Essential administration skills

JUSTIN BRYAN ESTACIO TABORA

There are several essential skills administrative personnel need to master to be able to perform effectively and efficiently, in a manner that will contribute to the collective goals of an institution.

Among those several skills are more salient like hard skills which are the technical, teachable abilities gained from school, training and job experience; and soft skills---those that are applicable in any role or industry and are often even more important for administration than technical proficiencies. Generally, soft skills are developed over time by managing responsibilities and interacting with others. Problem-solving, time management and verbal communication are examples of important soft skills.

However, under those two types are administration skills one should develop, regardless of department or industry, are organizational skills, planning and strategy skills, and communication skills.

Communication skills involves collaboration across teams and departments, coordinating tasks and directing all parties to ensure work is completed according to plan and finished on time.

Planning and strategy skills help in setting goals and determining the most efficient path to meet objectives. In office management, having these skills allow one to spot inefficiencies and quickly identify solutions to challenges. They can also recognize the steps each team member should take to overcome obstacles and complete projects.

Lastly, organizational skills, which help in staying on top of one's tasks, reduce stress, prevent missing critical dates, and ensure to complete assigned work as efficiently as possible and harmonizes through collaboration goals and targets of an institution.

Gaining and mastering these administration skills definitely shapes a personnel's working character whatever his or her position is, in whatever institution one works for.

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The author is Administrative Assistant III, Personnel Section, SDO,

Pampanga