How do admins bring value to their roles? We asked administrative assistant Eileen Behr, who recently won the 2010 OfficeTeam Administrative Excellence Award. Here’s how she brings a “value-added” focus to her job:
List what you need to cover in a phone conversation before you pick up the receiver; you’ll spend less time on chitchat and never forget a point. One study found that calls based on a written agenda last seven minutes, compared with 12 minutes for those without.
Anyone who has worked for two or more bosses can tell you: The division of labor often leaves you feeling stretched both ways. But with some schedule-wrangling and communication skills, you can manage the work more smoothly.
Help a traveling boss or co-worker stay fit with online travel guide at www.athleticmindedtraveler.com. It uncovers the best places for healthy-minded people to stay, work out and eat.
If someone asked you what a table was (in data speak), you would likely respond with something like a set of data presented in columns in rows. When Excel® 2007 says tables it means a very specific way of formatting data that not only visually arranges into a tabular format, but gives you tools that let you work with that data easily.
Germ-ridden office refrigerators are no laughing matter. According to a recent Bloomberg BusinessWeek article, the noxious fumes coming from the refrigerator in one office were so bad, seven employees had to be sent to the hospital and the entire building was evacuated.
If you’re writing an e-newsletter or promotional e-mail for your company, remember: That “free” e-newsletter costs your readers time. And that could be the most valuable thing they possess. Persuading readers to click and read is more challenging than you might think. Heed these tips and tricks from the experts for writing more effective marketing e-mail:
Question: “As a help desk employee, I take calls from people having computer problems. Before this job, no one ever criticized my work, but lately my manager has received numerous complaints. Since every call is recorded, it’s clear that I have not been nasty to anyone. However, my boss always wants to appease the callers, so he lectures me about anything that seems negative. These constant reprimands are very demoralizing. Most recently, I got in trouble with a caller who couldn’t find a serial number. Our web site clearly states that this number is required when calling the help desk. The woman got upset and began to argue with me. Instead of arguing back, I told her how to contact my manager, then hung up the phone. The tape clearly shows that I was not ugly or smart-alecky, but my manager says I should not have hung up. I am well-educated, with much more extensive computer knowledge than this job calls for. I am also rather introverted. I have started looking for a new position, but would like to know how to avoid these problems in the future.” — Depressed