Like most other up-and-coming executives who aspire to organizational success, assistants-to must have strength of character, possess physical and mental agility and endurance, demonstrate the desire to be thorough and objective, and display a creative verve. The following characteristics, while not unique to the job of assistant-to, are certainly highly desirable for competent performance in this role.
1. A stable disposition. An assistant-to needs a disposition that is stable. He should be pretty unshakable in the face of almost constant change. Unlike some positions where the duties tend to retain a degree of stability for protracted periods, the assistant-to lives with change. It is rare that one day’s activities are like another. This sort of job calls for adaptability, flexibility, and other attributes of a disposition that can accommodate itself to change. To some people this sort of organizational life is highly exhilarating and challenging; to others, who prefer predictability and resent any alteration of the status quo, being an assistant-to can be a nightmare. An assistant-to needs to be unflappable or his value in this role diminishes. His boss counts on him to keep some sort of order and to be able to start a project and then, if necessary, drop it or pass it along to someone else and go on to something new.
2. The ability to organize. An assistant-to must have the personal capacity to organize thoughts as well projects. One particular assistant-to who was interviewed has the uncanny ability to use his brain as a data bank. He was observed handling phone calls, visitors, the boss, and a couple of projects-all of which were subject to change without notice-almost concurrently. He did not merely continue to function under pressure; he also ranked and handled items on a priority basis. He never loses his cool, and his boss regards him as a fantastic asset.