It’s Administrative Professionals Day! Yes, so if you haven’t gotten the admin in your Office a coffee beverage, flowers, or even a cheerful greeting, you still have a few hours left. And though he/she is probably in a better mood than usual, there are days when the Admin in your office is stressed out about running payroll, getting the correct lunch order for picky board members, or doing project management. So, in honor of all the hard-working Administrative Professionals out there, I wrote this list of things that Admins want you to know. ( I used to be one, so I speak from experience)
Don’t Pretend Those Dirty Dishes Aren’t Yours- If you work in an office with a kitchen, there might be dirty dishes in the sink. We know who leaves their dirty coffee mugs and pasta containers in the sink. Don’t let it fester there and just clean it up. You’re not 5, you know.
We Run Payroll, So Be Nice - We’re the ones who put the Benjamins in your checking account, so please be cordial to us. Enough said.
Unless It’s an Emergency, On Our Lunchbreak, Please Don’t Bother Us An admin’s day can be stressful from rolling class, scheduling calendars to putting out fires in the office. Basically anything that needs to be taken care of, the admin has to be prepared. So, when we take a midday break to eat lunch, please don’t talk to us about your broken chair. That can be dealt with at 1:03 PM. Not 12:59 PM.
We’re Assistants, Not Your Slaves- Yes, our job can encompass personal tasks, but treat us like human beings and show respect. You might need someone to move your Maserati for you, but is it really that difficult to move it yourself? I mean, you did find a way to get to the Maserati dealership and buy this luxury vehicle, did you not?
We’re Three-Dimensional- Um. We have other interests besides office work. Some of us might be artists, writers, dancers, students, or studying to be a micro-biologist. The point is, we might be pursuing our other goals/interests while we work as an Admin, so please don’t think that we wake up and think about staplers and Excel spreadsheets.
Happy Administrative Professionals Day!
