Laughing All the Way to Work: A Survival Blog for Today's Administrative Assistant

The importance of having someone to talk to

2009-07-11T09:24:00.019-04:00

Recently, I met with a former colleague for an inpromptu lunch. It was very timely that we met because I had a lot of things on my mind that I needed to vent about and it turned out so did she. Sometimes we just need someone to be our sounding board and an outsider to the situation can often see things more clearly.

The admin profession lends itself to taking on new and sometimes challenging projects. If something needs to be done at the office that doesn't fit anyone else's job description, it is usually the assistant that is asked to do it because, well, we are the assistant and our position is not cast in stone. (In all honesty, that is what I like about the job, but sometimes it makes it a little difficult).

This is where an assistant network can come in handy. I often reach out to my network to get answers to problems that come up at the office or just to lend a sympathetic ear. Having the opportunity to hash it out with another assistant is a great resource. We can all help each other.

For instance, I found it challenging when I first started my new job. I had a big learning curve going into it and I didn't know any of the other assistants so I felt all alone with my challenges. I can tell you my friends and colleagues got a lot of phone calls in those early days and it was a wonderful resource and help to me.

Below are some things that I have found helpful to build my network:

Join a professional association such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). IAAP is a group of assistants who get together and encourage each other in our jobs and careers. Sometimes I go to our dinner meetings and take polls at the table I am sitting at about some office procedure I am thinking of implementing and get their feedback on how they do things in their offices.
Read professional magazines when you get the opportunity. IAAP has a magazine that comes with being a member called OfficePro and it has very useful articles. When I receive my copy, I circulate it to the assistants in my office for their information and reading. Another one I like is Administrative Assistant's Update, but there are others.
Sign up to some interactive Admin Assistant sites such as OfficeArrow, Admin Secret and DeskDemon. They have discussion boards where assistants write their questions or concerns and assistants all over the country (and world) read it and if they have an answer, try to help. It is surprising how similar our situations are, no matter where we are from.
When you leave a job, you don't have to leave your network behind. I am still in contact with people from many of the offices I have worked in over the years. It is nice to keep the connection for our mutual work benefit.

One of the reasons I like having outside networks is since they do not know the people or history about a particular work situation, they can look at it with a neutral eye. We do have to keep our company privacy in mind when sharing and never give specific details, but it is easy to give a general work situation and no one is the wiser as to who it is about and no company secrets are shared. The problem that sometimes occurs with sharing with current co-workers is it can turn into office gossip. Some situations however need to be kept in-house and only those who are involved would benefit from discussing it and understand what it was about. This is where a strong assistant team is nice to have. Since our positions are so similar, it is to each other's benefit to work together and help each other.

Perhaps, you are reading this and thinking some of these things can be a big time commitment. I understand! We do need to have a life outside of work so I find the best thing is to pick a few that work for you. Check out some of the sites and organizations and see which you would find to be most useful. Ask yourself if you have the time to go to a meeting once a month. Perhaps those with young families do not, so gear your outside activities to what you have time for and what you can afford.

The nice thing about on-line sites is for the most part they are free, but what they don't charge in fees they can take up in time, as many of us have experienced with sites such as Facebook. You can spend a lot of time in front of your computer.

Work life balance is always the best way to go, but if you need a hand or a listening ear, just reach out. There is help out there and it is usually closer than you think.

Psst! I'm in a bad mood, pass it on...

2009-07-05T11:29:00.009-04:00

I was at the cottage with a friend and she was cranky and started to get wound up about something to do with her husband. The longer she couldn't get in touch with him, the angrier she became. When she finally did reach him she started off really nice. "Hi, how are you?," she said sweetly. Then you could see it progressing downward from there. She had an agenda and was going to let him have it. By the end of the call her husband had caught her crankiness and it ended up with them both being angry.

What happened?
Crankiness and bad moods can be passed on. I am sure after that call her husband got off the phone and kicked the dog or was cranky with a sales clerk at the grocery store. I have been at the office in a perfectly good mood going about my business and getting a lot done. Someone comes in my office and starts in on me about something or other. At first I am taken aback, wondering what the heck happened, and then I get angry and because I couldn't get it off my chest with this person, the next person I meet will probably feel my crankiness and then they will wonder what happened and pass the bad mood on to the next person.

This happens with e-mail as well. The worst time to write an email is when you are angry. My boss calls these types of e-mails "crankograms." I am sure you know what I mean and have received them yourself and felt the sting of it. I wrote about it in an article called I got an e-slap on the wrist.

What can be done about it?
As I watched my friend get angry with her husband, I got a clearer view of what happened. (It is easier to see when you are on the outside looking in, rather than the one who is angry). She was frustrated. She couldn't get an answer so she slowly started to get worked up and by the time she reached him, she was already angry and he didn't have a hope. He reacted to her anger by being angry himself. Both of them probably didn't really know what they were angry about, but were each left with a bad feeling.

Same thing at the office. Your boss might have been sharp with you and you are wondering what you did wrong. You are frustrated and so the next person who crosses your path will probably feel the brunt of it. I think some good tips would be:

Don't come up with your own conclusions without communicating with the person first. My friend assumed since she couldn't get in touch with her husband, he was ignoring her. It ended up that the phone lines were down because of a thunderstorm in town and he had been trying to reach her since early that afternoon.
Never send an e-mail when you are angry. I often write the e-mail and get my frustration out and then send the e-mail to myself. When I open it, I get a better idea of how it will be received and often re-think what I write. Thank goodness the Internet was also down so my friend couldn't e-mail her frustration to her husband. It is always worse to have things in writing and harder to take back.
I find talking it over with a friend can be a good way to organize your thoughts. Once my friend had calmed down we started talking about it and she realized she had jumped to conclusions and shouldn't have reacted as she did. She ended up calling her husband back and apologizing for her bad mood. The good thing about apologizing is even though a bad mood was passed along, saying you are sorry goes a long way to making things right. (I wouldn't recommend talking about a co-worker with someone at the office or it ends up being gossip and spreads a bad feeling about that person. Talking to a third party who is totally uninvolved is much better.)

