IM Misuse

Admin Gal would like to clarify the that the 'INSTANT' in Instant Messaging is just that - messages that are INSTANT, BRIEF, QUICK, etc.

Too often, Admin Gal's colleagues have been taken to creating long dialogues that would be better suited to other mediums, such as - email, telephone conversations, smoke signals or even carrier pigeons.

Instant Messaging is a very intrusive method of communication. No, Admin Gal was not born in the stone-age. She believes that there is a time and a place for all methods of communication.  Writing a novel in an IM is not appropriate business practice - EVER.

Please Instant Message responsibly.

Driving Me to Drink

There are good days, then there are days when Admin Gal is driven around the bend, through the woods, and possibly to a beverage (reader's choice, Admin Gal prefers highly caffeinated or sugared).

Calling Admin Gal three times in 15 minutes will not make an assigned task go faster, a phone call be returned faster, or an email magically show up in the in box. Nor will pinging Admin Gal incessantly via instant messaging make any of the aforementioned things happened.

Admin Gal's tips for NOT aggravating her, thereby insuring your survival for another day, are as follows:

1. Trust her to do her job.
2. Lack of planning on your part will not mean Admin Gal will take the blame.
3. Holding back information will only make you look bad.
4. Admin Gal documents EVERYTHING, don't ever think otherwise.
5. P-Cards are audited, don't ask Admin Gal to go outside company guidelines.
6. Admin Gal is not a Butler, personal servant, nanny, nor a maid.

The Sin of 'Reply All'

We've all done it, hit 'Reply All' when we've only meant to send a pithy, semi-inappropriate reply to an email. And had grovel accordingly.

OR

In the case of one company, the ill-conceived notion, of starting a revolution on the matter of refurbishing the company fitness center.  After all, if 'YOU' are up in arms over the matter, surely others will follow your lead and charge up the hill with torches and pitchforks at the ready supporting you all the way.

NOT!

A few days ago a misguided soul hit 'Reply All' to a simple announcement that the fitness center would be closed on a Saturday.

Instead of a simple reply to the sender, the obliviot hit 'Reply All' and said, 'I hope it is closed for renovations! It needs it!'.  A fellow obliviot, joined in with their own spin, also sharing their remarks with the entire list.

Neither one of these individuals paid attention to the individuals on the list.  At least three Vice President, seven Directors, and each of their direct managers were party to their career suicide.

Too be fair, the fitness center director should have blind copy the entire list to avoid the entire debacle.  BUT, common sense should have prevailed.

Only use REPLY ALL in the most dire of circumstances.  Your job depends on it.

Assigning Responsibilities

Admin Gal has a co-worker who recently was assaulted with responsibilities not assigned by her manager.

Assigned by whom you ask?

Assigned and announced to the company by another admin who, frankly, couldn't be bothered to go through the proper channels to discuss additional job responsibilities.

You see, these responsibilities being added to her plate surmounted to the work of an additional employee.  Let me repeat.  An Additional Employee.

Her managers had not been apprised of these changes.  An assumption had been made that she would be 'happy' to take on these additional responsibilities.

The admin with the added responsibilities was savvy.  She made the issue be known to her manager. Who, in turn, ran it up the channels to the unfortunate admin's boss who started the mess.

A review is currently underway of policy and procedure.  The admin who started making assignments is backpedaling.  Trying to create documentation for her faux pas - too little too late.

Her boss has egg on his face.

The morale of this story?  Always know your responsibilities, and always make sure your supervisor is aware of changes not approved by him or her.

Don't You Know Who I Am?

Admin Gal must give a shout out to a friend in the west.  She is faced with many of the same dilemma's, and handles them with much grace.  In particular, her latest post is a delight with Things You Say That Will Make Me Doubt You.


Her last point in particular struck a nerve, “You don’t understand, you are going to do what I tell you.  Don’t you know who I am?”  


Unfortunately, I could relate to that poorly worded demand.  My response is pretty standard, "Actually, no, I don’t know who you are. I know all the important people by name and sight."  All the while smiling sweetly or having a sweet tone in my voice if the person is on the phone uttering such an unfortunate statement.


My internal meter for lying is pretty accurate.  When someone is pushing the 'Don't you know who I am?' card, it generally means they have absolutely nothing to back themselves up with and are blow hards. 


Now, if said individuals had asked politely for assistance.  Explaining the situation and the urgency to them, allowing for some give and take, nine times out of ten they would find that the aid/information/meetings they were trying to bully themselves into would be given freely or opportunities for other options would be opened up to them.


Instead - they are dead in the water.  Shark bait.

It must be hard for people to be important in the small land of their imagination.

Vacation Admonitions

In preparation for taking some well deserved down time, Admin Gal has prepared the following prep list for her executive team:

1. Communications - I have set up a back up Admin to assist you during my absence.  No, that does not mean you can email me, telephone me or contact me in any fashion for the aforementioned time.  The back-up Admin is there to assist you while I am out of the office taking a well deserved break from YOU, drinking Mai Tai's until I can't remember where I work.
2. Projects - Any actions that need to be addressed while I am gone should be directed to my associate.  She has been brief in any out-standing items and can render assistance.  DO NOT hoard your tasks until my return, demanding that I complete said tasks as an emergency of your making.
3. My Desk - DO NOT pile my desk with tasks, papers, files or assorted notes of things you might have forgotten to tell me before I left.  I am not there to read  or accomplish them.  (if they are time sensitive... well SOL)  The last thing I want to do is come back to a desk piled high of things that you no long want on your desk.  Or sticky-notes covering my monitor of things you deem too important for me to forget upon my return.

If these three simple guidelines can be met, your Admin will be returned to you in a relaxed and stress-free fashion, ready to take on the next gargantuan set of tasks set before her.

Alas, if you can not help yourselves and can not avail yourselves of the resources left to help you while your Admin is away...

May the PTB's (Powers That Be) rest your souls.

Chatter Much?

As an Admin, I’m all for communication, camaraderie, and corporate cohesion.  But when in a cubicle environment, over chatter is tantamount to TMI (too much information).

I’ve heard stories about children, pets, relationships,  and love lives that would curl your hair.  Apparently, people feel that the laws of acoustical physics do not apply in cubical land.  We all know that fabric and styrofoam are impervious sound barriers – NOT!

It’s hard to turn a deaf ear to complaining and moaning about their lot in life about how miserable their jobs are.  We all know that times are tough.

To quote a sign I recently saw, “IF YOU’RE UNHAPPY WHERE YOU ARE – MOVE!“

We all chatter amongst ourselves, it’s human nature.  It’s our jobs to make our environment uplifting an positive.  The negative chatter and mind sets only make things miserable, sowing seeds of destruction and strife.

If you can’t say something positive – please don’t say anything at all!

Give A Gal A Bone

Admin Gal feels like a dog with a bone and ten toys, guarding her stash.

I walk a fine line with my resources so that the business needs may be met by the employees in her care while working with the consultants that are in the midst of the company transition.

Frankly I’m exhausted!

Help me do the math.  200 employees, 5 functioning conference rooms, 20-30 meetings on any given day.  Add to this volatile mix, consultants who are doing data transfers who require quiet places to hold hour plus long conference calls at indeterminate times.  The math doesn’t work!

There are no guarantees that I can get the consultants a conference room, so they are in cubes conducting these calls on speakerphone.  Things are tense already.

I’d say give the Admin Gal a bone, but right now I’m guarding my stash and won’t come out of my hole.

So, giving me another bone to guard might not be a great idea when I'm ready to snap.