 00:10:18.530

ANDREA: So I originally started with a $300 budget.

 

00:10:18.750 –> 00:10:22.610

ANDREA: I was like, how am I going to do this on a $300 budget?

 

00:10:23.630 –> 00:10:33.170

ANDREA: I wanted massage chairs, massage guns, aromatherapy, second machines, yoga mats, stretch bands, foam rollers, artwork, ambiance, all this stuff.

 

00:10:33.190 –> 00:10:34.470

ANDREA: I’m like, I have $300?

 

00:10:34.490 –> 00:10:37.050

JEREMY: That’s like one massage table.

 

00:10:37.530 –> 00:10:38.110

ANDREA: Exactly.

 

00:10:38.130 –> 00:10:40.290

ANDREA: So I had to be very resourceful.

 

00:10:40.310 –> 00:10:44.010

ANDREA: So I went to my directors and I was like, this is our one chance to make this happen.

 

00:10:45.330 –> 00:10:46.670

ANDREA: So I asked what they can donate.

 

00:10:47.530 –> 00:10:54.350

ANDREA: And I was surprised how many people were very eager to contribute to this cause and make my vision a reality.

 

00:10:55.090 –> 00:10:59.330

ANDREA: I opened it up in a week with $200 spent.

 

00:11:00.530 –> 00:11:01.830

ANDREA: It was incredible.

 

00:11:02.330 –> 00:11:05.390

ANDREA: So May marked our one year anniversary.

 

00:11:05.410 –> 00:11:08.410

ANDREA: It took me a few months to get the approval.

 

00:11:09.870 –> 00:11:11.510

ANDREA: May marked our one year anniversary.

 

00:11:11.770 –> 00:11:16.350

ANDREA: And it has been so well received that it has become part of our culture.

 

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ANDREA: And I just want to say to all the other companies and everything else, the psychological benefits, me being an EMT, I thought of it, of massage, aromatherapy, and relaxation are immense.

 

00:11:30.970 –> 00:11:34.910

ANDREA: It helps with anxiety, depression, anger, frustration, fatigue.

 

00:11:35.270 –> 00:11:36.650

ANDREA: There’s also physical benefits.

 

00:11:36.770 –> 00:11:42.770

ANDREA: It’s lower blood pressure, reduced muscle tension, all kinds of things.

 

00:11:42.890 –> 00:11:49.010

ANDREA: And it’s been great because you walk around and people are so excited to have this.

 

00:11:49.650 –> 00:11:51.490

ANDREA: And it was something so easy to implement.

 

00:11:51.510 –> 00:11:56.450

ANDREA: And it created so much staff morale and became part of the culture.

 

00:11:56.470 –> 00:11:58.910

ANDREA: It was just amazing.

 

00:11:59.770 –> 00:12:05.630

ANDREA: Stories that poured in from people saying, oh, I just was on my feet for six hours in a long surgery.

 

00:12:05.650 –> 00:12:08.190

ANDREA: I couldn’t wait to get a foot massage.

 

00:12:08.610 –> 00:12:10.750

ANDREA: Or, oh, I have an hour and a half ride home.

 

00:12:10.830 –> 00:12:17.510

ANDREA: I went and got a 15-minute massage and I was able to be comfortable on my drive.

 

00:12:17.510 –> 00:12:20.650

ANDREA: Or 15 minutes later, I could go back to my desk and be more productive.

 

00:12:21.710 –> 00:12:22.270

ANDREA: Amazing.

 

00:12:22.690 –> 00:12:23.510

JEREMY: Wow, that’s awesome.

 

00:12:24.790 –> 00:12:28.770

JEREMY: So what’s the kind of guideline or policy about it?

 

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JEREMY: Is it essentially just you can use it whenever you’re on your break or you’re before or after work?

 

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JEREMY: Do you have to book time in the room?

 

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JEREMY: I’m sure there are assistants like me that are thinking of all the logistics.