The bottom line is to think before communicating, but do communicate. And remember, bad moods can be passed along so stop and ask yourself if that is what you really want to do.

A funny thing happened on the way to the office...

2009-06-27T06:20:00.005-04:00

I have been asked to speak in December and I am supposed to be funny. How do you plan to be funny in December? With me it is a hit and miss sort of thing and sometimes I am funny, sometimes I am melancholy. How do comedians do it?

I went to a writing workshop and the woman who was presenting said that comedians are only as funny as their writers. If you have very funny writers around you, your material will be great. If not, then be prepared to be booed off the stage... Yikes!

So how am I going to be funny in December? Perhaps you can help. Do you have any funny office stories that you want to share? Let me know at pattyannrobb@rogers.com

The only one I can think of is something a friend of mine told me about a woman at her office. This woman was speaking to the CEO and her skirt slipped down to her ankles. My friend said it didn't seem to faze her and she quickly pulled up her skirt and kept talking like nothing happened. Hmmm! I wonder what that CEO was talking about that night with his wife. "Honey, you will never believe what happened at the office?" HA HA

This assignment of course is a result of "Just say yes". Someone asked, it's something I've always wanted to do, but my fear kept me from saying yes. Fits the criteria, so I will plunge on and hope for the best.

Now I am off for a week's holiday at the cottage with my daughter and grandson. Yippee!

Patricia

Colour Coding Works ...

2009-06-23T06:39:00.004-04:00

I have never been a fan of colour coding, until recently. I was in back-to-back Committee meetings and I decided to use two different colours of folders, a blue one for the Committee members, with an attendance sheet stapled to the inside cover for my purposes, along with their meeting packages, and a red one for the Chair with everything the Chair was going to need.

Because the meetings were right after the other and I had lots of packages with me, it was easy to distinguish what went to whom just by looking at the colour. I also put them in order of the meetings so it made it even easier.

Without the colour coding, I would have been in a panic trying to find the packages, but as it was, it went very smoothly.

Too much colour however can be confusing. Keep it simple and easy to remember. When you are busy, busy and don't have time to think, having two or three colours to choose from will help make things easier.

Try it, you may like it.

Meeting preparation...

2009-06-14T10:02:00.015-04:00

I have an upcoming Board meeting and want to be prepared for everything that is needed to make it run smoothly.

To-do lists

I have to-do lists for the Board and Committee meetings and a to-do list for the Board Reception and Dinner. You can never go wrong if you are making a list and checking it twice.

My favourite to-do list is a calendar timeline so I can see at a glance where I am at and what I need to do to get there. It is simply using an on-line calendar with space on each day to enter what needs to be done. I fill it out from start to finish and each day check what needs to be done and where I am at. I feel confident as I check off each item that things will be done on time. No surprises!

To generate a calendar in Word 2007, click on the Office Button (in the top left-hand corner). Choose New. Under Office Microsoft Online, click on Calendars. You will be given a choice of many styles and types of calendars. My favourite is the basic design, with large squares to fill in my to-dos. I customize it and remove the weekend days to give me more space.

Checklists
I also have a checklist that I go through to make sure we have everything we are going to need on the day of the meeting. Some things I have on this list is a memory stick with the minute templates, tentcards, meals ordered, meeting packages, pen, notebook, highlighter, calculator (I hate math so just in case they ask something that requires mathematical skills) and attendance records to establish quorum for each meeting.

Minute Template
I take my minutes on a laptop so prepare a minute template ahead of time. Then it is a simple matter of filling in the blanks on the day of the meeting. This does increase the preparation time, but on the day of the meeting it goes very smoothly with no stress.

To prepare a minute template simply use your agenda and put it in minute format. Under each agenda heading you can then record the appropriate information when you are in the meeting. To finalize your minutes, you will just need to tidy up the language and formatting for the Chair's approval.

Are you plugged in?
Once I plugged my laptop in and thought I had power, but the plug-in was not working. My battery power died half way through the meeting. I had a notepad and pen with me so continued the minutes by hand, but it was a lesson learned to check in the bottom right hand corner of my computer to see if I actually have power. If it is plugged in, it will show a battery with a plug symbol. If it is only operating on battery power, it will just show a battery. Good thing to check before the meeting begins.

Meeting Materials
To make it easier for the Chair and board members on the day of the meeting I set up the meeting materials in a binder in as user friendly a way as possible. I use the meeting agenda as an index with each item as a tab number.

Tab
1 Approval of Agenda
2 Approval of Minutes
3 Business Arising
4 Committee Reports
5 Chief Executive Officer’s Report
6 Board Correspondence
7 Next Meeting
(Be sure to include a calendar in the meeting binder
for yourself and the board members)

Motions
When a motion is required, I include the language of the motion for the board members at the appropriate tab:

MOTION
To approve the agenda of June 15th as presented.
Moved: Seconded:
CARRIED

The motion language is also included in my meeting template at the appropriate spot so all I need to do when we come to the motion is fill in the names of who brought the motion forward and seconded it.

The members of the board have always been appreciative of the simplicity of the meeting binder which leaves them free to make the important decisions and get on with the business of the meeting.

All done?
I enjoy the preparation leading up to the meeting. It is a lot of work, with the highlight being when the meeting runs smoothly and minutes are completed and sent to the Board members.

