Thank You to Administrative Professionals

As a member of the administrative professional community, I’d like to say “Thank you”! Whether you are supporting a manager, a group, a project or a combination of all three, you are key to the success and impact of your company. Your contributions can be directly attributed to the support you provide day in and day out.

Can you imagine business today without administrative staff? If you’re feeling a bit skeptical today, just remember the last time you took vacation and what welcomed you upon your return!

I would like to say “Thank You” for all that you do on a daily basis to help staff, managers and their respective projects succeed. Thank you for going above and beyond when you were tired and overwhelmed and didn’t feel you had any more to give. Thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made to assure that staff and projects had the information they needed. Thank you for tracking the timeliness and accuracy of project and client deliverables. Thank you for answering the never ending questions about policies and procedures. Thank you for being the point of contact and subject matter expert for the software, forms and approvals needed to accomplish a given task. Thank you for handling all the details and logistics for important meetings and travel arrangements. Thank you for carefully reviewing communication, contracts, spreadsheets and presentations. And on behalf of the managers out there, thank you for finding solutions to many challenges before they ever had a chance to reach their to do list.

I appreciate you, and am grateful for the mentoring so many administrative professionals have provided to me! Thank you again, and happy Administrative Professionals week!

Happy Administrative Professionals Day to the Best Admin I Ever Had!

by Darlene Mahon and Peggy Vasquez

“The best admin I ever had.” That’s a phrase that most of us have heard at some point, and one that all admins would like to hear. But what does it mean? What sets the great admin apart from the average admin? Although there are a host of skills needed to be a successful administrative assistant, what separates a great admin apart from a good admin is their ability to create a powerful partnership with their manager and others on their team.

Some of the elements of a positive partnership are:

1. More productivity and less relationship management

When you study and learn the attributes of your manager’s style you’ll find you spend less time managing the relationship and you’ll have more time to be productive. Your knowledge of their style will enable you to communicate effectively and efficiently. You’ll find the partnership is working and the stress level for you both has diminished.

2. Trust and Respect

Trust and respect are the foundation for a successful partnership. Open communication is the result of mutual trust. The universal law that what we give out we get back becomes apparent. Give your manager trust and respect and you’ll get it back. Be the initiator and don’t expect to earn trust and respect over night, like great architecture, building a firm foundation takes time. Do what you say you’ll do, even the small things. It’s consistency, reliability and follow through that will make all the difference.

3. Shared Values and Common Goals

When you and your manager have shared values and goals you are aligned and able to act on their behalf. Identify their goals and understand their priorities by observing their actions. Ask strategic questions like:
• Who do they make time for?
• What deliverables do they ask you to track?
• What are their nonnegotiables?
• What are they rewarded for delivering?

With the answers to these questions you’ll become a united team. You’ll have the information needed to manage their time and priorities to ensure their success.

4. Empowerment

Because you have a rock solid foundation built on the above principles, your performance can now be propelled to a new level. You have the freedom to make decisions, act independently, and put your strengths to work. You are empowered to be the best admin your manager has ever had!

“As administrative professionals we experience the challenges and rewards that are common for us all. Our first priority is to provide support to either a person or a project. Success starts with us.”