 

00:12:41.590 –> 00:12:51.710

JEREMY: Well, you’ve got a certain amount of employees and you’ve got this one room and they’re all fighting over it or somebody’s maybe you’ve got that one person that you’re thinking is going to just be there all the time.

 

00:12:52.870 –> 00:12:54.090

JEREMY: How do you navigate that?

 

00:12:55.030 –> 00:12:56.450

ANDREA: So it’s a little bit of all the above.

 

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ANDREA: We do have obviously the regulars.

 

00:13:00.510 –> 00:13:07.890

ANDREA: I did create all the sign-ins and so far it’s worked out really well because we have four chairs in there plus the massage guns and all the other equipment.

 

00:13:08.370 –> 00:13:11.310

ANDREA: We haven’t had to implement a sign-in sheet.

 

00:13:12.090 –> 00:13:13.230

ANDREA: It’s worked pretty well.

 

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ANDREA: Sometimes you go in there and all the chairs are used and you come back in 15, 20 minutes later and there’s a spot.

 

00:13:19.210 –> 00:13:26.670

ANDREA: So we haven’t had to do a sign-in, but I have one if we get to that point.

 

00:13:29.250 –> 00:13:30.150

ANDREA: But it’s been great.

 

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ANDREA: I mean, people love it, which makes me feel good because all the extra work and love that went into it and I actually maintain it every day on the one that goes in there and make sure the aromatherapy is in and that it’s living up to its full potential.

 

00:13:44.330 –> 00:13:47.910

ANDREA: So it’s been wonderful.

 

00:13:49.410 –> 00:13:49.990

JEREMY: Nice work.

 

00:13:50.010 –> 00:13:50.490

JEREMY: Nice work.

 

00:13:50.490 –> 00:13:56.570

JEREMY: And then I heard you won an award related to this project.

 

00:13:56.590 –> 00:13:57.030

JEREMY: Is that right?

 

00:13:57.450 –> 00:13:57.930

ANDREA: I did.

 

00:13:57.950 –> 00:13:58.530

ANDREA: I did.

 

00:13:59.590 –> 00:14:12.110

ANDREA: Last month on October 24th, I think, it was the Administrative Professionals Conference by the American Society of Administrative Professionals.

 

00:14:12.210 –> 00:14:17.130

ANDREA: They awarded me the 2023 Impact Award for Excellence in Innovation.

 

00:14:17.330 –> 00:14:18.390

ANDREA: I’m extremely honored.

 

00:14:18.410 –> 00:14:19.690

<v SPEAKER_3>So thank you so much.

 

00:14:19.890 –> 00:14:21.670

ANDREA: It was an incredible experience.

 

00:14:23.610 –> 00:14:24.190

JEREMY: That’s great.

 

00:14:24.210 –> 00:14:25.290

JEREMY: Well, congrats again.

 

00:14:25.310 –> 00:14:26.190

JEREMY: Thank you.

 

00:14:26.210 –> 00:14:30.290

JEREMY: And way to contribute and make impact on your company culture.

 

00:14:32.330 –> 00:14:32.690

JEREMY: Cool.

 

00:14:32.710 –> 00:14:40.750

JEREMY: Well, let’s talk a little bit about back to your primary roles and having multiple primary roles.

 

00:14:41.990 –> 00:15:00.030

JEREMY: Are there any stories or times or seasons when they conflicted with each other or those different hats that you wear, if you will, were up against each other and battling for your time?

 

00:15:01.530 –> 00:15:02.450

JEREMY: Or is that like every day?

 

00:15:04.630 –> 00:15:05.930

ANDREA: No, I wouldn’t say every day.

 

00:15:05.950 –> 00:15:15.270

ANDREA: I think it ebbs and flows, but the busiest time for me is during elections, because that has to take precedence over everything else.

 

00:15:17.110 –> 00:15:19.650

ANDREA: Those get run through the Colorado Secretary of State.

 

00:15:19.950 –> 00:15:21.810

ANDREA: That is one phone call I don’t want to receive.

