Delaying your decisions exacts a cost in both time and opportunity. Fail to confirm which venue you want for your next event, for example, and suddenly, both are booked. If you agonize over providing your “final answer,” push yourself to act, with these tips:
If you lament others treating you like “just a secretary,” examine how you break the stereotype of one who types, files and fetches coffee.
If the worst part of your job is your boss—someone who pits staff members against one another, steals credit and doesn’t support you—take this advice from the career experts at Bernard Haldane Associates…
Imagine holding the title of “senior secretary” or “executive secretary” one day and being called an “administrative assistant” the next—for the same job and pay. That can happen when an organization streamlines support staff job titles. But don’t despair if you feel your title doesn’t reflect the work you do…
Boost your persuasive powers by exuding poise when you speak. Use these five tactics:
When executives don’t know how to work with the administrative staff, chaos and stress result. The boss hands you a job with unrealistic timelines, and your first thought is, “Are you crazy?”
If co-workers’ bad attitudes create tension, protect yourself from those office toxins.
Generic e-mail subjects aren’t just inefficient and confusing; they put your message at risk.
Just because e-mail is handy doesn’t make it efficient. Indeed, three out of four people delete an e-mail before they finish reading it, a recent survey found.
If you’re effective and execute work flawlessly with integrity and style, you might want to contact someone like Melba Duncan. Duncan, founder of the Duncan Group, specializes in finding top-notch assistants for top-level executives. Another reason you may need Duncan’s help: “This is one of the most difficult jobs to put on paper,” she says.