Message #65106

[misslynn]

I can definitely understand where you are coming from and your frustrations are, unfortunately, not unusual in our field.

If you are in need of some busy work, I've got more than enough to share!  Just kidding ... kinda.

Here's my advice -
Find a partner in the space who believes in what you and your peers are capable of in the Admin role beyond current expectations and how the development of your skills will benefit the company, as well as each admin's direct boss.  Develop a business plan that outlines what you are requesting and what the company can see as a tangible ROI (return on investment).  Be as detailed and specific as possible with established goals and expectations.

When I first began to integrate my local admins into the business teams and bring them together for quarterly meetings, it started because I found one person who believed in what I said the outcome of the meetings could be.  After the first meeting, I sent a detailed recap of our learnings and the feedback responses from the admin attendees.  It only took a couple meetings for the results to be so apparent that I had 100% buy-in from everyone.

I then took the next step, partnering with my HR Director to set about the standard that the Admin is a part of the team so anything that the 'team' is doing, the Admin is included.  EVERYTHING ... from lunch together to meetings to performance evaluations.

I was in the role for 4 years as an indirect Supervisor to 10 admins, the turnover in that time was 2 people.  That doesn't, of course, include those that got promoted internally, which included people being promoted to management roles.  We worked hard to create a differentiated experience where the admin is a true business partner and not just a receptionist.

Most of all, it must begin with you.  Learn the language of your business and be able to participate in business discussions with your boss and managers.  When you print a report for your boss, read it and understand what it says before giving it to him.  What is your company's stock price?  What is your competitor's stock price?  What are the market expectations for your company's business results and how are they aligning with how the company is performing?  Just a couple sample questions to ask yourself.

Sorry for writing a book here, but it is a subject that I have a particular passion for.