 

00:15:24.130 –> 00:15:27.770

ANDREA: Those have very specific state statutes.

 

00:15:28.310 –> 00:15:33.330

ANDREA: That has to take priority, and that’s usually when most of my conflicts come in.

 

00:15:33.830 –> 00:15:37.410

ANDREA: Everything else I can time manage pretty appropriately.

 

00:15:38.090 –> 00:15:46.830

ANDREA: I’m not saying I’m the ideal candidate of representing work-life balance.

 

00:15:47.870 –> 00:15:49.550

ANDREA: I’m sure a lot of us suffer with that.

 

00:15:50.030 –> 00:15:56.390

ANDREA: So yes, I do put in extra hours to get some of this stuff done.

 

00:15:56.730 –> 00:16:04.210

ANDREA: But for the most part, most days, I can usually work what I really need to in each week.

 

00:16:04.370 –> 00:16:20.530

ANDREA: If I have to put something off a couple of days to finish something else, obviously anything with the board meetings, those also take precedence over even some of my executive requests that come in because we have to have it for public meetings.

 

00:16:21.610 –> 00:16:24.190

ANDREA: Getting that stuff done also is pretty important.

 

00:16:25.610 –> 00:16:32.950

ANDREA: And then with my executives, I really have to just look at what requests are coming in, what the deadlines are.

 

00:16:34.930 –> 00:16:40.030

ANDREA: Is there anyone else that I can have help with some of these tasks?

 

00:16:41.510 –> 00:16:48.270

ANDREA: But usually, some of them, and not everybody, requires my full attention.

 

00:16:49.790 –> 00:17:01.650

ANDREA: There are people that are very independent and just need me for special events or planning some sort of project.

 

00:17:03.190 –> 00:17:05.050

ANDREA: So that’s also nice.

 

00:17:05.830 –> 00:17:10.990

ANDREA: And I, being the person that likes to have tangible results, I love the project.

 

00:17:11.010 –> 00:17:17.210

ANDREA: So when I get those special projects that you could actually tick off boxes, that things are, that’s done, that was fun.

 

00:17:17.230 –> 00:17:20.550

ANDREA: It makes the job way more exciting.

 

00:17:22.010 –> 00:17:25.510

ANDREA: So I tend to like taking on that sort of stuff.

 

00:17:26.570 –> 00:17:37.930

ANDREA: It’s a lot of the scheduling, I think, can be a challenge when you’re trying to get 13 people because you need all the ET members and the directors.

 

00:17:38.210 –> 00:17:46.710

ANDREA: Or when you need, it’s the scheduling is honestly one of the hardest parts, trying to manage that many people’s schedules.

 

00:17:47.410 –> 00:17:51.850

JEREMY: Oh, yeah, that’s, I was going to actually ask you because, you know, you’re assisting eight executives.

 

00:17:52.470 –> 00:18:00.250

JEREMY: Are they all, are like half of them at one level and the other half at another level as far as like org chart goes?

 

00:18:01.050 –> 00:18:02.270

ANDREA: So I have the CEO.

 

00:18:03.830 –> 00:18:05.610

ANDREA: And that’s my direct report.

 

00:18:06.230 –> 00:18:09.390

ANDREA: But then I assist all of his direct reports.

 

00:18:10.430 –> 00:18:12.610

ANDREA: Well, I guess all of his chiefs, I should say.

 

00:18:13.590 –> 00:18:16.050

ANDREA: He has other direct reports that aren’t on the chief level.

 

00:18:17.170 –> 00:18:20.110

ANDREA: But I assist them.

 

00:18:20.130 –> 00:18:24.610

ANDREA: A lot of them are pretty self-sufficient.

 

00:18:25.290 –> 00:18:28.190

ANDREA: Again, unless it’s seasonal projects.

 

00:18:29.390 –> 00:18:30.510

ANDREA: So it’s more…

 

00:18:30.530 –> 00:18:34.390

ANDREA: I help everybody.

