Prov 17:22

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine... - Proverbs 17:22

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Here's to Administrative Professionals

Got these beauties from Diane

Wednesday, April 25 was Administrative Professionals Day. Some still call it Secretary’s Day. Some call it Administrative Assistant’s Day. And some call it “The Only One Around Here Who Knows What the Heck is Going On” Day. 

You might think that, being an Administrative Assistant myself, I’d be too modest to crow about the work we do. You’d be wrong.

If everyone had an Administrative Assistant, the world would be a more organized, efficient, and happy place. You wouldn’t lose your keys, your phone, or your glasses so often. You could put your hands on that tax receipt a lot more quickly. Your bills would get paid on time, your paperwork neatly filed, your phone politely answered. Your letters would look awesome and your appointment calendar would always be up to date. You wouldn’t miss meetings or birthdays or Administrative Professionals Day. 

Of course, I’m referring to the really good administrative assistants. The good ones are competent and excellent communicators. They’re organized, detail-oriented, and masters at time management. They’re tech savvy. They maintain a professional attitude and appearance. They know how to deal with office politics and confidentiality. They possess good judgement and are team players. You know those clichéd movie scenes where the executive and the assistant charge down long hallways on their way to the next meeting, high heels tapping out a staccato beat, and the entire time the assistant rattles off phone messages, appointment reminders, or has the exec sign papers on the run? Do these assistants exist in real life?

Me, I lean toward mediocre. I make lots of dumb mistakes. Oh, I can eventually answer a question or find what someone is looking for. I just can’t do it before giving them a long, blank stare and muttering something unintelligible while, somewhere in the far recesses of my brain, gears shift with all the swiftness of a sloth. 

I blame my advanced age. The fuller your memory bank, the longer it takes new thoughts to upload.
Look how they've opened!

They keep me around because they think I’m a famous author. They probably think that because I tell them I’m a famous author. And I’m seeing a pattern. When I’m introduced to a new staff member or a visitor to the office, I’m more likely to hear, “This is Terrie. She’s a famous author.” The new person walks away wondering why they’ve never heard of me and with no clue why I’m sitting at a desk at city hall.

At my writing desk at home, I am my own administrative assistant. Which means that in addition to penning books and these riveting blog posts, I must take care of the business end of things. Emailing my newspaper column on time every week; connecting with readers through newsletters, email, and social media; submitting invoices and paying bills; keeping track of income and expenses; designing and ordering business cards; organizing book launches; entering writing contests; planning trips to conferences; maintaining my book inventory, and more. Some writers hire “virtual assistants” who take care of these details from afar. I’d go broke if I had to hire me. A good administrative assistant is worth their weight in bitcoin.
  
So Happy Administrative Professionals Day to all my peers! And to all you bosses who may have forgotten? You’re welcome.

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