Lauren Bradley

What do you love about your job?

My favourite part about being a trainer and mentor for administrative professionals is helping them breakthrough growth barriers whether that be improving their confidence, building up their leadership skills, showing them how tech can save them hours, or upgrading their practical skills. They are my favourite people on the planet and I am so lucky to work with them.

What do you dislike about your job?

Hearing about when admins and assistants are mistreated, underestimated, or unappreciated. Luckily these stories are not the majority but as someone who trains and mentors assistants, I am exposed to more stories than most.

I am privileged to be in this position to help them see that there are companies and leads that appreciate their support staff and help them find those roles by teaming up with companies like dnevo.

What advice would you give a junior coming into the industry now?

Think of your new role as a new service contract with a new client. Figure out the services they need providing in the job description and get clear on what is in and out of scope. That is how you set boundaries and prevent getting overwhelmed. If it is out of scope, then that warrants a discussion.

And you do not have to figure out how to do this job on your own. There are plenty of resources out there to help get you started. For example, at The Officials we have courses and templates to help you save time and impress your team.

What do you see as the biggest advance in technology in your field in the last 5 years?

The tools are evolving and you need to remind yourself to check out the new features at your disposal right now. I am constantly telling admins and assistants to dig into their current tech stack and look for ways to shave time or automate elements.

For example, I love Microsoft Lists for housing your To Do List and most do not even know they have this app at their disposal. You can even set up automations that email your task list to you each day and later send you an email of your completed tasks so you can appreciate all you accomplished that day. You can even forward it to your lead to keep them updated. None of that is new technology if you are in a Microsoft environment, so get exploring.

What excites you about the future of your industry?

I am excited to see EAs continue to advance their leadership skills. My favourite definition of a leader is “Someone who chooses to be responsible.” That definition highlights that every assistant is a leader. If they can embrace their leadership position the more satisfying the role will be and the more likely they will be to evolve with the role with the needs of the role.

What is the biggest challenge you see in your role over the next 12 months?

The biggest challenge I see is in balancing the torrent of new responsibilities and new deliverables being put upon them while learning how to use the technology that will help them keep up.

But that is why we host free Tech Hacks at The Officials and share a lot of content about technology, to make sure no EA is left behind.

What is the biggest curveball question you have ever been asked in an interview during your career?

“What motivates you?” This is a fabulous question and one I use myself now, but at the time it was brand new to me. It helped my lead know how to motivate me and help me reach our goals together.

What trait are you looking for from everybody you interview?

I think every interviewee should treat an interview like a client discovery meeting and they are the potential supplier and the employer is the client. I want them to ask questions, demonstrate how the services they provide will help meet the goals of the client, and showcase how they are skilled.

One fact about you that nobody knows?

I have been recognised and received awards from both my hometown and county for helping organise the humanitarian relief after a major flood swept through our town.

I started a Slack and began organising channels for laundry ladies, handymen, removal crews to help get all the damaged furniture and carpeting out, and more. We had grandmothers on Slack doing amazing work!

The team and I were thrown a surprise party by the mayor and presented us all with certificates. I am so proud of my skillset when I think of that time. I was able to take my love of community, tech skills, and service-led heart and put it to good use in the real world.

What do your days off look like?

As a single mum, they are pretty full to be honest. Lots of catching up on our personal lives, shopping, playing handyman, reading school emails, and helping with projects. But we try to slow down and spend time together playing a game or doing an art project together. If I have real downtime on my own, I love pulling out a puzzle and a glass of red wine and working my way through both while watching a movie.

What is the worst gift you have ever been given?

I am not sure I have ever been given a bad gift. But my favourite gift that I was ever given was by a former colleague after I had completed two office moves, in two different cities within one week of each other. At that time I was constantly running around opening boxes of new suppliers and furniture. He bought me an expensive high-end pocket knife/box cutter and wrote me the kindest note. It made me feel seen. That someone saw my work, my sweat, and the practical elements of my job and wanted to make my life easier. He knew I would appreciate a specialty tool and was excited to share it with me. I know that is a very unconventional gift but it meant the world to me.

They also threw me a big party and gave me a yellow hardhat with a tiara attached, that they had all signed and wrote notes of thank you. They coupled it with a spa package that I put to good use. The best gifts are the ones that make you feel seen.

We would like to thank Lauren for her generous time and for the personal insight into her life and journey. If you would like to feature in this informal, fun series aimed at creating a community of senior people who meet and network then please reach out to us on hello@dnevo.com. We would love to hear from you!