When people comment about how beautiful a house is, I doubt anyone mentions the structural pillars hidden behind the walls supporting that house. To me, that's my job. For any business to truly be successful, you have to have solid pillars. We know what it takes to run the day-to-day operations AND we can also see the big picture of the finished product, which tells us the most efficient way to handle the day-to-day tasks to get to that big picture.It’s no wonder high-power execs praise the office admin role—many even call a good admin the “crucial first hire” for any successful startup.
We take a certain pride in what we do because, truly, not everyone is cut out for the job. It is more difficult than we make it seem, the way an ice skater makes a simple spin look easy. In reality, that takes continual practice to keep it so sharp.
Not only are we the first line of communication, and to some degree, the informal face of the company, we are also the behind-the-scenes miracle workers. We handle everything from managing a team and planning 500-person events to diffusing a prickly situation.
We need to plan ahead, use our crystal ball for any potential hazards or crisis, make sure office supplies and coffee are readily accessible, unjam the printer, come in early or stay late to decorate the birthday cube, and always, ALWAYS be professional, pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable to anyone asking for assistance.Bottom line, your admin staff keeps you happy. Why not keep your admins happy with some thoughtful Admin Day gifts on Administrative Professionals Day?
Sometimes you are the face of the company, sometimes you're behind the scenes building a better office system (policies, procedures, efficiency) and sometimes you’re stuck doing errands everyone else won't do. Your role is never really defined and constantly changes, so it can be very challenging some days. We aren't just ‘secretaries’ anymore of the Mad Men era—we are a pillar of a successful business!It’s no wonder the admin professional is the new power job. Office admins are to a business what Wi-Fi is to, well, everyone. Virtual Assistant Guru, Melissa S. shares:
The position deserves more recognition because we're too busy to recognize ourselves. It's like the Internet—you expect to have service and a high-speed connection. It doesn't occur to you that you won't have an Internet connection, until you don't, and then you really miss it and realize how much your time is crippled without it. The admin role is the same.Are you celebrating Admin Day this year? We happen to host a week-long shindig that's all about praising the Ninjas!
