As a professional administrative assistant, you’ve likely spent your career providing top-notch support for your boss, manager, and/or other colleagues. If you’re in the early stages of your career, you’re probably spending a lot of time learning about how to best support those around you.
The habits outlined in this article are critical for administrative assistants at all levels of experience. They will help you improve your effectiveness on the job and can serve as a valuable guide even if you’re applying for receptionist or secretary positions.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Proactive Communication: Highly effective administrative assistants prioritize clear and proactive communication to ensure efficient workflow and effective collaboration. |
| 2. Exceptional Organization: Successful administrative assistants excel in organizational skills, enabling them to manage multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and maintain order in their work environment. |
| 3. Continuous Learning: Embracing a growth mindset, highly effective administrative assistants consistently seek opportunities for learning and professional development to enhance their skills and stay updated with industry trends. |
| 4. Strong Time Management: Effective time management enables administrative assistants to meet deadlines, handle competing priorities, and maintain productivity, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently and on time. |
| 5. Adaptability and Flexibility: The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and be flexible in handling unexpected challenges is a hallmark of highly effective administrative assistants, enabling them to navigate diverse work scenarios with ease. |
| 6. Attention to Detail: Paying meticulous attention to detail is crucial for administrative assistants, as it ensures accuracy, quality, and precision in tasks such as documentation, scheduling, and data management. |
| 7. Professionalism and Confidentiality: Highly effective administrative assistants maintain professionalism, handle sensitive information with utmost confidentiality, and demonstrate ethical conduct in their interactions and work responsibilities. |
| 8. Initiative and Proactiveness: Taking initiative and being proactive in identifying and addressing tasks and opportunities contribute to the effectiveness of administrative assistants, enabling them to anticipate needs and provide proactive support. |
| 9. Strong Interpersonal Skills: Building positive relationships, effective communication, active listening, and empathy are vital interpersonal skills that highly effective administrative assistants utilize to foster teamwork and establish rapport. |
| 10. Tech Savviness: Embracing technology tools and platforms helps administrative assistants streamline processes, enhance productivity, and stay updated with the latest digital advancements relevant to their role. |
| 11. Self-Care and Work-Life Balance: Prioritizing self-care and maintaining a healthy work-life balance are essential habits for highly effective administrative assistants, promoting well-being and long-term sustainability in their careers. |
1. Planning Your Day
Admins who can effectively plan their days enjoy increased work-life balance, a sense of accomplishment, and less stress. To start, set aside time to plan your day this is a must for effective admins.
Next, make a list of the things you want to accomplish that day in order from most important to least. Then block out time during your workday to work on those items. Use a calendar or scheduling software like Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar to manage your time so that you can be sure you’re devoting the right amount of time to each task. And don’t forget to schedule breaks between tasks so that you can recharge and remain productive throughout the day.
Finally, it can be helpful to take some time each night before bed or the morning before work begins to make sure your agenda for the next day is squared away. That way, when you arrive at work the following morning, you’ll already have an idea of how best to use those hours ahead of you.
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2. Organizing Your Desk And Files
Use a multi-function printer. This one is so simple and obvious that it’s often overlooked: if you have an important document to print, a printer will take up less space on your desk than the computer it’s connected to. Why not get all of your printing, scanning, copying, and faxing done with one device?
Use color to organize your files. If you’ve got a large amount of paperwork that needs to be filed away in separate folders, another way to save space and make things easier is by using colored file folders instead of writing each section’s name on the folder itself. You’ll save time searching through folders while also making them more attractive.
Use desktop organizers. The best way to keep clutter off your desk is by using desktop organizers as much as possible! Don’t pile things into drawers they’re hard enough to open without being stuffed full of loose papers and other items that need storing away safely somewhere else.
Not only does this keep everything looking neat when people walk past my office but it helps me stay organized too since I’m sure there are no forgotten items lying around waiting for someone else’s attention before they can be dealt with properly.”
3. Creating And Maintaining Project Plans
An administrative assistant’s role is to keep projects running smoothly, and one of the best ways to achieve that is by creating a comprehensive project plan. Everyone on the team should know how their work fits into the bigger picture, which is why an administrative assistant needs to outline a project plan before getting started and then maintain it as the project continues. Here are some components of a good project plan:
- A timeline that clearly explains when each task will be completed, when they need to be completed, and who will complete them
- A list of all necessary tasks, prioritized in order of importance (pro tip: if you’re worried about something falling through the cracks or not being completed in time, it is at the top!)
- A budget for how much each task costs (make sure you have enough money in your budget for any unexpected expenses!)
- An explanation of who needs to be brought up-to-date with each step in the process (you don’t want any surprises here)
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4. Making Time For Introspection
Don’t underestimate the importance of stepping back to assess where you are. Effectiveness is all about progress, and that can only happen if you know where you are starting from. We’re not saying that self-reflection comes easily it’s easy to get swept up at the moment, especially in a fast-paced office environment.