 

00:18:34.410 –> 00:18:39.570

ANDREA: And then I get the directors that come in for all of these eight that are like, I need help with this.

 

00:18:41.010 –> 00:18:45.710

ANDREA: And we have, I think, 40 or 50 directors that we have.

 

00:18:46.070 –> 00:18:49.610

ANDREA: So I’m never bored at work.

 

00:18:49.930 –> 00:18:50.250

JEREMY: Right.

 

00:18:50.270 –> 00:18:50.870

JEREMY: You’re never bored.

 

00:18:52.790 –> 00:18:54.610

JEREMY: So have you heard of the…

 

00:18:55.690 –> 00:18:58.610

JEREMY: And I don’t know if this is in the hospital world.

 

00:18:58.630 –> 00:19:03.470

JEREMY: I don’t know if this is a common or not common title, but have you heard of the Chief of Staff title?

 

00:19:03.690 –> 00:19:06.110

JEREMY: And is that something that you’ve thought of?

 

00:19:06.570 –> 00:19:10.270

JEREMY: Or is that very different because it’s in the medical world?

 

00:19:11.870 –> 00:19:13.870

ANDREA: It is very different because it’s in the medical world.

 

00:19:14.150 –> 00:19:15.230

ANDREA: It has to be a physician.

 

00:19:17.110 –> 00:19:18.570

ANDREA: Unless I go back to med school.

 

00:19:18.990 –> 00:19:19.690

JEREMY: Right, right.

 

00:19:19.970 –> 00:19:22.250

ANDREA: That’s what can happen for me.

 

00:19:22.270 –> 00:19:25.790

JEREMY: So your title is Executive Assistant.

 

00:19:26.770 –> 00:19:28.390

JEREMY: That’s the assistant title you have, right?

 

00:19:28.850 –> 00:19:30.010

JEREMY: Plus those other things.

 

00:19:30.250 –> 00:19:30.570

ANDREA: Correct.

 

00:19:31.950 –> 00:19:44.330

JEREMY: And so it’s like District Secretary for the Board of Directors, Designated Election Official, Western Health Care Alliance Executive Assistant, Peer Network Chair.

 

00:19:44.490 –> 00:19:46.130

JEREMY: Is that kind of a separate thing?

 

00:19:46.730 –> 00:19:47.090

JEREMY: It is.

 

00:19:48.230 –> 00:19:52.950

ANDREA: And we actually work with the WHA is what they call it.

 

00:19:54.490 –> 00:19:55.870

ANDREA: There’s a whole bunch of hospitals.

 

00:19:55.910 –> 00:20:00.410

ANDREA: It’s 30 rural hospitals in Colorado, Utah and Michigan.

 

00:20:00.430 –> 00:20:10.770

ANDREA: And we try to collaborate and share resources to keep our costs lower for patients and for hospital.

 

00:20:10.790 –> 00:20:12.810

ANDREA: There’s more buying power in greater numbers.

 

00:20:12.830 –> 00:20:21.670

ANDREA: And as you can imagine, rural hospitals are smaller and don’t have the buying power that these major trauma centers in the big cities have.

 

00:20:21.690 –> 00:20:29.250

ANDREA: So this is our way to try and maintain costs and make sure health care is affordable and viable in rural communities.

 

00:20:31.310 –> 00:20:33.410

JEREMY: And then, do you…

 

00:20:33.430 –> 00:20:52.390

JEREMY: So I guess the reason I asked about the Chief of Staff, and I know, again, it’s different in the medical world, but some people would listen to all these things that you’ve got your hands in, and they would say, well, you’re more of a Director of Operations or, you know what I mean?

 

00:20:52.410 –> 00:21:14.870

JEREMY: Like, whatever the, you know, insert different title in there, do you feel that the multiple roles and the multiple titles kind of covers that and it’s not necessarily necessary for you to have this kind of overarching title that encompasses all of that?

 

00:21:14.890 –> 00:21:15.510

JEREMY: Does that make sense?

 

00:21:16.530 –> 00:21:17.370

ANDREA: It does make sense.

 

00:21:18.210 –> 00:21:20.210

ANDREA: I think I’m in a great place at the moment.

 

00:21:21.070 –> 00:21:24.950

ANDREA: As I’m comfortable with my position, I’m learning new stuff every day.

 

00:21:24.950 –> 00:21:30.650

ANDREA: I’ve grown tremendously across all of these roles that I’ve had.

 

00:21:30.670 –> 00:21:33.070

ANDREA: So I’m super grateful for that.

 

00:21:33.690 –> 00:21:35.190

ANDREA: But I am getting my MBA.

 

00:21:35.230 –> 00:21:42.970

ANDREA: So we’ll see what happens and we’ll see who retires and see if there’s anything that opens up that I’d be perfect for.

 

00:21:44.650 –> 00:21:48.450

ANDREA: I want to keep my options open, you know, but I love that.

 

00:21:48.770 –> 00:21:50.110

ANDREA: I love where I’m at right now.

 

00:21:50.130 –> 00:21:51.570

ANDREA: I love the people I work with.

 

00:21:52.310 –> 00:21:56.930

ANDREA: As my team starts to retire, my feelings may evolve.

 

00:21:58.070 –> 00:21:59.490

JEREMY: Yeah, good answer.

 

00:21:59.510 –> 00:22:00.070

JEREMY: Good answer.

 

00:22:01.510 –> 00:22:01.910

JEREMY: Cool.

 

00:22:01.930 –> 00:22:09.350

JEREMY: Well, what’s maybe, you know, there are a lot of assistants that support multiple executives.

 

00:22:09.490 –> 00:22:10.890

JEREMY: I talked to a couple the other day.

 

00:22:11.710 –> 00:22:13.350

JEREMY: One was like, oh, I support four.

 

00:22:13.370 –> 00:22:14.590

JEREMY: One was like, I support three.

 

00:22:14.610 –> 00:22:16.110

JEREMY: The other one was like, I support six.

 

00:22:18.230 –> 00:22:35.930

JEREMY: What’s been maybe, maybe just like a top time management or executive management, energy management tip, productivity tip, whatever you want to call it, for those listening who do have more than one executive they support.

 

00:22:41.272 –> 00:22:43.872

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00:22:44.792 –> 00:22:52.472

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00:22:53.092 –> 00:23:04.612

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00:23:05.292 –> 00:23:07.692

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00:23:08.272 –> 00:23:13.312

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00:23:18.492 –> 00:23:24.272

ANDREA: So for me, that to me is very subjective.

 

00:23:25.152 –> 00:23:28.292

ANDREA: I think everyone has to find their own style.

 

00:23:29.332 –> 00:23:39.232

ANDREA: They have to stick with it and they have to grow with it and they use it repetitively because that’s what’s gonna make you more productive is just working like a well-oiled machine.

 

00:23:41.692 –> 00:23:44.692

ANDREA: Until you outgrow your system, then you have to evolve your system.

 

00:23:46.452 –> 00:24:05.612

ANDREA: So I kind of think for me, when I got hired, because I was thrown into this situation with eight executives, starting a new position that I had never done before, I had experience in a lot of various parts of the job.

 

00:24:07.032 –> 00:24:13.132

ANDREA: I served on my own board of directors for HOAs and other things like that for almost a decade.

 

00:24:13.372 –> 00:24:15.172

ANDREA: So I had experience with all of that.

 

00:24:15.192 –> 00:24:21.112

ANDREA: I had a lot of experience in various parts of it, which is I think why my transition was pretty smooth into this.

 

00:24:23.672 –> 00:24:40.412

ANDREA: But I think that for me, I was really nervous having eight executives that would all have their own expectations of how something should be done.

 

00:24:41.212 –> 00:24:51.372

ANDREA: So I went and created an executive assistant, or not executive assistant, but an executive interview questionnaire.

 

00:24:52.332 –> 00:25:00.112

ANDREA: When I told, they asked me when I was going into my interview, if I got this position, what would I need from them?

