How often do you help your PA/Secretary Peers?

[susans]

On the home page we have the question posted:  How often do you help your PA/Secretary Peers?  Do you help your peers or not.,  If you dont, why not? If you do help your peers what do you do to help out?

[countrigal]

When I was in more of an admin/secretarial role, I did all the time.  Seemed that most of the folks that were my peers had little real computer expertise, so I was constantly sharing and trying to train them on different functions available in the standard office programs.

In my new position, if we didn't help each other, we'd be hurting bad.  We have one instructor who gives us some guidance, but then we're left on our own to process claims and enter awards, which directly affects payments that folks receive from us.  So it's critical that we do it right, and sometimes it takes a couple of us to interpret regulations and get the proper procedure and reasons down.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[debbielryan]

I send out an email severl times a month called, "Let's Learn Together".
The emails consist of interesting items I come across that will enable
growth both professional and personal.
I feel it's important for the EAs and PAs to assist each other for the
benefit of the company.  Working as a team give us power and a voice
that is hear.

[misslynn]

The administrative assistants in my territory come to me frequently with questions, it's part of my job to help them.  For my peer group, there are only a few others in the same position as me and we are spread all across the country.  There are a few that I talk to frequently and some that I don't talk to very often, but I'd help anyone that called.

[duque]

I help out when ever required to provided it does not interfere with my own work (never does though). Also, being the longest team member here (23 years) anyone in the team usual comes to me to get any kind of historical info, I love that bit!

[catsmeat]

In the past very rarely.  My workload is quite specialised, and I worked in an entirely separate building to Big Cheese, Really Big Cheese and their PAs.  However, I've now been moved into the same building since my manager's departure, so I suspect I shall be called upon to deputise at some stage.

[itsme_calista]

I've only been in position a month so I'm the one being helped at the moment, but I do try to help out wherever possible when asked.

[linzfoody]

As far as covering for people who aren't in the office, I think it's helpful to have agreements in place about who's covering for who, when and what the extent of their cover will be.  And to share the load in a fair and consistent way.

As for answering questions, etc, I think it's really important to help out - you never know what you might learn in the process!

Here at Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire, we've just completed a knowledge sharing project called "good admin practice" which has pulled together good practice across a range of admin duties, such as providing reception services, diary management, email management (of both your own and your boss's accounts), purchasing, producing documents, using office equipment, providing project support, handling mail, etc.

There is loads of info available both corporately and within individual Service areas, and this project has drawn it together from an administrator's point of view.  One of the ways we captured good practice was by creating an Admin User Group which has reps from all the different Service areas in the Council.  The Group has met quarterly since September 2004 and at the meetings we share good practice, discuss admin related issues, review the guidance we have put together as part of the project.  Now the project has ended, we have moved in the maintenance phase; each of the 11 guides produced will be review annually - the Admin User Group will be central to that.

We are now applying the tools and techniques used in the Good Admin Practice Project within other knowledge sharing projects in the Council.

If anyone's interested in knowing more, please get in touch with me at lindsay.foody@kirklees.gov.uk

[gee4]

Depends on where I am working.  In my last job I was the only PA/Admin and I would have regularly answered queries about MS Office for other colleagues.

In my new job which I start next week, I will be supporting a Chairman and 2 Directors while the other PA currently supports the CEO and the other 2 Directors.  I am sure at some stage we shall have to provide support/cover if and when required.

In previous jobs, I have devised an office manual.  This not only covers things like Health and Safety issues but how to complete forms, where to obtain them, how to set up voicemail and details about incoming and outgoing post.