However, taking time to occasionally step back and evaluate your progress is one of the most important things you can do for your career as an administrative assistant. Here’s how it works:
- Take stock of what’s going on in your life outside of work (health, relationships, etc.). Write these down so you can refer back to them later on.
- Write down any goals you have for yourself at work or school or both! Bonus points if they relate in some way to personal growth or mastery at your craft (as opposed to something like “get a promotion”).
- Take some time each day for reflection: What went well today? What didn’t go well? What could be improved? Make sure this time is used wisely; don’t just jot down thoughts without spending any effort thinking about what they mean! It might seem like a waste of time at first but trust us when we say that it’s worth it!
5. Keeping Calm Under Pressure
When you work as an administrative assistant, you will inevitably be subjected to some amount of stress. For example, your boss may ask you to complete a project for him in a very tight time frame.
Or maybe the copier is on the fritz and all he finds in the mailbox are bills due this week. Or perhaps he’s still reeling from his daughter’s last-minute decision to elope and go skydiving instead of having a wedding, leaving him short-handed with no time to hire help. Whatever it is, try not to let it get to you.
Remember that these things happen outside of your control. It is not your fault, even if it feels like it is because your boss asks you for help so often. Don’t take any frustration he may feel out on yourself it’s not personal!
One way to keep calm under pressure: don’t panic! Panicking might cause you to make mistakes or forget important things, exacerbating the problem instead of solving it. Breathe deeply and try to stay positive.
6. Managing Your Boss’s Calendar
Understanding the importance of your boss’s time. You need to know why it’s important to make sure your boss is efficient with their time. The more efficient they are, the better for them and you. Prioritizing meetings based on importance. For example, your boss should always attend meetings with shareholders but not every single meeting is worth their attendance.
How to use a calendar to manage time efficiently. Your own and that of your boss. You must organize yourself to be able to help organize others around you as well as ensure efficiency in tasks and carry out all duties expected of an administrative assistant at a high level of professionalism at all times.,
Efficient workflow management is essential for freelance administrative assistants. Learn valuable tips and techniques in our resource on How to Manage Your Workflow as a Freelance Administrative Assistant to optimize your productivity and deliver exceptional results.
7. Using A Customer Relationship Management System
Customer relationship management systems are a big deal in business. You need to know them, and here’s why:
What is a customer relationship management system?
A customer relationship management system is a platform that lets you stay connected to your customers, employees, and partners. Why is a customer relationship management system important? It allows for better selling, more marketing, and more satisfying service.
How to use a customer relationship management system?
Once you’ve figured out the type of customer relationship management system you want (more on this below), it’s time to start using it. Here are some tips:
Be sure to use your database well; You should keep track of who people are, what they need from your company or organization, and similar information so you can quickly find the answers later on. This will help save time and do things faster.
Use mobile apps if possible; Making calls from inside the app will help get things done more quickly than doing it in another way like emailing or calling from outside the app. Plus there may be other features as well that can help like instant messenger/chat (a real-time way for people to talk).
This means fewer mistakes too because everything is right there when needed instead of having different files open all over the place or trying not even knowing where they are or how they’re labeled.
8. Prioritizing Tasks And Email
Effective admins know how to prioritize their tasks and organize their email inboxes.
First, they can distinguish between urgent and important tasks. Urgent tasks need immediate attention but don’t necessarily advance your career or contribute to company success. Important tasks contribute to the goal of the organization, but can also wait until tomorrow or next week. Effective admins focus on important tasks rather than urgent ones.
Next, effective admins know that time can be allocated for specific projects regularly (i.e., every Saturday morning from 9 a.m.- to noon). This way, if there is a deadline coming up or if the workload increases, they already have time in place to handle it.
Regularly reviewing priorities helps them determine what needs their attention most of all and what can be delegated to others or set aside for later. Because they’ve established those priorities and built good habits around them, effective admins don’t let email overwhelm them they check it at specific times of the day instead of constantly keeping an eye on it so that it doesn’t get in the way of getting things done.
9. Arranging Meetings, Teleconferences, Coffee Dates, Lunches, And Drinks Efficiently
When it’s your turn to host the meeting, you’d want it to be a resounding success, so be prepared.
List all the things you need and make sure everyone is on time. 3 minutes early is on time. If the person has not arrived within 10 minutes of the scheduled appointment, call them or send them an email. Be polite but firm, don’t let tardiness become a habit in your office or department.
If there are any delays in starting due to a lack of participants, use that extra time wisely by organizing your thoughts and ideas for when they finally do arrive. For example, if there’s only one participant and they’re delayed by 30 minutes and there are supposed to be 2 more arriving later, you can use that extra time to plan out what you want to say first and get ready with notes and documents which will help speed up the process once everyone arrives.
If possible call up your colleagues who might still be en route but have not arrived yet so that you can check if they’ll still be able to make it for this session or not e.g.: “Hi John! Just calling because we’re all here now except for yourself and Jane Smith; would you still like us to wait for both of you before we start? Will it take much longer?”.
