Admins make roughly $15,000 worth of decisions every year, according to an IAAP Benchmarking survey. Yet it’s sometimes hard to know whether to make a decision on your own or wait for the boss to weigh in. Here’s one litmus test for determining whether to forge ahead or wait for a nod from the boss.
Phil, an administrative assistant, recently lamented that his efforts to improve his boss’s communication were going unheeded. But perhaps it’s not what Phil’s boss wants from Phil. When someone hands you his work to look over, first determine what he wants in return.
Sarah spent the afternoon working on a quarterly report for her boss, only to hear this when she delivered it at day’s end: “This isn’t a final version, is it? It won’t be a problem for you to work overtime today and fix this, will it?” Her boss just delivered a question trap—a leading question.
Not all executives are content to have access to documents only on their smartphones, tablets or laptops. If you work for a boss who still depends heavily on paper and attends up to a dozen meetings a day, here’s an organizing solution for you.
Build a stronger relationship with your boss by never letting these phrases cross your lips: 1. “It’s not my job.” 2. “It’s not my fault.” 3. “I can’t work with Person A.” 4. “I can’t do X, because I have to do Y.” 5. “That’s not possible.”
It doesn’t help anyone if you say “yes” to every project while knowing you can’t possibly complete all the work. How can you set boundaries more assertively with your boss, without coming across as incapable or rude, when you’re asked to take on yet another assignment? 7 tips:
“My boss carried several boxes of files into the office one day because his wife told him to remove them from their garage. They have been sitting in the office for more than two years! He won’t let me throw anything away.” What can this admin do about a boss who’s a hoarder?
Strike the right chord with a new boss by trying these tactics from other experienced administrative pros:
According to a recent poll, Americans are unsatisfied with their work and their lives. People of all ages, and across income levels, are unhappy with their supervisors and not engaged with what they do. What, if anything, can you do about this dismal state of affairs?
Is it a problem when your boss takes credit for your ideas? Peter Handal, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, says “no.” Making your boss look smart to higher-ups, says Handal, and having your boss depend on you for good suggestions—“is certainly not going to do you any harm.”
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