Managing Expectations

A good Admin will always ask for a deadline for when a task or project is due.  That way we can prioritize what we have on our plates.

Sometimes, one person's deadline must fall secondary to another high priority deadline due to management seniority or urgency of the project.

Woe be unto the person who submits a project and says, "I know you'll have this done in 5 mins, so I'm just going to send out an email saying its done!" As they scuttle out the door.

Just because you say it will be done and run, doesn't mean it will happen.  Sending out a preemptive email only makes YOU look unaware.

We Admins will manage our work loads. Thank you very much!

Voice Mail Etiquette

Have you ever gotten a voice mail that has exceeded the time on the voice mail system and the caller has called back to call AGAIN?  Admin Gal has twice - on a Monday - before 8am.

A voice mail is a simple finite message.  It should include 3 things:

1. Your name
2. Your method of contact 
3. A BRIEF message with pertinent facts.

No more and no less.

Exceeding the 90 second space allotted on your voice message with your resume, your sales qualifications, content that should go into an email but you are too lazy to type and you know the admin will have the privilege of transcribing your rambling, is NOT appropriate.  Adding insult to injury, creating another voice mail that will fall in front of the old one, therefore out of sync, just annoys the admin.  Your messages will then end up in the our phone system has been acting up lately file (oops!).

If you can please apply the simple and finite rules listed above will ensure your message reaching the appropriate person.

BEEEEP!

A Word to the Wise

When asking for a favor to an Admin who does not support you, you the recipient of said favor should do everything in your power to make things easier for her.

If you do not,  said Admin might do one or all of the following:

1. Conveniently move your task to the least priority pile.  The pile that gets done when hell freezes over.
2. Mail your Visa application directly to the Kremlin, even though it was for Brazil.
3. Schedule hardware maintenance on computer without providing a replacement.  
4. Cancel your smartphone contract and charge the cancellation fee to your personal credit card.
5. Revoke your access to all essential drives that contain anything that might be remotely useful in the day to day operations of your job.

As an Admin, we are required to be helpful, not be taken advantage of.