An assistant is indispensible for an executive
The executive assistant of Coca-Cola İçecek A.Ş. and the secretary general of International Management Assistants Çiğdem Aydın shared with us the key points of being a good executive assistant and what should be considered in meeting organisations.
Can you introduce yourself?
I was born in 1977 in İstanbul and graduated from Anadolu University, Department of Public Administration. I have worked as an executive assistant for more than 20 years in various organizations. I host various events organised by various associations, carry out joint projects with universities. I love swimming, doing Pilates, laughing, and making people laugh and of course animals. Also I have been the secretary general International Management Assistants since May, 2018, which gives my life another meaning. We work towards gaining responsibility for and awareness to our profession.
What is your task description at Coca-Cola Company?
Coca-Cola is like an exciting and great adventure for me. Coca Cola is a giant company in the consumption sector and employs dynamic, self-renewing young people. I have been working for the directors under the CEO of the company for 8 years. We call them Members of Excom. I have worked with almost all the members since I started here. Currently, I am assisting the Directors of "Internal Audit" - "Strategy and Business Development".
I am in charge of managing and directing our directors' programs, and be prepared for any kind of changes. I am also responsible for completing preparations both nationally and internationally. Being sensitive to any subject that might reflect to the director is a significant issue between the assistant and the director. Every assistant must function as a bridge between the team and the executives rather than a wall.
This job requires to be aware of the psychology, social state, and responsibilities of the director and to behave accordingly. Also, I must remember that I represent my directors in my company and private life. Every assistant should know a bit of psychology, sociology, and communication skills and improve oneself. Other routine tasks are meeting the needs of organisational and operational teams, arrange events, work with the accountancy, We should be intrusive from time to time in terms of management.
Thus, previous definition of secretary has been extended and a new understanding has been adopted. We can say that an assistant is indispensible for an executive.
“It is a must to love people in this job.”
You have been working as a successful assistant for a long time. What do you like and dislike about your job? Why did you choose this profession?
Thank you! I am doing by best to be successful. What I love about my job is that my focus is on humans. Also, being appreciated by executives whose lives you make easier. Another thing is the chance of being with prominent and distinguished people all the time. You can improve yourself thanks to various perspectives and visions. In time, you become family member reciprocally.
Power and prestige created by working with the executives is an important comfort zone.
When it comes to the difficulties, I can firstly say that work is never over. Unless you love this profession, it will not make you feel good.
Work of an executive assistant never finishes. You are the helping hand of your executive. You must know everything the executive does not want to keep in mind, but also remember. You might have to sit in front of the computer any time of the day because of a message or an e-mail. The biggest long-term effect of this profession would be coordinating all organizations in your private life, too. You are the one to find a holiday destination, a hotel and do everything. Your social circle gets accustomed to this while you do this without noticing. "You haven't organised a meeting for a long time" is a sentence you hear regularly.
Although behaving in accordance with what your job requires is not a rule, it is definitely what is expected from you. Loving humans is a must in this job.
Two factors influenced my choice: using the ability of management and creating strategies on human psychology. Doing your job well and making the lives of directors easy make you feel content.
Actually, these factors might change in accordance with the features of the organisation. Sometimes, we want to be in nature, and sometimes in a city centre. But our musts are respect to our brand, hotels that cater our products, and full-fledged meeting venues.
“Hotels in Istanbul are setting the bar high in terms of meeting organizations."
Obviously, meetings are an important part of your job. What do you think about hotels in Istanbul in terms og meeting organisations?
Meetings are of great importance to us and the business world. When I look back, I see the number of hotels, costs and need for making a meeting in a hotel cannot be compared with present. Meetings used to be held in the company, and factors such as its length, scope, or location were not considered as significant.
The increase in the number of hotels has played a great role in preferring to make meetings in hotels for the comfort they provide. Of course, this increased competition in the sector. In this sense, I can easily say that hotels I have been to in Istanbul for various meetings provide high quality service and they are setting the bar high day by day.
What factors do you consider when organising meetings in a hotel?
Actually, these factors might change in accordance with the features of the organisation. Sometimes, we want to be in nature, and sometimes in a city centre. But our musts are respect to our brand, hotels that cater our products, and full-fledged meeting venues. The most important thing is being aware of and sensitive to our needs and supplying our brands.
Also, being convenient and easy to reach with a car park is another factor. Instead of ground floor venues, we prefer to be in bright and airy venues. Treats should be fresh and served as planned and on time. Quality and attention of the staff is another factor. We always opt for paying in TL instead of foreign currency given the economic situation of our country.