As an administrative professional, do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you feel you are being pulled in multiple directions possibly even supporting more than one person? Ever feel like people don’t have a clue as to the demands being placed upon you at work?
Today’s 21st century administrative professionals are being asked to do more than ever before. Administrative professionals are being tasked with duties that cross over into roles such as: manager, human resources, travel agent, mail clerk, receptionist, accountant, technology guru, catering coordinator, note taker, customer service, and so many more.
Over the years as my boss’s demands and expectations have continued to grow, I knew complaining wasn’t going to get things done. So, I began to think more strategically about how I could meet (often times exceeding) the demands that were being asked of me.
One little secret that I learned years ago is that “most of the time your boss doesn’t care how a task gets done or who does it.” He/she simply wants to know that what they are asking of you gets done and on time. I also have learned that my boss is not a mind reader and doesn’t know what resources I need to do my job well. With that in mind, I started thinking about the resources that I could use to help fulfill and better handle my workload. Here are some of the suggested resources that I’ve explored and implemented over the years:
- Delegate work assignments to other administrative support staff in the office.
- Ask for additional administrative support staff in the office (full time or part time).
- Work with a local high school to secure a student enrolled through the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) that would be interested in getting office work experience.
- Reach out to local community and vocational colleges to secure interns that would be interested in getting office work experience.
- Ask for the tools that you need to do your job efficiently (e.g. VPN access, laptop, tablet, hotspot, and smartphone).
- Explore restructuring the administrative support personnel to ensure everyone has a similar workload and that admins have been cross-trained to provide support during expected or unexpected days of out of the office.
- Ask for resources to purchase systems to help you manage your workload (tickler system, additional software, apps, and whatever else you need).
- Ask to modify your work schedule when possible if that helps to increase your productivity.
- Request a corporate credit card with your name on it to help with the day-to-day purchases you are responsible for (travel, catering, office supplies, etc.).
Over the years, I have been able to take on more work assignments and increase my value to my employer because I was willing to ask for the added resources that I needed to do my job. Although, I don’t mind working long hours in the office, I would prefer to work smarter by considering all the possibilities for meeting the demands and expectations of my boss without feeling I’m the only one who can get things done.
Be bold! Ask your boss for the resources you need to do your job more effectively. Should your boss say, “no,” don’t take it personally. Just move on and keep smiling throughout the day!