 

00:25:00.812 –> 00:25:04.612

ANDREA: And I told them I would need 30 minutes of their time in my first week.

 

00:25:04.812 –> 00:25:09.512

ANDREA: I wanted to interview them and ask them all kinds of questions.

 

00:25:10.092 –> 00:25:19.812

ANDREA: I knew that there’d be a learning curve, there would be growing pains, but why not make them as quick and painless as possible?

 

00:25:20.772 –> 00:25:30.352

ANDREA: So the things I asked them were their strengths, their weaknesses, what kind of calls they liked.

 

00:25:32.312 –> 00:25:37.612

ANDREA: If they didn’t want to take certain calls, who should I give them to in their absence?

 

00:25:38.112 –> 00:25:48.072

ANDREA: Or I wanted to know what they thought would be my hardest challenge and what they would need most for me to make it as easy as possible.

 

00:25:48.072 –> 00:25:49.432

ANDREA: I wanted to know their pet peeves.

 

00:25:49.612 –> 00:25:59.592

ANDREA: I didn’t want to be sitting at my desk and doing something that is causing someone to fester ill will towards me that I didn’t even know was there.

 

00:26:00.732 –> 00:26:03.232

ANDREA: I wanted to get that out of the way immediately.

 

00:26:03.292 –> 00:26:16.232

ANDREA: If you do a lot of travel, ask them for their frequent flyer miles or do they prefer aisles or is there an airline they like?

 

00:26:16.612 –> 00:26:25.372

ANDREA: Ask them about their anniversaries, birthdays, all that kind of stuff is nice to have so you can even remind them, hey, just so you know this is coming up, don’t forget.

 

00:26:26.952 –> 00:26:47.232

ANDREA: So there’s a lot of, it was a very, it was a great way to learn my position and learn each individual, something that would take me years to learn, even one person, let alone eight, it really sped the process up and then they also knew I took my transition into this position extremely seriously.

 

00:26:48.212 –> 00:26:53.692

ANDREA: So they also were building trust with me right off the bat knowing that I was there to have their back.

 

00:26:55.972 –> 00:26:56.712

JEREMY: Yeah, that’s great.

 

00:26:56.732 –> 00:27:01.152

JEREMY: And I know you shared this in our Leader Assistant Circle community.

 

00:27:01.172 –> 00:27:05.832

JEREMY: And so I’ll link to that in the show notes so people can check out that template.

 

00:27:06.332 –> 00:27:10.672

JEREMY: I think it’s a super helpful resource, executive team member questionnaire.

 

00:27:11.632 –> 00:27:28.412

JEREMY: And again, you can check out the show notes with that link and others on leaderassistant.com/244, leaderassistant.com/244 to check out that resource.

 

00:27:29.652 –> 00:27:30.052

JEREMY: Awesome.

 

00:27:30.072 –> 00:27:50.892

JEREMY: Well, Andrea, what’s the maybe one thing that you would want to say to all assistants of the world if you could put it on a billboard on the busiest highway in the world, or if you could put it in a 30-second Super Bowl ad commercial?

 

00:27:50.992 –> 00:28:05.512

JEREMY: What’s kind of the one quick, inspirational, or challenging, or encouraging note that you’d like to say to the assistants listening?

 

00:28:06.632 –> 00:28:11.212

ANDREA: Empathy and active listening go a long way.

 

00:28:12.892 –> 00:28:25.672

ANDREA: But also remember that I heard a quote, which I thought was really great because on those challenging days, even a plane has to take off going into the wind.

 

00:28:27.212 –> 00:28:34.932

ANDREA: And I thought it was really interesting concept, because we do face a lot of challenges.

 

00:28:34.952 –> 00:28:36.192

ANDREA: There’s a lot of problem-solving.

 

00:28:37.352 –> 00:28:41.652

ANDREA: So even the bad days, you can learn something from.