This way when everyone is finally ready together then start immediately without wasting time waiting around anymore e.g.: “Okay great thanks, John! I’ve got some materials here today so I’ll just share these with everybody”
Transitioning from a traditional administrative assistant role to freelancing requires careful planning and preparation. Read our article on Tips for Successfully Transitioning to a Freelance Administrative Assistant Role to ensure a smooth and successful career shift.
10. Managing Projects Proactively And Nimbly End To End
You’re doing work and you need to know where you are in the process, what’s coming up, and whether you’ve finished your tasks. You need a project plan.
A project plan is a living document that should be updated continuously throughout the life of the project. It helps identify goals, deliverables, potential risks and obstacles, timelines for each step of the process, resources needed to complete each task, and what has been completed so far.
Project management software like [Asana](https://asana.com/) or [Trello](https://trello.com/) can help you with this if your team is small – but first thing’s first: make sure everyone knows who their project manager is (it might just be you) so they know who to communicate with on changes in deadlines or other issues that arise during a given project.
Project management may seem intimidating at first glance – but it doesn’t have to be hard! There are hundreds of books available both online and at your local library on effective ways to manage projects in business environments both small and large.
The important thing to remember is that being proactive rather than reactive when it comes to managing projects will save time, money, headache, and stress for your business in the long run – no matter how small it may be today.
11. Using Clear, Concise Email Etiquette And Communication
A professional secretary or administrative assistant is always a good email or letter writer. Before sending an email, review it for mistakes and make sure that you’re using clear and concise language.
Be brief but thorough when describing what you want to say and don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor if they have any feedback on the message before you send it out to the intended recipient.
Don’t use abbreviations or slang, never include emoticons in your messages, and make sure not to use all caps (it’s like talking in all bold). If something comes up that requires more detailed information later on down the line, include a link to another document where they can find it.
Make sure that your emails have a greeting and closing every time! A traditional “Dear Mr./Ms.” plus “Sincerely” works just fine for most situations, though do use your best judgment if someone asks you to close with something else.
Finally, don’t forget to add a signature block with all of your important contact information: name, title/position, office location/address, phone number(s), fax number(s), etc.) It’s also nice to list any links or social media accounts as well so people know how they can connect with you online. Last but not least: forward chain letters at your own risk.
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Closing Thoughts
What do all of these habits have in common?. They can be distilled into one overarching principle: Administrative assistants must be clever problem solvers and creative thinkers.
In this article, you’ve learned that administrative assistants are important team members who are given several tasks, some of which require them to be well-organized, forward-thinking individuals with an eye for detail and the ability to manage their time effectively. You’ve also learned that they’re often expected to use their creativity and resourcefulness to work on behalf of both the company and its clients.
If you’re applying for a job as an administrative assistant, keep these traits in mind when crafting your cover letter or resume. Being able to demonstrate how you embody these qualities will help you stand out from the crowd.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to explore related to the topic of highly effective administrative assistants:
Administrative Assistant Skills: 10 Essential Skills for Success: Discover the key skills that are crucial for administrative assistants to excel in their roles and contribute to organizational success.
The X-Factor: Top Habits of Highly Successful Administrative Assistants: Learn about the habits and practices that set highly successful administrative assistants apart and how you can incorporate them into your own professional journey.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Explore the renowned book by Stephen R. Covey, which offers a holistic approach to personal and professional effectiveness. It provides valuable insights that can be applied to various aspects of life, including administrative assistant roles.
People Also Ask
Is There A Difference Between An Administrative Assistant And A Secretary?
The main difference between an administrative assistant and a secretary is that administrative assistants usually have more responsibilities, such as overseeing the work of other employees. In smaller companies, on the other hand, a secretary may function as an administrative assistant.
How Do I Become An Administrative Assistant?
If you want to become an administrative assistant, you’ll likely need at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent and some office experience. You should also be good at following rules and being detail-oriented (since these are important skills for this position).
What Is The Difference Between An Administrative Assistant And An Executive Assistant?
An administrative assistant performs a variety of tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing social media. They provide support to an office team. An executive assistant usually works directly with executive-level management. They may be required to undertake more specialized work and manage larger projects.
What Are The Top 3 Skills Of An Administrative Assistant?
Communication: administrative assistants will be constantly communicating, whether it’s over email, by phone, in person, or otherwise so they must have strong communication skills. They should be able to clearly articulate themselves while being sensitive to others’ needs.
Time Management: especially at a high level of seniority with multiple clients or deadlines, time management is crucial for any admin assistant. It helps them stay on task and avoid getting overwhelmed by multiple demands on their time. It also allows them to prioritize urgent tasks over less important ones so that everything gets done efficiently!
Organization: ideally working from home or remotely can allow for greater flexibility in how an employee organizes their day but even if this isn’t possible there are still ways for admins assistants to stay organized throughout their work hours through calendars apps like Google Calendar which sync up across devices like smartphones tablets laptops etc; some even sync directly onto smartwatches making it easier than ever before.
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