Are you willing to share your cherished memories of Administrative Professionals Day?

Over the past few weeks , I’ve been asking people what they or their companies are doing to celebrate Administrative Professionals Day. What has surprised me is some of the responses I’ve heard. I must admit, I think it is important to acknowledge people for a job well done. In other words, I think recognizing someone goes a long way to show your gratitude. Personally, I don’t expect anything that day. However, a simple “thanks” goes a long way, and it’s nice to feel appreciated.

Perhaps that’s why I was surprised at the responses to my question. I heard, “We don’t celebrate that day – my executive thinks it’s ridiculous.” Or, “It’s not in our budget.” Or “Who has the time for that?” It makes me feel sad. How much time does it take to say “thank you?”

I remember working at a company with a limited budget. I wanted to make an effort to acknowledge all the hard work that the administrative team had done over the year. It was a small group of assistants, so I got creative and was frugal. Every day I placed a small gift on each assistant’s desk. At the end of the week, we had a luncheon. It was a blast. Whenever I see an assistant from that company, they still say how much they appreciated being acknowledged, how much fun they had wondering what gift they would get each day, and how much they enjoyed the time with the other assistants. It meant a lot to them to be recognized.

I also had an opportunity to celebrate that day with another group of assistants. I surprised them with lunch at my home. Again, we had a limited budget, but I wanted to make the day special. I decided to approach each of the executives and ask if they could write a small tribute to their assistant. I passed the letters and cards out just before dessert, and their reaction was overwhelming. I will never forget how much the assistants treasured that small gesture of appreciation. In fact, I think they still have that card or note today. We had a wonderful time together, and I know it will be one of my precious memories.

So now I ask you this question: What are your positive memories or experiences from past administrative professionals day? If you don’t have any positive memories, how will you create one?

To train or not to train, that is the question.

From Joanne Linden,

I was at a networking event recently promoting the Star Achievement program. I began talking to a mature woman (I can say that because she was about my age) explaining that the Star program is administrative training. Without missing a beat, she said “I’ve been in this field too long. I don’t need any training.” It took me a moment to respond that I too had felt that way at one time but that after being through the Star program myself that it had given me a renewed enthusiasm for my profession. I know I didn’t sway her opinion on training with that weak response and her remark continued to haunt me. I’m sure you’ve experienced at one time or another when you’re not satisfied with your response to a remark. Then a couple days later you think of the perfect comeback, but then it’s too late.

The perfect response would have been “I understand exactly what you mean, I felt that way not too long ago. But what I realized is that you can never stop learning. Even executives at the top of their fields attend executive training so that they continue to be on the leading edge. If it’s good enough for them, then it should be good enough for us. You should never stop investing in yourself.” Oh well, I’ll be prepared next time I’m confronted with that self-limiting viewpoint.

Building Personal Credibility — Take This Quiz

Recently, I spoke to a group of administrative professionals at a networking event.  Did you know that one study by a leading consulting firm showed that building personal credibility was the second-most-identified behavior of leaders?  That’s the focus of this blog today – credibility.  If you have a minute, see how you rate yourself in answering these questions:

•Do you genuinely try to be honest?
•Do you walk the talk?
•Do you stand by your values?
•Do you have an open mind?
•Do you keep commitments?
•Do you listen to others?
•Do you strive to continually learn?

If you answered no to any of the questions, maybe it’s time for some reflection and new direction.  In these difficult economic times, credibility can be the one character trait that makes you stand out from all the other employees or candidates.  It can help you land a promotion or a new job.  What are your thoughts about credibility?

Feeling Overwhelmed?

I’m curious how your summer is going. Are any of you feeling a little overwhelmed? We are continually bombarded with negative news. Many friends and family are searching for jobs and getting very discouraged. For those of us still working, it seems we are busier than ever before. How can we keep ourselves distracted from the chaos and disappointment? John Lennon once said “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” So let’s get busy making other plans! Instead of focusing on the doom and gloom, take a minute to reflect on your talents, your passions, your family, your friends. Then get busy making plans. It will give you a renewed spark and people will notice the change.
Linda McFarland
Sr Partner, PlanetAdmin LLC
Connect@PlanetAdmin.net
1.800.604.5143

Inspiring the Greatness Within You.(sm)

Welcome to PlanetAdmin(r) Blog, the very first as our company is launching in July, 2009.  Specializing in training for professional administrators, PlanetAdmin offers highly targeted workshops and training modules that both improve effectiveness and career success. You are invited to join a select group of professional administrators in workshop series that will take your career to the next level of excellence.  PlanetAdmin is proud to be the first authorized representative to offer the Star Achievement Series(R) developed by Joan Burge, Founder and CEO, of Office Dynamics Ltd.

This outstanding series has helped thousands of executive administrators advance both their careers and professional relationships with their executives and supervisors.  The results will be immediate, and the subject matter will offer solutions that are real world and practical.

For more information write or call:

connect@planetadmin.net

1-800-604-5143