 

00:28:42.312 –> 00:28:51.512

ANDREA: Learn from it, take learning opportunities, leadership opportunities, embrace it all, because you’re really investing in yourself.

 

00:28:53.132 –> 00:29:00.232

ANDREA: And I think that would probably be my biggest thing is I like to learn.

 

00:29:00.532 –> 00:29:04.692

ANDREA: I’m very much a learner, so use every experience as an opportunity.

 

00:29:07.112 –> 00:29:07.672

JEREMY: Well said.

 

00:29:07.732 –> 00:29:09.892

JEREMY: And you said you’re taking your MBA.

 

00:29:11.052 –> 00:29:13.472

JEREMY: Obviously, that shows that you like to learn as well.

 

00:29:14.672 –> 00:29:16.692

JEREMY: What would you say to those that have considered that?

 

00:29:16.712 –> 00:29:21.292

JEREMY: I know there’s a lot of assistants that have done that or considering, should I get my MBA?

 

00:29:21.932 –> 00:29:28.272

JEREMY: What was the thing that pushed you over the edge to actually follow that path?

 

00:29:29.292 –> 00:29:43.292

ANDREA: I’ve wanted to for a good bit of a decade, and I started applying for MBA programs, and then I ended up getting this role, and I knew that this role was going to be a challenge to learn.

 

00:29:43.792 –> 00:29:44.852

ANDREA: So I put it on hold.

 

00:29:45.672 –> 00:29:53.532

ANDREA: And now that I’m comfortable in the role and I know what to expect, I just knew if I didn’t do it now, it might not ever happen.

 

00:29:53.852 –> 00:29:59.392

ANDREA: So I decided to do it, and I’m extremely grateful that I’m taking this opportunity that I have.

 

00:30:01.072 –> 00:30:03.472

JEREMY: How long have you been in the MBA process?

 

00:30:05.332 –> 00:30:06.032

ANDREA: I just started.

 

00:30:07.732 –> 00:30:14.052

ANDREA: Yeah, I have just started, but the program I chose is great because it’s 100% competency-based.

 

00:30:14.492 –> 00:30:20.192

ANDREA: So you can move through it as quickly as you can master the material.

 

00:30:23.772 –> 00:30:26.552

JEREMY: Well, thank you so much, Andrea, for being on the show.

 

00:30:27.092 –> 00:30:35.592

JEREMY: Thanks for sharing a little bit of your story and really appreciate the work you’re doing in Aspen and just the impact you’re having on your team.

 

00:30:36.412 –> 00:30:40.952

JEREMY: What’s the best place for those listening to reach out if they want to say hi?

 

00:30:43.152 –> 00:30:43.912

ANDREA: I’m on LinkedIn.

 

00:30:44.912 –> 00:30:45.652

ANDREA: Awesome.

 

00:30:46.132 –> 00:30:48.752

ANDREA: Yeah, I’m on LinkedIn with Andrea Shaffran.

 

00:30:49.792 –> 00:30:50.132

JEREMY: Great.

 

00:30:50.152 –> 00:30:51.152

JEREMY: Well, I’ll put that in the show notes.

 

00:30:51.172 –> 00:30:54.452

JEREMY: Again, leaderassistant.com/244.

 

00:30:54.472 –> 00:30:59.072

JEREMY: Be sure to reach out, say hi to Andrea and thank her for being on the show.

 

00:31:00.132 –> 00:31:00.752

JEREMY: Thanks so much.

 

00:31:00.832 –> 00:31:07.652

JEREMY: Best of luck to you and your multiple executives and multiple roles and multiple hobbies as well.

 

00:31:09.112 –> 00:31:10.352

JEREMY: We really appreciate your time.

 

00:31:10.872 –> 00:31:11.992

ANDREA: Thank you so much for having me.

 

00:31:12.012 –> 00:31:13.212

ANDREA: This has been an honor.

 

00:31:23.395 –> 00:31:25.895

ANDREA: Please review on Apple Podcasts.

 

00:31:32.493 –> 00:31:34.293

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