Whew! Now I am free to ... prepare for the next meeting! (It is a never ending circle isn't it?)

However, you can be sure I will use my previous templates and checklists and just change the date to the next meeting date.

Go with your gut feeling!

2009-05-31T20:41:00.005-04:00

Have you ever had a moment's hesitation when you thought, "I should question that" or "I should take one more look" and then don't and later wish you had? Well, I have had two such incidents in the past two weeks. I read something that made me pause, but because I was in a big hurry and felt confident that the other person was covering that base, I let it go.

It is wise to take a moment and evaluate the situation.

In both of my situations, it would have been helpful if I had given my input. I am not sure if it would have changed the outcome, but at least I would feel confident that I flagged it for my boss.

Lesson learned and will now put me on high gut alert...

Word and Outlook 2007 tips

2009-05-24T17:23:00.016-04:00

I use Word 2007 at my new job and have never really had a chance to go through it to find the quick tips and how-tos that I had in Word 2003. Finally this weekend I searched out some of my old favourites and have listed them below in no particular order. I have also included some Outlook 2007 tips:

Word 2007:

Change Case
To toggle between upper, lower and initial caps. Highlight word and press Shift F3.

Change measurement for margins to inches (or centimeters if you prefer)
Click on the Office button, bottom middle there is a button called Word Options, click on it. Choose Advanced. Scroll down to Display Section,
Across from Show Measurements in Units of, there is drop down to change from centimeters to inches

Dot Leader
On the horizontal ruler, set the tab stop that you want (probably 6 on Ruler) On the Page Layout tab, open the Paragraph Dialog Box by clicking the arrow down. In the Paragraph dialog box, click Tabs (bottom left). Under Leader, click the leader option that suits your needs i.e. ……1 or -----1 Click OK
Type text you want i.e. Agenda as in example below. Then tab over and your leader will appear.
Agenda............................................... 2

Line Spacing
Highlight section you want to change spacing on. Choose Ctrl 1 for Single, Ctrl 2 for Double, Ctrl 5 for 1.5 spacing

To insert a document i.d. or a filename path to your document
Insert Footer, Edit Footer
On Insert Tab, click on drop down menu for Quick Parts. Choose Field.
In the Categories Drop Down Menu (top left hand corner), drop down and choose Document Information
Under Field Names (right below Categories drop down menu), click on FileName
In top right-hand corner under Field Options – Click on Add path to filename Press OK

Turn off check Grammar with Spelling
I like to check my spelling, but not the grammar at the same time. I find it really slows down the process and I have the Check Grammar While You Type on so feel that is enough. If you want to turn off the Check Grammar with Spelling and only enable the Check Spelling, here is how to do it. Click on Office Button, Word Options, Proofing, Scroll down to When Correcting Spelling and Grammar in Word. Unclick Check Grammar with Spelling. Press OK

PrintScreen
To print the active window only, in PrintScreen hold down the Alt key and press Print Screen. Then open a new document and paste (Ctrl v).
To print the entire screen, press the PrintScreen key and then paste it into a blank document.

To continue paragraph numbering
Right click and choose either restart number or continue numbering

Outlook 2007:

To recall a message in Outlook 2007
Go in the Sent message you want to Recall. In the Message tab under Actions, you will see Other Actions in the Toolbar. Click on the arrow down and you will see the option to either Delete Unread copies of this message or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message. You should also click the box Tell me if Recall succeeds or fails for each recipient.

To set a recurring 9-5 meeting (as opposed to clicking all-day meeting)
I don't like the all-day meeting settings as they are out of sight at the top of the calendar and easily missed. If my boss is going to be away from Monday to Wednesday, I block off the day and set a recurrence for the three days. His calendar then shows blocked time and nobody misses seeing that he is away. To do this Open a New Meeting. At this stage the start and end date should be the same, but the time should be set for how many hours for that day i.e. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Set a recurrence. Recurrence should be set to Daily, Every 1 day. Range of occurrence should be set. Put in Start date and click on End by and put in End date. Click OK. Your bosses calendar will now show Monday to Wednesday blocked from 9-5. There is little chance that someone will miss that and double book them.

Send a Meeting Request, without getting replies
You know how it is when you send a meeting request to the whole organization and then get 40 replies in your Inbox. If it is not necessary to see the Replies then just turn off your Request Responses button. To do so choose Invite Attendees. Under Attendees tab, choose the bottom icon called Responses. Arrow down and unclick the Request Responses button.
Turn off automatic email memoryTools, Options, Preferences, E-mail Options, Advanced E-mail OptionsUnclick “Suggest names while completing To, cc and bcc…”

Turn off items being marked as read when your cursor sits on it
On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab. Click Reading Pane button. Make sure there is no check mark in the Mark items as read when viewed in the reading pane and the Mark items as read when selection changes check box

To set your default reminder to 15 mins (or whatever you choose) Tools, Options, for Calendar Options, choose the time you want i.e. 15 mins, 30 mins. Etc. Click Apply and OK

To set your email to view b.c.c. in Send bar
Open a new message. Under the Options Tab, click on Fields and choose Show b.c.c.

How to set Out-of-Office Assistant
Tools, Out-of-Office Assistant. Click on I am currently in the office/or I am currently out of the office. Type in message (when you will be away, who to contact in your absence, when you will return). Press OK

Hope these are helpful.

Grrr! moments

2009-05-23T08:26:00.013-04:00

We all have them. You know those times when you just have to shake your head and wonder why something that seemed so simple had to get so complicated. My boss calls them Grrr! moments. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Well here is one of my Grrr! moments...

