Other staff more important then the "admin assistant?"

[susan silva]

This is from the Modesto Bee.  This person wrote in about how her manager treats her different then the "doctors" in her office.   Take a minute and read the letter and let us know how you would respond.  

http://www.modbee.com/business/story/1023183.html

[gee4]

We all have different roles so of course we are going to be treated differently.

If the sales team bring in an extra order each month, great.  Those aren't my objectives but we all pitch in as a team to get the job done eg.  I book travel for those guys to get to their meetings, so they can sell our products and solutions, enabling them to reach company targets and keep us going as a business.

It's a team effort, there is no I in team...

Together
Everyone
Achieves
More

[officepa]

Writer starts the letter by saying that the "manager says everybody is important but still treats people differently" but being important does not mean everybody will be treated the same.

All staff are important in their own way and each has a role to play which feeds into the bigger picture of the company.

Certain tasks will always fall into the remit of the PA/secretary/admin, i.e. ensuring copier is filled, fax has paper, enough toner cartridges and so on.  If you are lucky to have a junior member of staff these duties would normally fall to them.  We've all done such jobs when we were just starting out in our roles I am sure but as you progress through the ranks, some things are delegated to others who themselves are just starting.

However, with kitchen matters, we have a notice that says words to the effect "washing cups and cleaning work surfaces is in nobody's job description so please clear up after yourself".  Fridges are done on a rota basis but again, only between secretarial/admin staff - we don't expect the CEO or similar to be included on this rota.

If I am using the copier, for example, I will check the paper level anyway (even if it was not my job to do so) simply because I use it several times a day and it is so annoying to run out mid way through but by checking on my many trips each day, this rarely happens.

Some things may not be 'my job' but if doing something as I go along that helps make my daily office life to run smoother/easier, I'm happy to do extra bits.

Others will benefit from my doing things and this may make them take it for granted (even if they don't realise they do) but, hey, I have that nice warm feeling of being so good 

[msmarieh]

If my boss made a comment along the lines of "if we didn't have scientists/engineers, we wouldn't have a business." (the more appropriate function at my particular company), I would agree, but then point out and "If you didn't have administrative assistants, they'd be so bogged down with petty details they wouldn't be able to get their jobs done."

I think it is important to remind management that we are valuable contributors to the team.

That said, office equipment maintenance definitely does fall under us.

I wouldn't want to clean the fridge either. My solution would be to ask the cleaning crew. If I did have to clean it out, I would literally take every single thing in there and dump it in the garbage.

My office has a much beloved espresso machine in our kitchen area. People are extremely careful to ensure that they continue to have this machine and thus they are good about cleaning up after themselves. When new employees start, they are quickly educated on this informal policy, especially after there were a few infractions, and I made a pointed comment or two to the general coffee area crowd that if I continued to find dirty cups in the sink, the espresso machine would get a timeout.

[officepa]

Fridge cleaning has to be done by us as no central department for this cleaning to come under I am afraid - but agree, not a job anyone likes.
 
Sometimes you find something tucked away at the back that has obviously been there for ages and certainly not eatable.  Usually a notice goes up on a Monday that fridge is being cleaned on Friday at 4pm so please remove all contents otherwise it goes in the bin. 

The microwave was another matter and this was actually removed and never replaced as people would not clean it after each use and it must have been so germ encrusted that was a hygiene issue  .  Was not sad to see that go but would really miss the coffee machine - but like you marie, strangely, this is looked after well 

I also agree that as long as management appreciate that we all contribute to the overall running of the office in our own way, then as gee says, we are a team and should all get along together for the sake of the company as a whole.

[ecogirl]

I certainly wouldn't expect our professional staff to clean out the fridge.  Not because I wouldn't like them to take their turn, but because they charge our clients up to £300 per hour.  I think their time is better spent getting business for the company.  I do expect people to clean up after themselves in the kitchen though - I am not their maid!

[kaitnewt]

I think the underlying point is more this person doesn't feel respected which is not a good situation.  We all have our duties but I am thinking she doesn't valued.   Everyone here cleans the fridge,  I do keep up the toners and yes un jam the copier when requested.  But I know my boss values my opinion and thinks of me as part of her team not "just" someone who helps keep the office running smoothly.  I know it is our "sales" staff who keeps the company afloat, I too have been told, if it weren't for them we wouldn't be here but at least I know I am valued in my own role.

[Cathy S]

mmm I have been pondering this since it appeared and I think you (kaitnewt) are right - it is not about the tasks per se but about the value her colleagues place on her doing those tasks.

I think it is an organisation that needs to consider some teambuilding work ... I don't subscribe to the 'you are more important than them' philosophy - as others have already highlighted, fee earners may at first glance appear more important.  However, the cost for fee earners to undertake some support tasks themselves is prohibitive; this does not mean that support staff are more important.  The paradigm is that we do not look at what someone contributes to assign them value but at what they cost/earn.

Gee summarised it nicely ... teams must work together to have the maximum impact and success ... and the best teams are made up of people who value one another equally.

I have never accepted it as my job to clean the fridge - everyone who uses and benefits from the facility has a responsibility to the others to share the upkeep ... on the other hand if I am using the printer or copier and it jams or needs paper I attend to it.  Additionally, I undertake to keep appropriate stock of the consumables, but not necessarily to run to the machine and fill it with paper just because it is empty when ANO is using it.

In addition to teambuilding it sounds as if the letter writer might benefit from some assertiveness and/or communication training - it is very easy to convey the message that one doesn't feel valued and thereby not receive respect!

[peaches2160]

I tend to agree with all of the comments above.  It does appear this person is feeling undervalued.  If you enjoy working where you work and the people you work with, the jobs / tasks are fun.  Good management skills go a long way in retaining key talent.  Making people feel they are valued is important, whether it be the cleaning staff, admininstrative personnel or the President of a company.  In my role, I would not expect my sales personnel, who are out generating revenue, to perform the job that I do.  I would clean out a fridge, sweep it all in the trash, bowls and all.  However, I stop at cleaning offices when someone is sent home with potential H1N1 and will not do toilets.