Respect for your role begins with you
If you lament others treating you like “just a secretary,” examine how you break the stereotype of one who types, files and fetches coffee.
Mean boss? Be the better person
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…
What’s in an administrative job title?
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…
Project confidence when you speak
Boost your persuasive powers by exuding poise when you speak. Use these five tactics:
Train executives on time constraints
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?”
Insulate yourself from negativity
If co-workers’ bad attitudes create tension, protect yourself from those office toxins.
Specific subject lines guard your messages from deletion
Generic e-mail subjects aren’t just inefficient and confusing; they put your message at risk.
Choose the best communication tool
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.
Remove the stress from ‘casual’ dress
Casual. Corporate casual. Business casual. Smart casual. Resort casual. Don’t leave meeting attendees baffled about your event’s dress code. Explain what you mean by "business casual" or "corporate casual," etc. with examples of appropriate attire.
Easy ways to personalize form letters
Standardized replies save you time but can cost you good will. Create templates and common paragraphs that you can pop into an e-mail or letter, then easily personalize. Use these shortcuts: