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.
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
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.”
–––
THE LEADER ASSISTANT PODCAST IS PRESENTED BY EZCATER
ezCater is the nation’s most trusted provider of corporate food solutions — the best way for companies to order food for daily employee lunches, meetings, and events of any size or budget. ezCater’s simple-to-use platform provides a network of over 100,000 restaurants nationwide, business-grade reliability, food spend management tools, and 24/7 support from their highly trained customer service team.
To explore corporate food solutions or place a catering order, visit ezcater.com.
–––
THE LEADER ASSISTANT PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP
To learn more about how you can join growth-minded Leader Assistants, check out our Leader Assistant Premium Membership for ongoing training, coaching, and community.
THE LEADER ASSISTANT BOOK
Download the first 3 chapters of The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of Game-Changing Assistant for FREE here or buy it on Amazon and listen to the audiobook on Audible. Also, check out the companion study guide, The Leader Assistant Workbook, to dig deeper.
LEADER ASSISTANT LIVE EVENTS
Check out our constantly updated schedule of events for admins and assistants at LeaderAssistantLive.com.
JOIN THE FREE COMMUNITY
Join the Leader Assistant Global Community for bonus content, job opportunities, and to network with other assistants who are committed to becoming leaders!
SUBSCRIBE
Subscribe to The Leader Assistant Podcast so you don’t miss new episodes!
You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and Stitcher.
Join my email list here if you want to get an email when a new episode goes live.
LEAVE A REVIEW
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take 2 minutes to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts here. Each review helps me stay motivated to keep the show going!
–––
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.
00:01:03.830 –> 00:01:08.110
JEREMY: It’s your host Jeremy Burrows and welcome to episode 244.
00:01:08.110 –> 00:01:14.890
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.
00:01:24.270 –> 00:01:29.190
JEREMY: Andrea is an executive assistant to eight, yes, you heard that right, eight executives.
00:01:29.830 –> 00:01:36.050
JEREMY: And she also holds multiple roles and titles and we’ll let her kind of walk through that.
00:01:36.090 –> 00:01:37.610
JEREMY: But Andrea, welcome to the show.
00:01:37.630 –> 00:01:39.730
ANDREA: Hi, thank you.
00:01:39.810 –> 00:01:40.510
ANDREA: Thanks for having me.
00:01:40.530 –> 00:01:41.190
ANDREA: This is an honor.
00:01:41.950 –> 00:01:44.070
JEREMY: Yeah, what city are you in?
00:01:44.730 –> 00:01:46.390
ANDREA: We’re in Aspen, Aspen, Colorado.
00:01:47.030 –> 00:01:48.010
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.
00:01:58.030 –> 00:02:00.230
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.
00:03:16.630 –> 00:03:17.050
JEREMY: Love it.
00:03:17.070 –> 00:03:17.390
JEREMY: Love it.
00:03:17.850 –> 00:03:20.270
JEREMY: Well, yeah, thanks for being on the show again.
00:03:22.110 –> 00:03:28.730
JEREMY: What was your career journey like and how did you end up being an assistant?
00:03:30.290 –> 00:03:44.050
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.
00:03:44.510 –> 00:03:46.550
ANDREA: We had several years of overlap between the two.
00:03:49.070 –> 00:04:00.750
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.
00:04:28.870 –> 00:04:33.230
JEREMY: So you’re the first assistant role, and you’re still in it eight years later.
00:04:34.150 –> 00:04:34.690
ANDREA: Exactly.
00:04:34.710 –> 00:04:36.490
ANDREA: Well, this is two years in this position.
00:04:36.870 –> 00:04:37.730
JEREMY: Same organization.
00:04:39.710 –> 00:04:40.050
JEREMY: Yeah.
00:04:40.210 –> 00:04:40.530
JEREMY: Yes.
00:04:40.950 –> 00:04:41.230
ANDREA: Yep.
00:04:42.410 –> 00:04:42.890
JEREMY: That’s great.
00:04:42.930 –> 00:04:47.970
JEREMY: So what’s your favorite part about being an assistant?
00:04:47.990 –> 00:04:56.250
ANDREA: I, besides loving my ET members, I have eight incredible ET members, which is I’m really blessed for that.
00:04:57.970 –> 00:05:10.690
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.
00:05:14.610 –> 00:05:15.070
ANDREA: I love it.
00:05:16.770 –> 00:05:21.630
JEREMY: So, okay, you said eight executives and I’m sure there’s an assistant listening.
00:05:21.770 –> 00:05:29.210
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.
00:05:31.910 –> 00:05:33.070
JEREMY: That’s how many you support.
00:05:34.090 –> 00:05:39.670
JEREMY: But there’s also probably another assistant that’s like, well, hey, well, I support nine, technically, so, you know, that’s nothing.
00:05:41.190 –> 00:05:44.430
JEREMY: What, like, how did that happen?
00:05:44.450 –> 00:05:46.730
JEREMY: Did you start off as an assisting eight?
00:05:47.070 –> 00:05:51.190
JEREMY: Did you start off as assisting a department, which kind of involved a bunch of people?
00:05:51.550 –> 00:05:52.790
JEREMY: How did that come to be?
00:05:52.810 –> 00:05:56.750
ANDREA: So it started out as eight right off the bat.
00:05:57.190 –> 00:05:59.750
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.
00:06:22.670 –> 00:06:26.930
JEREMY: So were those roles tacked on over the years?
00:06:28.530 –> 00:06:28.850
JEREMY: Nope.
00:06:29.010 –> 00:06:30.950
ANDREA: That was this role.
00:06:31.210 –> 00:06:36.630
ANDREA: And as far as I know, it was the role I applied for and I received.
00:06:36.830 –> 00:06:44.930
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.
00:07:46.030 –> 00:07:47.910
ANDREA: I just continue to do it.
00:07:47.930 –> 00:07:56.890
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.
00:11:17.190 –> 00:11:30.950
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?
00:12:29.230 –> 00:12:35.250
JEREMY: Is it essentially just you can use it whenever you’re on your break or you’re before or after work?
00:12:35.270 –> 00:12:37.230
JEREMY: Do you have to book time in the room?
00:12:37.250 –> 00:12:41.350
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.
00:12:56.510 –> 00:12:58.530
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.
00:13:13.450 –> 00:13:18.550
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.
00:13:30.250 –> 00:13:44.310
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
<v SPEAKER_2>Are you ready to elevate your career in 2024?
00:22:44.792 –> 00:22:52.472
<v SPEAKER_2>I’m Maggie Olson, founder of Nova Chief of Staff Certification, the first of its kind online course for aspiring and existing Chiefs of Staff.
00:22:53.092 –> 00:23:04.612
<v SPEAKER_2>With curriculum taken directly from on-the-job responsibilities, Nova’s self-paced learning modules provides you with hands-on experience so you can feel competent and confident moving into a Chief of Staff style role.
00:23:05.292 –> 00:23:07.692
<v SPEAKER_2>It’s the perfect next step for executive assistants.
00:23:08.272 –> 00:23:13.312
<v SPEAKER_2>Head to leaderassistant.com/nova to learn more, grab the syllabus and enroll today.
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
<
