Monique Helstrom

Invest in communication before you end up footing the bill.

Think about the last time poor communication caused...
❌ A project delay
❌ An awkward conversation
❌ Rework
❌ A frustrated executive
❌ A disappointed client
❌ An unnecessary conflict
❌ Being passed up for a promotion or raise
❌ A lost opportunity to work on a high-impact project

Here's the good news.

Communication is one of the few professional skills that improves almost every other area of your career.

When you communicate better...

✅ You build trust faster.
✅ You solve problems sooner.
✅ You receive better feedback.
✅ You become easier to work with.
✅ People trust you with bigger opportunities.

Communication isn't a "soft skill," it's an ESSENTIAL one.

And it's one of the highest-return investments you'll ever make

Have you ever had an experience that taught you the hard way how important communication is?

Great Executive–Assistant partnerships don't just happen.
They're built.

Built through better communication.
Built through trust.
Built through curiosity.
Built through accountability.
Built through hundreds of conversations that help both people understand how the other thinks, works, and communicates.

That's why I love hearing feedback like this—because it reminds me that strategic partnership isn't reserved for a lucky few.

It's a skill obtained by those who continuosly learn, practice, and strengthen it every day.

Thank you, Kari, for your kind words—and thank you to the entire team at Target for showing up with curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, and being willing to challenge the way you've always communicated!

These past few weeks have been bananas.

I had multiple recruiting searches moving at once, candidates to interview, clients to manage, decisions to make, and about 47 different things competing for my attention at any given moment.

And honestly, as an Executive Assistant by training, that part doesn’t scare me. I know how to juggle. I know how to move fast. I know how to keep all the plates spinning without breaking a sweat.

But what I’m realizing now is what I *miss* when I stay in that mode too long.

I miss the wins because I’m already onto the next thing. I miss the people around me. I miss summer. I miss the chance to actually enjoy the business and life I’ve worked so hard to build. I actually have plants now. (That have stayed alive! *happy dance*)

I’m much more aware of that now than I ever used to be. Being productive is great.
Being so busy that you don’t notice your own life? Not so great.

Ferris Bueller said it best: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

So for the rest of the summer, I’m still getting s**t done. I’m just trying to remember to look up while I do it!

I swear if I get one more "👍"...

Can anyone else relate? 😅

One of the biggest shifts in my career happened when I realized I wasn’t partnering with my executive...

I was performing.

I was really good at doing the work: calendars, emails, managing projects, etc.
But I was so buried in my own work that I ignored every sign that my executive was overwhelmed... and then I continued to steamroll right over him.

By some miracle, he didn't fire me. 😅
And thank goodness—because what I learned from that moment became the foundation of one of the strongest Executive–Assistant partnerships I’ve ever experienced.

The fallout from that conversation (*cough* screaming match *cough*) taught me that my role was about so much more than getting things done.

It was about communicating well.

About coming from a place of curiosity rather than certainty.
About creating space for him to think more clearly and make better decisions—and being honest with him when I wasn't getting the space I needed to do the same.

Ultimately, my job was about partnership. And partnership is about building enough trust that you can challenge each other when necessary.

When the Executive-Assistant relationship revolves entirely around tasks, everyone stays busy… but nobody grows.

➡️ The assistant waits for direction.
➡️ The executive waits for more initiative.
➡️ Resentment builds and communication breaks down.

But the strongest Executive-Assistant partnerships I’ve seen aren’t built on flawless ex*****on.
They’re built on curiosity, communication, accountability, and a shared commitment to making each other better.

Have you ever caught yourself performing when what your partnership really needed was… partnering?

Too many people think accountability means beating yourself up, apologizing for everything, or carrying blame that isn’t yours.
It doesn’t.

Real accountability sounds more like:
“Here’s the part I own. Here's how I can do better next time.”

You can acknowledge your role in a communication breakdown without making yourself the villain. And you can hold someone else accountable without making them the enemy.

That’s how better conversations—and better partnerships—are built.

What’s one communication habit you’ve had to take accountability for in your own career?

Consider this your reminder to update your place in my talent pool. 👀

If you joined a year—or even a few months—ago, there’s a good chance the information I have no longer tells the full story of what you can do.

Maybe you’ve:
✅ Taken on more strategic responsibility
✅ Started managing projects, budgets, or teams
✅ Learned new systems or AI tools
✅ Supported a different type of executive
✅ Earned a promotion
✅ Simply become much better at your job

That experience matters!

And the timing of this reminder is not entirely accidental. 😏

🚨 I have an exclusive, confidential search launching soon that I won’t be able to share publicly. The assistants in my talent pool will be the only people who hear about it.

So even if you’ve joined before, take a few minutes to submit your most up-to-date resume and work experience.
And if you haven't joined yet? Consider this your sign to do so!

You may not be actively looking today, but the right opportunity has a funny way of appearing before you planned for it...

Refresh your information through the link in the comments so I know exactly what you bring to the table now!