Here’s how to show your executive assistant
know you really appreciate her contributions
If you’re looking for the perfect way to say thanks on Administrative Professionals Day on April 25, don’t be so quick to make reservations for both of you at the classiest restaurant in town.
Your assistant would probably appreciate a nice meal. But there’s something she’d like a whole lot more: time to herself.
An informal poll of assistants in the Brookfield-based Executive Support Program, a professional development group for administrative assistants, shows time is one of their most precious commodities. These are women who have no two days that are exactly the same. Dealing with interruptions and daily changes are the norm.
They spend their days planning, organizing, scheduling activities and managing interruptions. They spend evenings attending to husbands, children, parents, school groups and communities where they have devoted what little attention they have left.
Many put off taking care of themselves, thinking, “I can get to that tomorrow.” They are loyal and committed to putting their company and others first.
So instead of a lunch, our members say, give them a gift of time. Some possibilities include:
Our members have even more suggestions. If you’d rather give her a gift, forget the cliché candy. Instead, arrange to have a “gift of the month” delivered to her desk, like a fancy gift basket or cookies from a gourmet bakery. It will show your gratitude all year long, even when you’re away on business and she’s holding down the fort.
Sometimes the simplest gestures are often the best. Members were unanimous in agreeing that a boss who takes a minute or two to say “thank you” – either verbally or with a nicely written thank-you note – shows true appreciation. As one assistant said, “Acknowledgement means more to me on a day-to-day basis.”
As for flowers, there are far better options. “Flowers are nice, but in the office there are a lot of others who work hard but aren’t acknowledged with a special day,” one assistant said. “So I’d rather keep a low profile.”
Said another: “A simple thank-you or a pat on the back with ‘good job’ keeps me going.”
Kathleen Johnson is the chairman and meeting facilitator for the TEC Executive Support Program, a professional development group for administrative assistants. Contact her at 414-379-3609 or at ihksjohn@aol.com.
April 13, 2001 SBT
