The Devil is in the Details

Being an Administrative Professional is akin to being a coach, trainer and strategist - at the same time.  In order to keep all the balls in the air, or at least bouncing, we need to pay attention to the details.  

Some days, this is easier said than done.  However, the effort is truly worthwhile.

The devil we face as Admins are the little details.  Not paying attention can cost us our jobs, our networks, the trust of our associates, and/or friendships.

For the sake of all things sane!  Don't let the devil win - pay attention to your details.

Organizational Chaos

If anyone has seen their organizational charts lately, you'll have noticed that with every Executive, Director, Manager, and Minion box and connecting line, there are as many dotted lines connecting said boxes to other parts of the organization.  Effectively blurring the lines of reporting and responsibility.

Some organization call this transparency.  The people in the trenches call this STRESS!

Having a clear line of authority helps when a person needs to leverage support for tricky situations or to garner support for projects.  When the field is too wide, and the hoops to jump through are too varied, failure is a expectation.

Create some clarity, reign in the dotted lines.  Clean up the Org Charts and let Peace reign in the land.

Rules at Work

Rules are a guideline by which behavior is governed in any given situation.  In a work environment it can be a boon and a curse all rolled into one.
You see, rules form a framework by which we can set our expectations of how we can conduct our selves in the workplace, do our jobs, expect compensation, etc.  Rules can also stymie the work environment.  Keep people from growing into their potential.

People who step beyond the boundaries set by the rules will be either lauded or vilified.
I frequently step outside the boundaries of my rules.  You could say, I run with scissors.

If something isn't working, I find a way to make it work.  I go over, under or around that which impedes me to get the job done. That often means rules get broken.

I don't advocate landing in jail.  Those rules shouldn't be broken.  But when an organization has become so hide bound by its own rules, sometimes a rule-breaker is just what the organization needs to find its path again.  Organizations that have no flexibility in them are the ones that fail.  Especially in today's climate.

Not all rule breakers survive in a rigid organization.  Organizations exist that appreciate the unique talents of these individuals.

The Evil Wizard of Work

Alas my loyal readers, I have been held captive by the evil Wizard of Work.
Having captured me one afternoon many moons ago, he held me hostage at my desk.  Where I arranged travel to distant lands, strategized the pilot of new software tortures, slogged through the mires of email and calendaring misery only to have to repeat it day after day.
Traveling to make merry, my task masters left for climes much fairer than my cubicle environment.
Who pray tell will rescue this maiden fair from the Evil Wizard of Work?
Oh!  That's right I forgot.  I was under a spell.  Not only do I slay dragons but I can bust through a spell in a heartbeat.
I'll rescue myself.

RESET Button

Have you ever had one of those days where you want to hit the RESET button?

Well, today was it.  Nothing particularly horrible happened, but nothing particularly right happened either.  At work I was juggling tons of balls in the air and inevitably one fell.  Not one that was work critical but was important to my boss. 

When you are an admin, there is a fine line between work and personal when you work at the executive level.  I try to keep everything in balance.  Most importantly, I try not to drop any balls.  But when you support a business unit president, vice president, assorted directors AND the various and sundry managers underneath them, life can get a little chaotic.

I really hate it when I miss a ball. It makes me feel miserable and crappy.  I do my best to shake it off and hit the RESET button the minute I walk out the door so that the next day is new.  But the hold over feels like an axe hanging over my neck.

Today I hit the RESET button.  Too bad I know that my RESET will only be good for me. My boss has a memory like an elephant.

Need a Miracle? Mighty Admin to the Rescue!

You're no good unless you are a good assistant;

and if you are, you're too good to be an assistant. 

~Martin H. Fischer

One of my directors pokes her head around the wall of my cubicle with a sheepish yet cautious look on her face.  I’m immediately suspicious. 

“What can I do for you?”

“I know this is last minute, but I need a meeting set up with …” And she names three top officers in the corporation, “Can you arrange it for this afternoon or first thing in the morning?”

On the screen in my mind I see myself, strangling this director and banging her head against the wall while chanting, “Lack of planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on MINE!”

Reality:  “Of course!”  And I get the details and set about pulling another miracle from my nether regions.