At one office I worked in we had a mail cart with slots for everyone's mail, but it was filed First name, Last name. Each time I went to get my mail I would find my mail in the other Patricia's slot or vice versa. Or if I was delivering mail to someone I had to stop, re-think and look for their first name. Of course there were four Karens and three Bobs. See what I mean? Grrr!

Question...
Which do you prefer, First Name, Last Name or Last Name, First Name? I grew up in a world that used Last Name, First Name (i.e. the phone book, standard filing practices etc.) so that is my default and I find it very user friendly. In some offices however they have First Name, Last Name as their default and I find it confusing and think it leaves room for error. If you go by their last name, errors are less likely to occur as not as many people have the same last name. Hey, I don't like errors and anything I can do to make it harder for me to make them, I will go with that.

This goes for filing and also how your contacts are ordered in Outlook. I was on another site recently and someone wanted to know how to globally change the way their contact cards were ordered. Unfortunately, they were hoping to change them all to First Name, Last Name, but aside from that choice, here are the instructions below (HA HA):

Tools, Options, Choose the Preferences tab, in the middle on the left-hand side there is a button called Contact Options. Click on this. You will see at the top there are two places you need to change it to first name, last name or last name, first name.
Then you need to go into Tools, Options again, under Account Settings. Choose the Address Book Tab at the far right. Click on the "Change" icon and you will see at the bottom there are radio buttons to click on your desired preference.
To make the changes come into effect you need to close Outlook and reopen it and all your contacts will be re-ordered in the way you prefer.
Please note: This may not work on your work Outlook account as these settings are set by your IT Administrator and even though you change it, the changes may not take effect.
You do have the option of individually getting them to display as whichever way your prefer. If you open the contact card you will see in the first section File As. Type in the way you want it displayed.

How can I remember all these instructions?
To help me remember these kinds of instructions that I only need on occasion, I have created a sub-folder in my Contact Cards called Helpline. Under that sub-folder I have opened new contact cards with names such as Outlook - Last Name, First Name; Photocopier - Compressed Scan; Word - Generate Table of Contents or anything that I may need to know. In the Notes section of each contact card I write down the instructions on how to do it so the next time I run into that problem, I will have it handy. I try to keep it simple and so far I have easily been able to find things when I go looking.

The problem I find with new technology is sometimes there are so many layers to doing things (like the instructions above) that there is no way you are going to remember the next time you need to do this. Just recall what it's like when you start a new job or if your computer crashes and you lose all your settings. Grrr! This way, you always have it at your fingertips in a quick easy-to-find system.

Public speaking...

2009-05-18T20:59:00.007-04:00

I spoke for the first time to a group of about 40 administrative professionals at a local hospital on Administrative Professionals Day. Well...I had spoken to a group of teen girls at a camp once and I did speak at my daughter's shower, but this was different. I was the keynote speaker at a professional event and had to speak for 45 minutes. Yikes!

I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. Nobody there knew me so they would have no idea if this was my first time or the hundreth time so that made it a bit easier. I had my material prepared and knew what I wanted to share, but I wasn't sure about delivery.

I am happy to report it went very well. Whew! At the end of my presentation I told them it was my first time presenting and there was an audible gasp in the audience. I think that meant they were surprised.

I wrote an article some time ago called "Just Say Yes" and told about my decision to not let fear stop me from doing things that I really wanted to try. I have always wanted to speak and felt I had some good things to share, so when a former employer asked me if I would speak to their admin group, I didn't hesitate and said Yes.

Here are some things that I learned from this experience:

Know your topic well. If you don't, your audience will pick up on it;
Speaking is like acting. Act as if you are confident and halfway through, you will actually feel it;
Think of your audience as a group of your best friends and speak to them that way;
Make eye contact with your audience, but don't single anybody out. Some people have also recommended that if you don't feel comfortable looking them in the eye, just look a little over their heads ;
Give examples and use personal experiences where appropriate. It is nice to hear how the suggestions you give have worked in real life;
Stick around and speak to people afterwards. Some people might have further questions about your talk.

My boss told me that now that I have spoken to 40, it shouldn't matter whether I speak to 40 or 400 because the same principles apply. I think he is correct about that, but will wait for my next speaking engagement and report back.

It was a great experience however and I hope to repeat it many more times.

Will Google ever stop amazing me? Introducing Goog/411

2009-05-10T18:47:00.010-04:00

I was introduced to Google when I went back to work as an assistant in a law firm in Ottawa. I had taken time off to raise my daughter and when I came back computer technology had gone from DOS to Windows and the Internet was becoming very popular. I shied away from it however. I was happy just to know how to use the computer.

I was always amazed however when I asked my co-worker any questions. She would say, "Just a minute." A few clicks later and she had an answer for me. Finally, I asked her how she knew the answers and what was she doing to get the information? It was then she introduced me to Google. I have loved it ever since and that is when my list of handy Favourites was born.

Recently, a temp worker at my job gave me another Google tip. Google has an information line (1 800 466 4411). It uses voice recognition and is fantastic. Of course before I recommend anything I try it out so I picked up the phone and it asked me what I was looking for and what city and province. I named a store and was given a list of the top locations for the store I was looking for. I then had to choose which store and to either be put through to the number or get details. I chose details and was given the street address and phone number and I still had the option of having my call put through to the store number.

I am hooked already and this will definitely go into my Favourites under 411 Look up as well as on speed dial on my cell, home and work phone.

Oh yeah, did I mention, it's free...Try it, you'll like it!

Getting your foot in the door...

2009-05-10T16:28:00.008-04:00

Would you take a job just to get your foot in the door of an organization you really wanted to work for, even if it was a position that you didn't want to make a career out of? Would you hire someone you thought was just trying to get their foot in the door?

