Refrigerator Courtesy

Refrigerator real-estate is a precious commodity.

Admin Gal has become the bad guy in the battle of the refrigerator space.  She is the one who must decide what can stay and what must go.

The general rule of thumb followed: No expiration date = wastebasket.

Are there some misses?  Does Admin Gal care? NO.

Juggling, I'm a Pro

Balls, chainsaws and knives are flying through the air in an attempt to get through the day.

Some days, everything stays in the air...

and some days not so much.

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.

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.

The End is Near!

Year end reports, deadlines for the year's expenses, accruals and more!

December isn't just about that giant, jolly red elf and using vacation time.  Absolutely not!  No, its about getting ready for the next year by making sure the previous year's 'i''s and 't''s are dotted and crossed.

An Admin is aware of all the deadlines.  We put reminders on calendars, we send emails, we use sticky notes and smoke signals.  Sometimes we even stand on our heads in order to get people to do their part in the year end preparation.

As our colleagues act surprised by the pile of year-end to do's that end up on their desk, the Admin will calmly smile through the tempest in a teapot.

Passing the Buck

Admin Gal as a bone to pick.  Just because she can solve most of the problems that inundate the work place, does not mean that she will do the job that nobody else wants to do.

For example, if you don't know how to add someone to a database DO NOT punt the job to Admin Gal.  Seriously.  It will only annoy her.  She will have to stop what she is doing find out who owns the database, direct the unfortunate individual to that person and instruct them in the proper procedure.

The power of an administrative assistant is nothing short of miraculous, but it stops at doing someone else's job.

The Paper Fairy Doesn't Live Here

oes the Admin Gal have wings?  Do you really want her visiting you when she finds 20 unprinted jobs stacked up on the printer and the only excuse was 'there was no paper?'

I hate to break it to you folks ... but there is no Paper Fairy!  There I said it!  There is no magical being who goes from printer to copier waving their magical wand, filling the paper trays as they skip merrily along.

NO - what you have is a very cranky, annoyed and pretty pissy Admin. Who can not fathom why her co-workers fingers are broken.  Or why their brain-pans are so small that they can not perform a function that a chimpanzee could master in minutes. (Oh, and the monkey would be bored)

It doesn't take any more time to put in a ream of paper than it does to to go back to your desk and print to another machine.

Do yourself and everyone else a favor - FILL THE PAPER TRAY.  It won't kill you, but the non-existent Paper Fairy might.

Not In Your Job Description?

Okay people.  Didn't your mothers teach you anything?  When you take the last of anything, DO NOT LEAVE THE CARCASS MOLDERING FOR OTHERS TO DISPOSE OF!
Taking the last of anything and leaving the empty container is rude.  When asked the perpetrators are asked 'Why did you leave this garbage in the supply cabinet when there is a trash can next to it?' And their reply is 'It's not my job?'
SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?!?!  What planet where they raised on?
It's not my job to play nurse maid to a bunch of supposed adults who should be able to pick up after themselves.  A word to the wise, it is EVERYBODY's job to contribute to a healthy environment.  If that means picking up after yourselves, so be it!
Lack of responsibility is a pet peeve of mine in the supply cabinet.  I expect a certain amount of maturity to be exhibited.  You take the last thing, you need to do the following:

1. Tell the person who maintains the supplies. (Yes, folks, that is ME!)
2. Throw away the empty containers. (This won't kill you, demote you, or demean you.)
3. Do not expect 1 & 2 to be done by others!

While this is not a difficult concept on paper, the actual application and implementation is apparently beyond the capabilities of mature adults who hold down jobs where multi-million dollar decisions are being made.
Or it could be I'm dealing with idiot savants.

Pearls Before...

In the world of an Adminstrative Professional, there are a multitude of levels that can be achieved. From the receptionist, whose demeanor sets the tone for employees and visitors as they enter the facility. To an actual executive level, where the Adminstrative Professional sets policy and procedures for the admins through out the organization. An entire spectrum lays between.

