5 Essential Characteristics that Make a Successful Corporate Secretary

 When running a business in Singapore, one of the mandatory requirements is to have a corporate secretary on board.

Whether in-house or outsourced, corporate secretaries play a crucial role in handling corporate tasks. They hold the responsibilities of managing day-to-day administration, scheduling meetings, and ensuring the company's smooth operation. That said, corporate secretaries require impeccable organizational and communication skills, initiative, drive, and professionalism. 

More specifically, a great corporate secretary should possess the following qualities:

Multi-tasker

Because of the demanding nature of the job, corporate secretaries should be able to multi-task with ease. Preparing meetings, complying with corporate governance, bridging communications, and filing documents are just a few of their required tasks. However, there will come a time when these tasks overlap one another. In such cases, a good corporate secretary should know how to cope with it and overcome the challenge with finesse.

Proper time management

Since most of their tasks must be delivered within a specific deadline, corporate secretaries need to have proper time management skills.

But aside from managing their tasks, directors also rely heavily on them to plan and schedule meetings, such as board meetings and annual general meetings. So, knowing how to balance their obligations within the set time frame is essential for office secretaries.

Detail-oriented

One of the significant roles of the corporate secretary is to manage company records.

Company records are usually confidential documents that contain vital information about the company's finances and strategies. Ensuring that all documents are accounted for is important to keeping the business on track. For this reason, corporate secretaries must be detail-oriented.

Not only do they have to collect documents, but they also have to assess the information presented. Is the information complete? Is there any error? Is it aligned with the business plans? As the first point of contact between shareholders and the rest of the company, corporate secretaries are responsible for circulating announcements and tracking business progress. As such, they must detect incomplete or inaccurate information and notify the directors immediately before sharing data.

Transparency

In relation to the previous point, corporate secretaries need to be honest and transparent, especially with regard to the information they hold. In other words, they need to share their insights on specific business matters. 

As educated and trained professionals, corporate secretaries can offer a different yet substantial perspective on many corporate concerns. As such, many leaders consider them as reliable advisers. So, when they have an opinion to share, they should take the initiative to be transparent. 

However, having an idea and communicating it clearly are two different skills. That’s why every corporate secretary must be clear communicators.

Clear communication

Corporate secretaries work closely with executives and senior stakeholders. Because of this, they need to learn how to be diplomatic, tactful, concise, and persuasive. Moreover, they must be good listeners as well as good negotiators. 

As advisors in the company, they need to build strong relationships with clients and decision-makers. Once the relationship is forged, they can become a voice of reason to offer assistance in navigating the company in the right direction. 

In addition, having excellent communication skills not only gives them the power to express their ideas but, more importantly, propose sound strategies to execute the plans to ensure the success of the company.

That said, there’s no doubt that being a corporate secretary is demanding. But they hold a pivotal role in the company. 

Finding individuals with these qualities can be challenging and time-consuming. Fortunately, companies have the option to hire company secretarial services from experienced firms. Corporate secretarial services Singapore offers expertise and convenience that every business can benefit from. So, rather than hiring in-house corporate secretaries, try outsourcing from reputable firms in Singapore.