If your boss complains about attending too many meetings, volunteer as his or her representative. Standing in for a boss is a great way to increase your profile throughout the office and learn more about the business. Before your first meeting, study background on the issues and clarify with your boss what–if any–authority you have […]
Question: “A new woman in our office literally stinks. She wears nice clothes, but doesn’t shower or wash her hair. She actually looks dirty. Our boss has talked with her twice about this problem. Each time he mentioned it, she cleaned up for a while, then went back to her old habits. Everyone is sick of smelling this disgusting odor every day. We are also worried about losing customers. How can we get this woman to clean up?” —Holding My Nose
When faced with a chance to meet someone who could change your future, don’t be afraid to show some chutzpah. That’s what Alison Pincus, founder of the online business One Kings Lane, did when she saw Martha Stewart at an antiques show.
Schedule a lighter workload the first few days after someone returns from a trip. Half of the business travelers polled recently said it takes them up to two days to catch up on work when they return. A similar number said they require that long just to recover physically.
What sort of motto or guideline helps you work ethically every day? Admins work in a reactive frame of mind most of the day, says Nan DeMars, author of You Want Me to Do What? “Basically, we have to react according to our instincts and trust our internal gyroscope.” DeMars recommends using this fast compass:
Keep samples of your best design and writing efforts so you can show colleagues and potential employers what you can do for them.
A nervous EA-to-be wrote in asking for advice before she started her new job. Admin Pros agree, her first priority should be to sit down with her new boss and find out exactly what he expects. Jayne says, “I had a new boss who even wrote down his ‘idiosyncrasies’ which included hating small paper clips. I use large paper clips on his papers. I was glad he did that instead of just being irritated when he got small clips.” Mark says, “I’d check on expectations regarding hours. Some bosses expect you to work late if they work late, others don’t.” But admins disagreed on whether to offer to get the boss coffee. Some feel that’s the job of a personal—not professional—assistant.
1. Include your phone number and mailing address in your signature. 2. Provide “if-then” options. 3. Always start with a greeting. 4. Check Snopes.com before you waste time forwarding a chain letter.
Someone who is distracted or agitated isn’t ready to receive the advice you’d like to bestow. Check whether he or she is ready by asking, “Would you like to look at some possible solutions?”
Question: “The president of our company speaks only to certain people. Several times a week, she comes into our office and says hello to two of my co-workers. She says nothing to the rest of us, even though we’re sitting right there. Since we all do the same job, we can’t help feeling offended when she ignores us. What do you think about this?” —Overlooked
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