Many times the administrative assistant position is a good way into an organization and what a great training ground to know an organization's inner workings than in this profession. Where I used to work one of the lawyers encouraged her daughter to work for the summer in law firms as an admin just for that purpose. She saw the importance of this training to help her daughter know the workings of an office from the bottom up and the office benefitted from her educational training. She was a smart kid and picked up the tasks assigned to her very quickly.

I think many university students are seeing the value in having this kind of training. So much is expected of executives these days. It used to be the secretary did everything for the boss, now the executives do a lot of their own administrative work, such as email management, so a background as an admin assistant can certainly help.

The administrative position can be a springboard for a management position if you want to go in that direction and have the right educational background. If you can prove yourself as a good worker you can go up through the ranks and because they already know how you work, they are more apt to promote you. I have seen admin assistants climb up the corporate ladder just that way.

I used to work with someone who was an assistant in the Human Resources Department of a major law firm and has now become the Director of Human Resources in that same firm. Another assistant I know worked in an accounting firm and went to school at nights to get the needed education and is now a junior accountant and loving it. Still another assistant I worked with now owns her own real estate business and has an assistant assisting her. You can be sure they value the training they received while on the front lines at the office.

I have chosen to stay in the administrative field, but in a higher level as an executive assistant and am loving it. Although I was fearful to make the move and doubted my abilities, the transition has been relatively easy to make and more suited to what I am skilled to do.

So if you want to get your foot in the door as an admin, there is no shame in that and it will be valuable training for whatever career you ultimately choose. If you have chosen this path, give it all you've got and really get your hands dirty so to speak. If a more experienced assistant comes alongside you and provides mentoring - don't refuse it. They have gotten where they are with a lot of hard work and will be able to give you good tips and skills to progress in your career, whether you stay as an admin or move on.

You should stay in the position for long enough to make what you've learned stick to be fair to yourself and the organization who hired you. When I was a teenager, I had some good advice from someone I used to babysit for. She advised that I should stay at least one year in any job I was in. She said it wouldn't look good on my resume if I was seen as a job hopper. Today, I would recommend at least two years to really get the benefit of the training. Of course if you know in the probationary period that this is just not the right fit for you, better to get out rather than being in a job you hate.

Would I hire someone I knew just wanted to get their foot in the door? Why not? You will find they make great workers because they have a purpose - to succeed!

When taking initiative isn't the best thing...

2009-05-01T07:31:00.003-04:00

I like working with someone who has initiative, wants to do a good job and is keen to contribute to the team, but is there a time when initiative is not a good thing?

Sometimes a new person will want to contribute to the team and show their new employer that they have initiative so they will dive into something that they don't have quite enough information about yet. If you are a new hire, take the time to learn and ask questions. Your new employer is not expecting you to know everything right away and it is in everyone's best interest that you proceed cautiously at first until you know the ropes.

I always feel more confident when a new hire asks me a question and gets all the information before proceeding. I don't see it as a weakness, but as a strength. Of course there will come a time when questions about certain things will not have to be asked as it is hoped the new hire will catch on to the office procedures and their initiative will kick in and they will take on these tasks on their own, but in the beginning please ask.

A colleague and I were discussing this very thing as we have seen it time and time again with new hires trying to succeed and who end up making some avoidable mistakes by jumping in too quickly and making decisions before having enough information. The first months on the job are a learning and growing experience. Take advantage of this time to learn as much as you can and ask, ask, ask.

New Hire Overload

2009-04-27T23:26:00.003-04:00

I remember starting a new job at a law firm and on my first day I was handed a 3-inch white binder and told to read it. The Human Resources Director pointed me to a small office and I was left alone to read what must have been 200 pages.

As I was going through the manual, I saw chapters on office procedures, confidentiality, health and safety, security and more. All important information, but I knew I couldn't possibly retain much of what I was looking at in one sitting so I started to cheat and flip through a few tabs because I had to sign a form that I read the manual.

I remember throughout the first week that I was there, when I asked a question on how to do something, someone would say, "it's in the manual, did you not read it?"

I think people forget how overwhelming everything can be when you start a new job. Your co-workers are probably all new to you, you don't know how to use the photocopier or fax machine and more importantly "where is the bathroom?"

This particular law firm had approximately 150 people in the office. I was taken on a tour of the premises and they pointed out the office equipment I would need to use and introduced me to everyone we met. How was I going to remember everyone's name, let alone find everything again? I was still holding the binder they had given me, while trying to look intelligent and smiling as we moved along to the next person.

The first week on the job can be very overwhelming. Be kind to your new hires and available to answer their questions and help them learn the ropes. The sooner they are up to speed, the sooner they will be able to contribute to the team and that helps everyone.

Happy Administrative Professionals' Day!

2009-04-22T07:33:00.004-04:00

I hope everyone has a great day today whatever your office may be doing, or not doing. I am speaking this morning at an administrative event so looking forward to meeting some new assistants.

The one good thing about speaking at an event where nobody knows me is, they have no idea whether my hair is supposed to be this dark...

Some good advice to pass along: Never colour your hair the night before an event. Give yourself at least two weeks prior and it will be just right.

Have a great day everyone!

Patricia

Keep your Inbox running on empty

2009-04-10T16:24:00.014-04:00

There are so many e-mails coming at us these days that e-mail management is very important. I find the best way for me to keep my Inbox organized is to immediately deal with the e-mail when it arrives. I never have more than four or five e-mails in my Inbox for any length of time.

Here are five buts you can do without:

But I don't have time!
Dealing with an e-mail does not necessarily mean taking action on it right away, sometimes we are just too busy. It may be something that you have to deal with tomorrow or next week. Move it from your Inbox to a Task with a reminder to do it later. The main thing is to get it out of your Inbox or things become too cluttered.

