An executive office is the ecosystem of processes, functions, and people dedicated to a principal's success. The Chief of Staff is often the leader of an executive office.

As with many roles, experience levels can vary and depend on a candidate's ability to perform the position's duties. Generally speaking, Executive Assistants gather lots of their training on the job. As such, there is no particular education pathway or degree that leads one to becoming an EA. Many EAs have some experience and/or education in administrative assistance and business. It is important to understand the right mix of experience and background necessary for your particular role before you begin a search.

Both PA and EA roles require similar strengths, like a high level of organization, detail-orientation, expert people skills, and awareness of common business etiquettes. Both roles also require being an adept scheduler and having a strong relationship built on trust with the person they serve. The key difference in these two positions lies in what kind of work is done. A Personal Assistant performs tasks relevant to both their principal's professional and personal matters. An Executive Assistant typically focuses on matters just related to their principal's professional obligations and relationships. 

The short answer: sometimes. Most of the management taken on by an EA relates to the operations, correspondence, and events for an organization's executive leadership. Some organizations have more than one EA, and in those cases, one EA may serve as the lead or director of the others. In other organizations, other roles like Office Manager or Deputy Director may manage EAs. Regardless of managerial duties, the EA role always works closely and collaboratively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

An executive assistant provides administrative support to members of an organization's executive leadership team. The main tasks of an EA are handling office-management and operational duties, making travel arrangements, managing correspondence, handling calendar events, organizing reports and documents, answering phone calls, setting up meetings, screening visitors, and other similar duties. Of course, more specific responsibilities will depend on your organization and your leader(s). 

The specific personalities, attributes, and skills we seek in EA candidates vary depending on the position, the leader, and the organization. In fact, our ability to pinpoint the behavioral traits to create lasting partnerships between an EA and leader is our bread and butter. We help your organization determine the right mix of technical and behavioral skills required for a successful relationship between the candidate and your leader.

We get this question a lot. We believe many executives need both and that they are two distinct positions--both of which add tremendous value. Below outlines a few key differences:

Executive Assistant:
Tactically focused
Executes details
Completes tasks provided
Specific understanding of his/her executive
Typically does not manage others
Carries out directives of the executive

Chief of Staff:
Strategically focused
Formulates and executes projects and priorities
Determines appropriate person to complete tasks
Comprehensive understanding of entire organization
Typically manages others directly or indirectly
Works on behalf of the executive or organization

Yes, depending on your needs. We believe pinpointing superstar, high-potential employees for a future Chief of Staff role is a great way to develop talent and provide them with exposure to your leadership and business. However, we think the Chief of Staff title should be reserved for those who fully perform the role’s key functions above. That doesn't mean, however, that a more junior person cannot be Chief of Staff.