The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/665992
thelinguist.uberflip.com APRIL/MAY 2016 The Linguist 33 INSTITUTE MATTERS Managing up , Lisa Ryszkowska, Executive Assistant to the CEO and Deputy, talks about her strategic support role at CIOL and the multiple hats needed to succeed In a world of ever-changing priorities and projects, an Executive Assistant needs to be conscious of the predictable, and alert to the unpredictable. My role at the CIOL is to make the boss's job easier and to help reduce some of the day-to-day tasks of the executive, but I don't do this in isolation. Each day is a careful balance between meeting these needs and fulfilling my commitments to the wider business. When I am asked what I do, it is tempting to refer people to my ever expanding action list, which I take great satisfaction in marking complete on a daily basis. Although it is not stipulated in my contract, I make it my first job to ensure that the Senior Management Team is well-watered and therefore well focused. I then routinely manage inboxes and diaries, draft communication, respond to client requests, gate-keep, arrange meetings, and format agendas and documentation. I also book accommodation and travel, deal with inquiries and liaise with service providers, including Accounts and IT. My role is as varied as my background: I have worked as a personal assistant, design manager, art editor, client relationship manager and part-time artist. These roles have proved invaluable and share the common threads of personal leadership, forward planning, priority management and communication – key to juggling the different aspects of my support role. I have spent most of my career working as part of a communications team, and I understand the importance of strategic planning and the difference it can make to an organisation. My responsibilities are driven by the daily needs of CIOL as well as the strategic requirements and directive of the executives. On any given day, I may be managing staff training needs; researching training providers, setting expectations and agreeing fees; and arranging workshops for committees. When required, I assist the Marketing and Communications Manager in the planning and management of events, including the Annual Awards and Members' Day. Other duties include managing the recruitment process for committees and staff positions, liaising with print suppliers, maintaining HR records and general research. In summary, my role is to anticipate the executive's needs, know what is required each day, and determine the main goals and deadlines. Wherever possible, I need to exercise my judgement and be as flexible and adaptable as possible and ready to respond to all circumstances. Above all, it is a collaborative role, helping business to move forward, minimising risk and saving executives' time. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Across 7 Instrumental composition in music. (It) (6) 8 Valedictions. (Fr) (6) 9 Constructive toy. (Da) (4) 10 'Heavy stone' element. (Sv) (8) 11 Fortified wine and cake. (Pt) (7) 13 Will every home have one in the near future? (Cs) (5) 15 Broken. (De) (5) 17 Character from horror films. (Hr) (7) 20 'A bad star'. (La) (8) 21 Game played with 32 cards. (De) (4) 23 Weather phenomenon with global impact. (es) (2,4) 24 Military fatigues, from Persian for 'dusty'. (6) Down 1 His written language is characterised by the kropka, kreska and ogonek. (4) 2 Aplenty. (Ga) (6) 3 Those who die for a cause. (El) (7) 4 Steam bath. (Fi) (5) 5 Failure. (It) (6) 6 Valediction. (Fr) (2,6) 12 Yellow destination of Tony Christie. (Es) (8) 14 A red pepper. (Hu) (7) 16 Language family which includes Hungarian, Finnish and Estonian. (6) 18 A unit of pressure. (Fr) (6) 19 Culture, character of a group. (El) (5) 22 A song from opera. (It)? (4) Crossword no.14 Solution, page 25 September STUDY WEEKEND 9-11 September Weimar The topic at this year's GER event is 'British Visitors to Weimar across the Ages'. The German Society is also celebrating its 30th anniversary at this event; for full details, see the society's website (www.ciol-gs.de). Most clues reference one of the 24 official languages of the EU, as indicated by the ISO 639-1 language code, in brackets.