But it can't wait!
At times it is just as quick to answer the e-mail and be done with it, but I like to keep a record of the e-mail so I know I did the work. That is when subfolders come in handy, but if your subfolders are too complicated it can turn into a never-never land and you will never find it again. Try to keep it simple. Have four or five main folders and then put subfolders under them for anything that has to do with the main heading. For instance, I have folders for the Board of Directors, International, Personal and one for Work Information. Under those main headings I put subfolders for anything that relates to the main heading, with clear names of what is in them. Of course what works for me will probably not apply to you so you need to set up folders that apply to your working situation, but the fewer the better.

But what about my boss?

I have a folder dedicated specifically for my boss's e-mails. I set a Rule to make it go to that folder with a special ring so I know when I need to pay attention and check my e-mail account. What I especially like about it is now when I need to find an e-mail that my boss sent me, it is not tangled up with all the other e-mails, but in a folder all its own. Makes my life simpler.

But what about the other stuff?

I get internal newsletters and other information-type e-mails so I have a folder called News and dump everything like that in there until I have a chance to go back and read it or delete it. I have actuallly set a Rule for that as well, so it goes directly to that folder.

But I can't see it!
You may panic and think because it is out of sight you will forget about it, but if you move an e-mail unread into a folder, it will bold the folder so you know there is an unread e-mail in there. You can also set a follow up on your e-mail, with a reminder set and it will pop up in your Reminder box so don't worry, it won't get lost.

The main thing is to get it out of your Inbox until you have time to deal with it. It is so nice to see my Inbox on empty. Much more manageable...Sigh! Feels much better.

April 22nd - Administrative Professionals' Day

2009-04-08T06:38:00.009-04:00

It often amazes me that a day is set aside for our profession. Administrative professionals usually go about doing their work with little or no recognition. We do the behind-the-scenes work.

How often I have organized a conference or arranged a Board meeting and after all the organization and planning it goes off without a hitch. To those who don't know, it is because of the work behind the scenes that everything went smoothly. Unfortunately, if it doesn't go well is when it is noticed the most.

I like organizing and feel satisfied when everything comes together nicely, but it takes a lot of work to get there. You have to look at the little details and consider all the things that might go wrong and then work towards making it not happen as well as making what you want happen.

An organized person thinks everyone knows how to arrange things, but that is not the case. Have you ever been at an event that isn't well organized? The last Board dinner I arranged the person from the hotel who was assigned to us came up to me and said, "It is so nice when things are organized. You cannot believe how hectic it is when it isn't." He then proceeded to tell me about a previous event he was at where there was no organization. He said people didn't know where to sit and kept asking him, but he had been left with no instructions and the contact person was nowhere to be found. He said it was awful and he thanked me for making his job easier.

So pat yourselves on the back for all the work you do to make things run smoothly. That is a big part of the job.

Is your office doing anything for Administrative Professionals' Day? I think it is preferable for those who do set it aside to include all support staff as most offices now work in teams and everyone should be rewarded for a job well done.

Appreciation certainly goes a long way to making your day a little brighter and your workload seem a little lighter.

When working isn't fun: Ho hum, ho hum, it's off to work I go...

2009-03-30T00:22:00.008-04:00

Do you ever get that ho hum feeling about your job and know it is time to consider moving on? I do. After four years at my previous job I knew it was time to go. When an opportunity came up, I went for it.

I was speaking to someone on the weekend about that and she agreed. She felt in her current job she was not being challenged and used to her potential and was thinking about making a change. She told me that when she feels like that she asks herself, is this where I want to be in the next five years and if the answer is no, then she knows it is time to leave.

Working is something we all have to do, but when it loses our interest, it makes it pretty hard to get up in the morning and make the commute in. Job satisfaction is important.

Polish up the ol' resume
It is all right to send your resume out and see what kind of response you get. There are still jobs to be had, you just have to find them.

In this new age of not doing anything more than a quick spell check on documents, make sure you do not have any spelling mistakes in your resume. I was speaking to a manager the other day and he said when he gets a resume, that is one of the first things he checks. If you have typos in your resume, what does that say about your attention to detail and pride in your work? You would be surprised at the amount of errors I have seen in this very important first introduction to a company.

They are interested, now what?
If you get an opportunity for an interview you may as well go and try it. When you meet this potential employer, make eye contact and give a firm handshake. When I speak with someone I want them to look me in the eye. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and it is true, you can tell a lot by someone's eyes so if you are not looking at me I wonder what you don't want me to know about you.

I also like people to show confidence by shaking my hand. I have had some pretty limp handshakes in my day that made me want to immediately take my hand back and shake it out -- Ewww! Other handshakes felt like they were trying to break mine. Ouch! A firm but short handshake is all it takes.

Be prepared in the interview with your own questions too. I always like the interview to be a conversation, with both sides talking. An interview can be as stressful on those conducting it as on the person being interviewed if the conversation does not flow. Nobody likes long pauses and awkward moments, but you don't want to talk when you shouldn't either.

HA HA, not funny
Be very careful about using humour in an interview. What you may find funny, someone else may find offensive. At one interview I was on, I was so relaxed and at ease that I told a joke. It could have gone either way, but fortunately they both laughed. Whew!

Nothing to lose
The best time to look for a job is when you don't need one. You will be more relaxed and if it works out -- great, but if not, you have not lost anything. You may even start to think your current job is not that bad afterall.

How to get Office fat fast...

2009-03-21T04:49:00.011-04:00

I've been gaining weight lately and couldn't figure out why until I started to look at my new office habits.

