Now That's What I Call Appreciation

It’s great to know you are doing a great job, but one of the downsides is that the more efficient you are, the more you can feel you are taken for granted. If you have a can-do attitude and run your office with military precision, people can start to believe you when you brush away the slightest hint of praise with an airy, “It was nothing,” – even though you stayed far later than you should have because you wanted to double check that the rather complicated travel itinerary you’ve been arranging was completely water tight and came in half an hour earlier the next morning to finish typing up the report your boss wanted, when it wasn’t particularly urgent, just because you like to get work out the way as soon as possible because you never know what the day is going to throw at you.

However the good news is that, believe it or not, many of you are very much appreciated, as an increasing number of bosses realise that they could not work so effectively without the support their PA gives them. Peter Wheeler, Client Development Director for Salvesen, a major European logistics business explains, “A good PA is able to predict what is required and react appropriately. In addition to being hardworking and conscientious, my own PA, Jo Garrett, priorities well and deals with issues proactively without having to involve me needlessly. If I didn’t have Jo the quality of my work would suffer because I wouldn’t have so much time for planning and thinking and I don’t know if I would have the patience for some of her tasks which require a high level of diplomacy.”

Pierre-Francois Gilbert, Sales Director of Focus Group Accounts at Reuters, agrees that his life would be very difficult without his PA, Phillipa Ryan. “I would spend a lot of time organising my daily schedule and dealing with minutiae, rather than concentrating on my job function. Besides, I’m not very good at detailed organisation.”

While most bosses, not surprisingly, quote enthusiasm, attention to detail, the ability to prioritise and communicate well as the requisite skills for a PA, and are keen to stress the importance of competent administrative support if management is to work effectively, they also recognise that many administrators were capable of tasks beyond the traditional PA remit. Pierre-Francois Gilbert was pleasantly surprised when Phillipa asked if there was more she could do and has since given her several additional projects, including assisting the facilities management team in co-ordinating a recent office move and co-ordinating a Customer Satisfaction Monitor programme for the sales department.

Jo Garrett has also been making a positive difference to her working environment. “Jo has been instrumental in the development of our internal magazine,” says Peter Wheeler. “Thanks to her enthusiasm we had plenty of appropriate articles which were all very professionally edited. More recently, Jo has been responsible for tracking and reporting on Salvesen’s revenue streams which are an integral part of the monthly board report. She’s committed to her personal development and has expressed a keen interest in studying for a professional business qualification.”

Of course, none of this would be possible without the benefits of modern technology. Not so long ago, PAs were too busy unjamming the photocopier and dabbing numerous different coloured carbon copies with the appropriate shade of corrector fluid to have time to research ways of cutting the department’s travel budget or develop staff incentive schemes. However Doug Weston, a Director of Taylor Woodrow, an international housing and development company, has noticed another way in which IT skills have changed the PA’s remit. “Technology has increased the volume of communication so it’s important that a PA can sift through everything and prioritise. It also means that as everything moves at such a fast pace these days, PAs have to be willing to undertake a few more personal tasks. I work very long hours which means I might have to ask my PA to arrange for my car, or even my wife’s car, to be serviced or write the odd letter to my children’s school.”

The role of the PA may be changing and expanding in many different directions, but one thing is clear, it is a rare office where he or she is indispensable. So the next time someone thanks you for a job well done, acknowledge their thanks gracefully and don’t let yourself be taken for granted. You may even find yourself in the enviable position of Jo Garrett. When asked how he would be celebrating Professional Secretaries’ Day, her boss Peter Wheeler, replied, “I’m sure that a well earned lunch will be enjoyed as a big thank you for another year of quality work.” Now that’s what I call appreciation.