Real Lives

Friday April 24, 2009

Get to know your secretaries

By G. Nair

Secretary's Day (or some may refer to it as Secretary's Week – oh yes, an entire week of celebration!) falls on the Wednesday of the last full week of April.

This special day was created in 1952, and was mooted by a man named Harry F. Klemfuss from Young & Rubicam, Inc – a marketing and communications company that specializes in advertising, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting.

The day is celebrated in conjunction with the National Secretaries Association, now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). Therefore, the phrase Secretary's Day has also been changed to Administrative Professionals Day.

Why the name change?

In 2000 the name was changed to encompass the expanding responsibilities and wide-ranging job titles of administrative support staff.

Klemfuss' goal was to encourage more people to consider careers in the secretarial/administrative support field.

He promoted the value and importance of the job of administrative assistants and in doing so, he also created recognition for the importance of administrative assistants / secretaries/ personal assistants, etc.

Now that we know how and when the day originated, wouldn't you like to also know what a secretary / administrative support / Personal Assistant / etc does "in the line of duty"? It isn't just all about making coffee, writing memos and booking flights as we commonly know it. A secretary or personal assistant is sometimes considered the backbone of an office or a department.

This is the person who takes care of the entire operations of a department or an office by ensuring things are in place, and always in order. She (more often or not the position is held by a "she" rather than a "he".) is the person who greets everyone in the office with a pleasant smile, and is always in high spirits.

She basically is what people might identify as "the right arm" of her boss. She is a walking, talking mobile phone/dictionary/encyclopedia/operations manual to her boss.

As soon as the boss arrives at the office, the secretary / PA dives into work. Her first tasks would typically be to remind her boss of the day's schedule.

If there is a meeting (or more) for the day, she must have an itinerary prepared. This will include the venue of the meeting, what the meeting is about, the important points to raise, and sometimes even a full list of attendees' names. In some cases, she will also follow her boss to meetings, take notes and even assist in making certain decisions.

When someone calls the office to speak to the head of a department or the manager, she will be the first point of contact. She is the person who decides if the call is passed on directly, or if a callback should be arranged. People usually call her (or vice versa) to arrange appointments, meetings, or lunches. She typically is the first to speak to the top people in a company even before her boss does.

All in all, the secretary / PA / administrative assistant or staff is an all-rounder. She must be well versed in productivity software especially word processors, spreadsheets and even database systems. She must be a fast typist and someone who can multi-task. She must be witty, intelligent, have a high level of general knowledge, be analytical, systematic, and able to analyze and conceptualize any given situation.

She must be quick in making decisions, and have the answers to every question the boss or anyone may raise.

Of course, there are definite perks to the job. She gets to meet VIPs, and even VVIPs. She has the opportunity to befriend top managers and widen her network of contacts. When she attends meetings with her boss, she has the scoop on what the meeting is about long before word gets around the entire office. Of course, she will be sworn to secrecy. Every job comes with a certain level of responsibilities and confidentiality for sure.

So, go and get to know your secretaries and personal assistants. You now know how hectic and stressful their work can be. (Think Anne Hathaway in the Devil Wears Prada or Jennifer Hudson in the Sex and the City movie, or even Sara Rue in Less than Perfect!) Show your appreciation to the person who makes your workplace a cheerful and happy one.

Happy Administrative Professionals Week!

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