How to gain weight in six easy steps:

Do not eat breakfast before going to work. You can always buy a quick croissant or sticky bun to get you through the morning;

Never bring a lunch to work. The specials at the cafeteria in your building will certainly have something greasy and fattening for your enjoyment;

Don't take a lunch break. Stay at your desk and continue to work (while quickly gulping down the above greasy fast food);
Don't drink lots of water during the day, it will only make you have to leave your desk more often;
When you need a quick pick me up visit the office candy bowl for a sugar high or better yet, keep a candy bowl at your own desk to save steps;

Try not to schedule exercise into your work day. You don't have time anyway!

An ACE commissioned study found that secretaries, teachers, lawyers and police officers walked significantly fewer steps and less distance than other occupations. At the low end, secretaries were observed to walk only an average of 4,327 steps. The recommended goal being 10,000 steps a day.

Try to eat healthy, and please make some time for exercise. I know I am going to change my habits.

When you need it later: The Bring-Forward System

2009-03-15T20:16:00.017-04:00

My boss likes me to keep him organized and the way I do that is to have a system to bring forward items, which I then bring to his attention when he needs to see it.

The system I use is quite simple and has been around for a long time. They taught this system when I was in highschool and it is still being taught and used by many assistants today because it works!

Tried and True Method:
I set up 12 hanging file folders labelled January through to December. If my boss is going on a business trip in April for instance, I put his ticket, passport (if necessary) and any material he will need for his trip in the April folder, with a bf date on it i.e. April 6. If there are forms that need to filled in and it has a due date in June, I put those forms in the June folder with a bf date on it for a week before it is due.

Each day before I leave for the day, I go through the appropriate hanging folder and look through it for any items my boss will need the next day. I then put the items in a two-fold file folder with his calendar printed out on the one side and the items he will need for the day on the other side. This really works for us and is so easy to use.

Reminders for Me:
For reminders for myself I tend to use Tasks in Outlook a lot. Many of my tasks come from e-mail requests from either my boss or others so I want the e-mail to be in my Tasks so I can set a reminder. Depending on how you have your Outlook set up, below are the steps:

you can either *drag and drop the e-mail into the Tasks folder or open the e-mail and choose Move to Folder and choose Other Folder and scroll down until you find Tasks, highlight it and press OK
the e-mail contents will now be in your Task, but in the Comments section
in the Subject line I write whatever it is I need to do and put [OPEN] so I will know to open the Task to read the e-mail below
I set the appropriate date I need to do it by and set a reminder.

Other Tasks:
If you need to set yourself a Task further to a phone call request or just to set a reminder to do something at a future date, highlight the Tasks folder by clicking on it once and from your Outlook Toolbar press New and it will open a Task for you and you can then proceed as above to set your dates and reminders.

Where can I put this paper?
For paper things that I need to remember to follow up on, I put the letter or document in my Wait Bin (which is a tray for things I am waiting on). I create a corresponding Task reminder and write something like this: WAITBIN need to prepare form for production by March 23rd. Then I put a reminder for a few days before. Because I have WAITBIN in my Subject line, I will know that the item is in my Wait Bin when I go to look for it.

Waiting on someone else:
Sometimes I have a Task that I can't do anything with until I hear back from a co-worker. When I get my reminder for the Task, and if I haven't heard back from my co-worker, I follow up with an e-mail to ask them the status and depending on the response, I re-set my reminder for a later date or once the Task is completed, I delete it from my Tasks folder.

I don't want to miss anything:
I have access to my boss's e-mail account and usually schedule a time in my day to look through his Inbox, Sent Items and Deleted Items. I tend to do this at the end of the day, but depending on your boss's needs, you can do it first thing in the morning or beginning and end of day. I look for action items he has requested from someone or they have requested from him. I then *drag and drop these e-mails into my Tasks to follow up on or print them and highlight what he needs to do and by what date and put it in his bring-forward system. Unless you schedule a time to do this, you will be in the account all the time not wanting to miss anything, but that is not an efficient use of your time. My boss knows I just check his account once a day. He will forward or cc me on items he wants me to take action on sooner.

Depending on where you work and who you work for, you may use a combination of these bring-forward systems or may prefer one method over the other. When I worked for a law firm I found using the Outlook Tasks exclusively worked for me, but now that I work as an Executive Assistant to a CEO, the bring-forward hanging file folder system works best, along with setting Tasks as described above.

You have to find a system that works for you and your boss and then use it over and over until it is so routine that you will automatically know where to put something and know what to do to find it later.

I find communicating with your boss about how you are following up and what system you are using will help in how you work together as a team. They will have confidence that you have a plan and that things won't slip through the cracks and will be able to relax and let you do your job.

*When you drag and drop an e-mail from your e-mail account (or your boss's) into Tasks, it does not remove it, it just copies the e-mail contents into the Task Comments Section. The original e-mail stays intact in the folder you got it from. If you drag and drop an e-mail into a folder or subfolder however, it will move it from the one place to the other.

I always have the perfect answer ... the next day!

2009-03-08T22:17:00.011-04:00

Someone says something to you at work, but you weren't expecting it so aren't prepared with an answer. You want to say something intelligent and well thought out, but it comes out all wrong. When you go home however -- that is the time you come up with the perfect answer. You go over the conversation you had with your co-worker or boss, but this time you put in the answer you would have said if you had taken the time to think about it. Or at least that is what happens to me...

I recently went on a professional development day and one of the speakers spoke about the importance of respect for our co-workers and team members and how that should be reflected in our communications with them. He said we should take time before we answer and that it was all right to say, "I'll get back to you on that" or "Let me think about it."

He also suggested that you have something in your mind as a marker that will help you in your conversations. His was, "What would Jesus say?" He said it was not for religious reasons, but only because he wanted to make sure that what he was saying was going to be the most helpful and not something he would regret in the morning and this worked for him. Another one he suggested was, "How would I feel if someone said that to me?"

