Greasy Fingerprints of Guilt

Admin Gal has an issue with organizations that will not trust the committees to complete the tasks they are assigned.

Projects can not be group managed.  The failure rate is 99.99% when this happens.  An excellent example is a newsletter.  Yes, content can be produced from the organization at large.  When it comes to the actual assembly and coordination of said newsletter, let the assignee's do their job.

Who shoulders the blame when everything goes to pot?  The original group who was assigned the task, that's who.  But the greasy fingerprints of the guilty, meddlesome creatures who couldn't help themselves, will be emblazoned on the smoldering heap of the failure.

Admin Gal's conclusion is - if you can't let go, don't assign the job.

Phishing

It's bad enough Admin Gal has to deal with Sales people who give the profession a bad name.  She knows there are plenty of good ones in the sea.  But it chaps her behind when a company invokes the name of two other companies in order to phish for information.

Admin Gal just had the misfortune of a call from 'Jack', I didn't know that there were many 'Jack's' in India, who said he was from FEDEX who said he had a package for my boss.  It's one thing to confirm the address.  The tell is when the 'Jack' in question starts confirming rank and position with the company.  What does that have to do with the package?

Admin Gal detests liars.

The phishing expedition was very disappointing for 'Jack', but entertaining for us.

Sales Call Fail #1

Admin:   Good Afternoon, thank you for calling ABC Company, how may I help you?

Sales Person:  I'd like to speak with Mr. XXXX.

Admin: I'm sorry he is unavailable, may I take a message?

Sales Person: If he is unavailable, no. Click

Admin Gal as a few pithy remarks about this brief yet memorable conversation. 

Her boss is never available on first blush to a stranger.  If you don't leave a message, Admin Gal PROMISES he will never ever be available to you.  

The arrogance of assumption that you are able to speak to a ranking executive in a Fortune 500 company based on a cold call, tells Admin Gal that you have an elevated sense of importance.  She'll be happy to send you crashing back to earth.  Painfully or politely is entirely your choice.

Asking the best way to contact the executive WILL win points in Admin Gal's eyes and might get you in the door.