“WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GOOD ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF”

Darius T. Cordero

The work of an administrative assistant falls mainly with things such as scheduling, bookkeeping, and arranging travel and accomplishing other report papers. But nowadays, they are task with more challenging work. It is their duty to “keep things running down smoothly”. What does it take to succeed in this challenging role?

According to Jeff Murphy (2020), there are 16 undeniable skills of a Rockstar Administrative Assistant:

1.Knowing all the resources – It is expected for an administrative assistant to have the necessary tools and papers needed by the people in the company. A good administrative assistant is always ready with the necessary resources that will be needed by the employees.

2.Creative Problem Solving – It is a must that an administrative assistant is equipped with his/ her problem solving toolbox. It is their responsibility to keep things running down smoothly and having a good problem solving skills and creative thinking skills will help them put things into places.

3.Proper Etiquette – Admins’ primary role is interacting with employees and people. This includes speaking with high-level people that is why having good manners and right etiquette is very important. This often serves as guide in many challenging conditions. According to WhitePeters, “one of the secrets to mastering the art of manners is in listening. A rockstar admin listens not just to the words, but to tone and body language in order to read between the lines.”

4.Emotional Intelligence – Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well emotions of others (psychologytoday.com). Most successful admins have high emotional intelligence. Admins who are equipped with this skill are able to work with people easily, helps in managing their own emotions and emotions of others, makes conflict resolution easy, and makes stress easier to manage.

5.Foresight and Anticipation – Good admins have the initiative to do things beforehand and anticipate solutions even before the problem occurs.

6.Multitasking – It is an advantage that admins are able to get things done quickly. It is a topskill that one should have.

7.Adaptability – Admins have a wide and varied responsibilities. Changes can occur in any circumstances, but a good admin can react and easily adapt to these changes. Another top-skill is being able to adapt to sudden changes, such as a shift from a current work into another.

8.Meticulous Organization – Organization is simple but a very important skill in doing administrative work. It helps in saving time and helps reduce stress. It will help in doing work running done smoothly.

9.Having a “Servant’s Heart” – This refers to the style of leadership role that puts the wellbeing of others first. It also refers to focusing on personal and professional development in view of supporting the success of the whole organization.

10.Resourcefulness – It is the ability to improvise and come up with solutions in addressing challenges in the organization. Good admins are hands-on and are able to creatively solve problems to prevent any gaps and unexpected challenges to occur.

11.Grit – Change and challenges are inevitable. Admins may face unexpected challenges but being resourceful is not enough. A good admin is a strong person enough to stand up in any situation. They are not easily beaten under pressure but equipped with perseverance and get the job done. Admins can develop true grit by socializing with coworkers, asking for advice, and focusing on mindset.

12.Effective Communication – Almost all types of communications are being done by admins. No matter what the medium of communication is, their communication has to be clear, direct and concise.

13.Tech Savviness – Since we are now a digital world (and in current pandemic crisis), admins are expected to be proficient in a wide range of integrated apps and platforms. One should be equipped with basic tech savviness so as to resolve problems when it comes with the computer and internet. For admins to polish their tech savviness, they can start by making a list of frequently used tech and identifying which tools they are least comfortable with. Practice makes perfect. Familiarized yourself with the different apps and platforms.

14.Big Picture Thinking – Admins are often advisers for new ideas, suggestions and other decision-making processes. It is must that they have the skills in knowing how to think about things in the context of a bigger whole. It is a good start in preparing for successful projects and outputs.

15.Attention to Detail – Keeping an eye to details is a very important work. Simple things can create bigger problems if they are not taken into consideration. Having quality control to details is an essential skill that an admin should have.

16.Prioritization – The practice of prioritization can help admins to organize their work. They can have a list of things to do first and tasks that can wait. Prioritization can also help in staying calm while facing a lot of task that multiplies by the second. Admins can improve their skills in prioritizing by listening carefully during meetings and casual talks to absorb the context behind different assignments and better judge their importance.

A successful administrative assistant that would have an enjoyable and good future in his/ her work is someone who is able to develop and practice these skills. They are considered as Rockstars Administrative Assistants!

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The author is Administrative Assistant II at Tinajero National High School - Annex