Wouldn't it be great if we the took time to think before we answered and instead of going over the conversation in our mind and thinking of what we should have said, we actually waited and said something we could be proud of the next day? It sure would save me a lot of lost sleep...

It can be the same with e-mail. We press Send and regret it.

Something I do if I am contemplating sending an e-mail when I am upset is send it to myself first. I leave my desk, cool down a bit and when I come back, I open the message in my Inbox and read my e-mail again. I then get the full impact my e-mail will have on the recipient and sometimes by doing that I have re-written the whole e-mail and toned it down or not sent it at all.

Spring cleaning on the blog

2009-03-01T12:22:00.004-05:00

It is a very sunny day today with a promise of spring in the air so I thought it was a good time to spring clean the blog. You will notice on the side bar I have put a lot of the reading sites (My blog list etc.) at the bottom and moved the My Favourites up so it would be convenient for your use.

Under My Favourites, I have added a Meeting section with some useful sites and combined many of my travel related links under one title simply called Travel. I have also combined all the tutorials, training and other education-related links under the title Training.

I have removed the Google Ads as I thought it took up a lot of space and wasn't very useful and included the index of my articles instead so you could easily scroll through and see a list of the articles that have been posted by date.

I hope this will be more user friendly and accessible to everyone. If you have any favourite sites that you think others would find useful, please send them along and I will add them to the sidebar.

Patricia

Different spellings: British, Canadian and American

2009-02-27T22:31:00.006-05:00

I was proofing a document the other day, but since I've been reading documents from the United States and Canada, I couldn't remember if behaviorial was the American or the Canadian spelling. Thank goodness for Google, I use it all the time to get answers. This time I came up with a site called Karen's Linguistics Issues. It gives the proper spelling for British, Canadian and American words and is very user friendly. It will definitely be added to My Favourites on the side bar of the blog under Spelling. By the way, behaviourial is spelled this way in Canada.

I hope you find it as useful as I did.

Guest Post: What Makes Virtual Administrative Assistants Work?

2009-02-24T23:24:00.004-05:00

What Makes Virtual Administrative Assistants Work?

Administrative assistants do more than just assist with the day-to-day activities of a company – in fact, for most employers, they’re Person Fridays without whom nothing gets done. They leave them free to handle tasks that really do demand their attention rather than waste time doing mundane duties that can be taken care of by an able and efficient assistant. But there are some people who don’t need a full-time assistant; they need such services only when they’re on a certain project or burdened with too many short-term responsibilities. And that’s where a virtual administrative assistant can step in to make all the difference. If you’re thinking of becoming a VAA, here’s what you can do to make sure you get assignments on a continued basis:

Sign up with online temp agencies and other job portals: There are many ways you can advertise your services – Craigslist is good if you’re looking for area-wise employers while Guru.Com is a worldwide job portal that allows people to bid for your services. Alternatively, you can list yourself with other online placement sites as well.
Make sure your resume is up to scratch: Your resume should list your skills, your experience in working as a virtual assistant, and any other capabilities that you think potential employers are looking for. Since there is no chance of a face-to-face interview where you can convince people of your abilities, your resume should say it all.
Experience counts: None of us can start out with experience, but the truth is that most employers are looking for someone who has proven themselves in this particular discipline. You can bolster your resume and your skills by performing similar services at low costs for people in your hometown and ask them to provide testimonials when you’re looking for online work.
Prove yourself: Once you’re hired, make sure you do all it takes to prove your mettle. A good administrative assistant is one who understands their employer’s needs thoroughly and acts accordingly. Even if there are mistakes made, accept them as your fault and try to do better at the next task. Follow up any appointments you make so that nothing is left to chance. And make sure you ask your employer to provide honest feedback about your work, both throughout the project and once you’re done.
Develop your networking skills: Keep in touch with employers who have used your services in the past and ask them to recommend you to their colleagues and partners who are looking to hire a virtual administrative assistant. Broaden your list of contacts and let people know that your services are available to those who need them.

By-line:

This post was contributed by Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of job search sites. She invites your feedback at hollymccarthy12@gmail.com

Protocol for addressing Canadian and foreign dignitaries

2009-02-22T18:13:00.006-05:00

A reader asked if I would post on the proper protocol to address Canadian dignitaries such as the Prime Minister or other Ministers in the government. This government site gives you that information and more.

I will add it to my Favourites on the side bar of the blog under Addressing Dignitaries Protocol for everyone's convenience, but I would suggest you add it to your own Favourites as well. This is a must-have resource.

For my readers from other countries, you will note there is a section for foreign dignitaries and if you click on that it will give you the proper form to address just about anyone in the world.

That's not my job!

2009-02-21T21:37:00.005-05:00

I have noticed in my role as an assistant that I can be called upon to do a lot of things. Our job is not just one thing, but many different tasks and it changes every day. If a conference comes up and they are looking for someone to do the registration, we can step in and do that or we can organize it from start to finish.

If someone is needed at the Reception Desk to greet guests and take calls, we can easily step in. What about brainstorming to see what organizational tools would work best in the office? Who better than the admins to come up with something that works.

Sometimes scheduling meetings can be a headache with no end in sight trying to get all the parties together. Give the task to an assistant and we will work with everyone involved and not only set up the meeting date and time, but book the boardroom, photocopy and distribute the meeting materials and arrange the flight and hotel if necessary.

If your job changes, adapt to the new challenges. Be open to it as it not only makes the job more interesting, but more importantly, it makes you more valuable.

We are fortunate that our roles are so versatile and in these times of lay offs, that is a good thing. Someone who says, "That's not my job!" will not go far as we need to be available to fill in the gap wherever we can.