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(U) The Life of An Exec
FROM:
Interim Civilian Executive Assistant/SIGINT Director
Run Date: 07/18/2003
(U//FOUO) "Life, as we know it, will cease to exist if I don't see MG
SERIES:
Quirk immediately." As MG Quirk's executive assistant, this is one
(U) A Day in the Life of...
of the many dramatic opening lines that I've heard. An exec is a
senior leader's front door, traffic cop, information manager, and
most importantly, conscience. Like triage in an emergency room,
1. Office Manager:
an exec's main task is prioritization. Which of the hundreds of
Jack-of-All-Trades
incoming daily e-mails and documents are truly important? Out of
2. The Life of An Exec
the dozens of requests, whom should they meet with today? What
3. Working as a Policy
do they have to sign now so the Earth does not spin off its axis? An
Analyst: One
exec must make hundreds of decisions every day to optimize the
Person's Perspective
senior's time. The worst decision is no decision. Without an
4. Data Flow Manager:
effective filter, the senior is doomed to drown in information
The Data Fairy?
overload and unending meetings.
5. Mathematician: An
Insider's View
(U//FOUO) What is a "typical" day in the life of an exec? Opening
6. NSA Linguists
the office before the craziness begins is critical as the exec must
'Panning for Gold'
skim new incoming information and tee up the hot issues of the
7. Plenty of Action on
day. Then the daily roller coaster ride begins. The exec will attend
the Action Team
many of the back-to-back-to-back meetings-- look for the slightly
8. On The Collection
haggard individual sitting in the back row documenting actions or
(Officer's) Plate
going through volumes of paperwork. The exec must be prepared
9. Sitting in the SOO's
to steal quality time with the senior between meetings or in transit
Chair
to provide updates or background on upcoming events. The churn
10. You Can't Keep the
of activity usually continues through the late afternoon or early
NSC Waiting!.. A Day
evening. The end of the day is often the only available time to
in the Life of a
work off actions and complete paperwork.
GRSOC Analyst
(U//FOUO) Keeping pace with a frenetic schedule is only skimming
the surface of being an exec. An exec is a confidant who works
significant and sensitive issues behind the scenes. They are the
senior's staunchest ally to the outside world but privately their
toughest critic providing candid assessments of decisions,
meetings, and briefings. The exec represents the senior at all times
and must build positive relationships across the organization,
particularly with the staffs of other senior leaders. An exec makes
sure promises are kept and questions are answered. An exec is the
voice inside the senior's head reminding them of their priorities and
obligations.
(U//FOUO) So the hours are long and the pace is relentless-- why
would anyone want to do this? Immersion into this job provides
one of the purest training experiences. An exec has a front row seat
to the good, the bad, and the ugly of the senior leadership lifestyle.
Most execs serve for a limited duration (12 to 24 months is
typical)-- long enough to learn the job and be effective, but short
enough to maintain sanity. Whether they aspire to be a senior or
just more effective at their current level, executive assistants
return to the workforce with a much-improved understanding of
the implications of their work as part of the big picture.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108