I only point out this breadth of range because of common comments I hear amongst my peers. "I have no way to advance." or "Nobody takes me seriously because I'm an admin" or, my personal favorite, "I just can't do what they are asking me to do because they haven't trained me."

Pardon me as I call bullshit on these whiners! I'm sorry to be blunt and rude, but enough! We who are admin are not brainless space holders who do nothing. If that is all you do? Get out now. You are doing your peers no service.

If you feel stifled, plenty of opportunities abound.  You just have to take them.

Today's economic climate does not leave pearls strewn across the road for the lucky to find. Instead you have to be savvy. Take advantage of work assisted education. Look for grants and programs that might suit your circumstances.

Opportunities abound, no one will hand them to you on a silver platter.

What Defines You?

Everyone has a job to do.  That is a simple truth.  You can be a baker, butcher or a candle-stick maker. In the corporate world, a receptionist, a manager, or an executive.  Or anything in between.

What you do is not as important as how you do it.  Do you have a passion for your job or are you just watching the clock  to pick up he paycheck at the end of the pay period?

If you are the later, you are doing yourself and the people you work for and with a HUGE disservice.  My question to you is why do you bother?

I enjoy the challenge of being an Admin.  Without my particular skill set my current organization would suffer.  My job is to be the glue to hold my organization together.  I am a liason between management and the floor.  Keeping a pulse on the morale is an important part of what I do.  I am defined by my demeanor of professionalism that I maintain during stressful times.  By the genuine caring of the good people with whom I work with.

So, back to my original question. What defines you?

My actions in life define me.

Unique Patterns

The work environment is an ever changing kaleidoscope with shards of glittering glass mixed in with ordinary objects to create one-of-a-kind experiences.  Each twist of the prism brings a different vision, a different perspective.

Sometimes, this creates a rich, robust atmosphere where people can truly offer the best of themselves. Sometimes, it creates growth opportunities.  Sometimes, this creates a clear vision of the changes that must happen to make the organization stronger.
Then there is the daily routine which grinds all that amazing sparkling fabulous stuff into dust. Where your best can be looked as threatening to the over all good, because you are standing out from the over all mediocrity.

I'm tired of being forced to live to the standards of mediocrity that are posing as perfection.  I stand against the forces that force people to conform.

I propose a revolutionary idea.  The idea is simple.  Take a journey of discovery.  Own your talents and utilize them to the utmost.  Don't be afraid of what makes you a spectacular person.

Own the shards and pieces that create the amazing kaleidescope of your personal and professional life.  If you can't create the pattern that makes you unique where you are, then perhaps you aren't in the right place.

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.

On the Cheap

Nothing seems to be safe anymore in today’s employment climate. Gone is security of generations gone by. Very few people can stick with one company for their entire career. If they manage to do that, they have to reinvent themselves to stay ahead of the latest management model that leans toward automation, downsizing or out-sourcing.

I realize that there are many processes that can be outsourced, off-shored, and just plain automated. When all these cost cutting measures are taking place, what happens to the actual employee, who helped build the company? The general morale? The principles that built the company? More importantly the corporate history?

While the government gives lip-service to keeping jobs in the country, more and more companies are sending department functions overseas. Why? ‘Because it can be done cheaper elsewhere’. Sure, there are binding contracts that impose penalties if things are not done to the SLA's (service level agreements) of the corporation, but what happens to the customer service interface? There are no guarantees that expectations will be met.

To be frank the customer wants to interface with employees they feel confident will fulfill their needs. Not third-party vendors that have no clue as to why the company even exists.

As employees ride these waves of uncertainty in the workplace, they go through cycles of anger and fear. Rightfully so. Whether they have been with the company 3 months or 30 years, their livelihood is threatened. So the affected portions of the company are shunted off to the side, cut off from the rest of their corporate brethren. The isolation takes its toll on morale and perception.
While the management who has to manage the outsourcing process must be sensitive to the needs of the employees, the rest of the company is oblivious and often makes matters worse.

I don’t have a crystal ball that tells the future, but I do know that when a company treats their employee as well as it treats its customers there is a renaissance in business and vitality.

When a corporation treats its employees as so much dross, they will soon follow their greatest assets, the employee, into oblivion.

Responsibility

As I travel through the blogosphere, I encounter a bevy of different types of bloggers.  Each blogger trying to accomplish a different goal.  Some wish to document their lives, some vent their frustrations, some share knowledge, some start businesses.
The Blogosphere is a cornucopia of opportunity.
Lately, a debate about anonymous blogging has raged.  One camp has cried that taking away the anonymity is akin to taking our First Amendment Right of Free Speech.  The other camp states that you should take responsibility for what you write regardless of the consequences.  Yes, First Amendment Rights of Free Speech apply but those who are responsible are writing within that context and have nothing to fear.
I have to say that stand in the second camp.  I live by the rule 'If my mother can't read what I write, I don't publish it!' Trite I know.  I feel that too many people hide behind a mask to publish slanderous and defamatory materials about decent people.  All under the guise of Free Speech.


Free Speech does not protect against slander and libel.  Both of which are prosecutable.  Publishing anonymously doesn't give anyone the right to hurt another person.  PERIOD.

Not all Anonymous Bloggers publish with the intent to harm.  Some are worried about personal security.  There are plenty of opportunists that can do irreparable harm with just a little bit of seemingly harmless information.  That being said, I truly believe the majority of bloggers simply wish to express themselves, if asked they will reveal themselves.

I'll be honest.  While I might be pointed and tart in what I say, I stand by my opinion.  I am a private individual, who welcomes new friends and acquaintances. As the light of bloggers rights is being shined across the blogosphere, I know that I can stand in the light and fear no shadows.
I am a blogger.

Oh NO He Didn't

Gentle Reader, here is an authentic conversation had during Admin Gal’s very hectic busy day.  Admin Gal would like to point out the numerous egregious errors of this sales person.

Admin Gal: “Thank you for calling XXXXX.  How may I help you?”

India Sales Guy: "Hello, I'm looking for the CIO of your company XXXXXX? Can you direct me you him?"

Admin Gal: “I’m sorry we have no XXXXX in the company directory.”

India Sales Guy: “Can you tell me who the CIO is?” (Strike #1)

Admin Gal: “No”

India Sales Guy: “Why not?”

Admin Gal: “Did your even research my company?”

India Sales Guy: “No. Does that matter?” (Strike #2)

Admin Gal (completely flummoxed by the lack of preparedness and sheer lack of survival skills of this sales person): “Of course it matters, I’m not paid to do your job.  Please research my company.”

The intrepid Admin Gall then ends the call, annoyed but already on to other things.
15 minutes later, the phone rings.  Admin Gal is unable to answer the phone because she has someone at her cubicle.  She picks up the call she let go to voice mail after her visitors left.

India Sales Guy: “I’ve done my research, the CIO is XXXXX.” CLICK (Strike #3)

Admin Gal stares at her telephone in disbelief.
Another 15 minutes, the phone rings again.  Admin Gal picks up.

Admin Gal: “Thank you for calling XXXX. How may I help you?”

India Sales Guy: “I’ve done my research, the CIO is XXXXX.”CLICK

India Sales Guy STILL got the CIO name wrong, called Admin Gal back THREE times internationally in order to prove himself right.

Could India Sales Guy prove his childishness anymore.  All she needed was a face with  the fingers wiggling in the ears and the tongue sticking out.

However, Admin Gal did get his company name.

Who has the last laugh?

The Buck Does NOT Stop Here

As an Administrative Professional, I nor my colleagues appreciate it when we are blamed for the lack of planning on the part of the people that we work so hard for.   This doesn't happen often but when it does, it is a slap in the face, an offense, a sign that the person who has perpetrated said offense does not understand that the Administrative Professional is more than a lackey. 
Let me illustrate my point with a couple of examples:
1.  A Manager who is supposed to be in charge of their own budget, aware of invoices, accruals, etc.  Suddenly realizes that they didn't accrue several invoices for a significant amount of money that will reflect badly on their budget.  Do they a) own up to their error and make the necessary corrections? b) act like they don't know what happened and fix things on the sly? or c) concoct and elaborate lie to blame the administrative professional?  If you guessed 'c' you probably are thinking that this might be a gross exaggeration. But alas, no.  It happened to a colleague of mine.
2.  In their eagerness, a newby to a department with an Administrative Professional, decides that they can do all the 'work' that they are not inclined to do.  A seasoned Administrative Professional will a) do the work given them with a smile; b) do the work given them and have a talk with their manager; c) give them the look and ignore them; or d) kindly educate them in the department policies and procedures.  Honestly, I would have to say it would depend on how I was approached.  ‘d’ would always be implemented with a smidge of whichever other option was appropriate to the situation.  I have enough to do without someone thinking they can add to my load.
Look, an Adminstrative Professional is an integral part of the team, not a lackey to pass blame on or push work on.  We are the grease that keeps the wheels going.  We work hard to make your jobs seem easier. 
All that being said, if you need to find fault, lay blame, or just be cranky at, I suggest you look in the mirror and let the buck stop where it is suppose to.

Random Acts

Every once in awhile you find yourself the recipient of a random act of kindness, not for anything in particular just for doing your job. Yesterday, was a day for random acts of kindness for me. Both to give and receive.
To Give:
I received a frantic call from one of my fellow Admins in our New York office with an AP question. This was an arena I could find a solution to her problem, the people I needed were all around me. With help from my network, her issues were swiftly solved. I made sure to that my friend who spearheaded the fix, by emailing a quick ‘good job’ email to her boss. This is something I would do for anyone who has gone out of their way to help me. My friend said to me she was only doing her job, to me she moved a mountain. I had to make sure that her effort was acknowledged.
To Receive:
The same day, someone came to me looking for a typewriter. We have one on the floor, but it hasn’t been used since I started with the company. She had forms that had to be manually filled out. We plugged in the dinosaur and found out that the ribbon was dry as a bone. I looked at the form and realized that I could make an ADOBE form out of the form if we scan the document. Really, it was an easy fix. It took a few minutes to do and a few tweaks after that to perfect it. And Voila! No need for a typewriter. I was just doing my job.
This is what she sent my boss:
“Hi XXXX
Every once in a while, even though great people perform above the bar daily, someone really exceeds expectations, and I wanted you to know that XXXX "saved the day" for me. All I needed was a working typewriter to fill out a form for some of our XXXXXXX employees. She was right on it....looking to ease my burden of having to use a typewriter. She created a form with Adobe......something I didn't even know was possible.
She is always great with requests and today she exceeded my expectations and helped with making the process more efficient....She saved the day!
And she taught me something!
We're fortunate to have her.
Just wanted to let you know.....”
It’s moments like this that make my day.

Hear No Evil

As an admin, I find myself in a curious place.  People think I have WAY more power and influence than I really have.  That being said, I hear things.  Confidential things, which I keep confidential, think of me as a father/mother confessor.  Personal things, sometimes I’m thinking ‘Are you kidding me? Really? You’re sharing that with me? A stranger?’.  Thinks that make me want to wash my brain out, ick! 

But with all the things I hear, I have to act like I hear nothing.    That I don’t hear the squabble between co-workers a couple of aisles over, the co-worker lovers spat in the kitchenette, the plans for the business unit. 

At times that I have to make a judgment call and alert a manager or HR rep to a situation, because it is the right thing to do.  Sometimes I have to give carefully framed advice that will not harm the company nor the person to whom I’m talking to. 

I feel like I’m a camp counselor in a camp for grown-ups with no inhibitors.