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Tuesday 27 August 2013
Tuesday 13 August 2013
Old Fashioned? Be a Bit More Forward - With a "Sexy" Bring Forward File
OK... "Sexy" is a just a bit of a stretch. But I wanted to bring your attention to a dying art - yes dear reader I have noticed over the last few years that there has been a loss in the office... the Bring Forward file has become a rarely used tool due to the rise of the "Paperless Office".
Let's be honest - how many offices are truly paperless? Well done if yours is... but where to keep the things you'll need at a later date? If you're working for a mover and shaker it's quite likely that people will want them to go to their events, and there will be some that they need/want to go to. Formal shindigs often require you to show your invitation to gain entry. Really good "do's" send the invites out a few weeks in advance... do these lovely "stiffies" (Calm Down!! - it's an affectionate name for a thick-card invitation) float around in your top desk drawer? or get lost in your "filing" pile? (By the way - if you're wondering about the dress codes on those "stiffies" - Heh heh he... click here)
Setting up a way to keep these things safe (works for handwritten notes and tickets too! - oh SOOO versatile!) is very straight forward. You need an old fashioned expanding box-file with 31 parts. You can get one here.
Don't worry about there being only 31 - you don't need 365 - you just file the document/invitation or tickets under the number for the date of the month (which ever month) you need it for. Make it a habit to check a few days ahead every night before you leave.
You'll be working like the super-efficient swan-like assistant that you are - and never have to take your desk apart to find an important invitation ever again!
Go and get a cake to go with your coffee!! You deserve it!
Let's be honest - how many offices are truly paperless? Well done if yours is... but where to keep the things you'll need at a later date? If you're working for a mover and shaker it's quite likely that people will want them to go to their events, and there will be some that they need/want to go to. Formal shindigs often require you to show your invitation to gain entry. Really good "do's" send the invites out a few weeks in advance... do these lovely "stiffies" (Calm Down!! - it's an affectionate name for a thick-card invitation) float around in your top desk drawer? or get lost in your "filing" pile? (By the way - if you're wondering about the dress codes on those "stiffies" - Heh heh he... click here)
Setting up a way to keep these things safe (works for handwritten notes and tickets too! - oh SOOO versatile!) is very straight forward. You need an old fashioned expanding box-file with 31 parts. You can get one here.
Don't worry about there being only 31 - you don't need 365 - you just file the document/invitation or tickets under the number for the date of the month (which ever month) you need it for. Make it a habit to check a few days ahead every night before you leave.
You'll be working like the super-efficient swan-like assistant that you are - and never have to take your desk apart to find an important invitation ever again!
Go and get a cake to go with your coffee!! You deserve it!
Approaching Agencies - Ditch the Broadband - Go Offline!!!
I meet so many people who feel so down in the dumps about agencies I am heartbroken for them. They think they’re applying for “loads” of jobs on a daily basis and either not hearing anything or getting an impersonal email rejection.
When probed (with questions – not a stick or anything similar!) most of these poor, down-hearted applicants turn out to have been spending their life online. Firing off CVs to electronic adverts, or sending them to info@... email addresses only to be lost in the ether. When I ask them what happened when they followed up they often tell me that they get an email back saying “In the current market we don’t feel that you are a suitable candidate for us” or worse – they just say “I didn’t, I just assumed the job had been filled”.
BEWARE - REVELATION TIME!!!!
RING THE &($*£%^" AGENCY YOU TWIT!!!
Seriously, though are you kidding me? How do you expect to make an impression if you don't connect with these people? They are people you know, they're essentially Sales People... but every now and then you will find one with a soul who is actually interested in helping you to find a job that you really want.
I know this, because before I was Devil-Wear's-Prada-ing my way around the City I was one... and I loved the thrill of getting someone a job they really wanted and of making sure my clients were well looked after.
You need to talk to them. It's pretty obvious that a confident telephone manner is the corner stone of being a crème de la crème Personal Assistant (for that matter I think email has a lot to answer for - make appointments over the phone - much easier that exchanging lists of dates with a stranger - go on - pick up the phone - make a friend!). Use this opportunity to show off one of your core skills.
If the relevant person isn't there and they don't call you back, call again. You are their only commodity, frankly if an agent isn't willing to at least telephone screen you - then they're not a very good agent.... If they can't sell you they might not be "interested" in you or your skills. But I can guarantee one will - and a good one will see your transferable skills and even tell you what they are!
As you know, I'm a career temp at the moment (and loving it) I'm with six agencies and in five months I have only worked for two - but when I'm looking for work I make sure they ALL know.
You should foster these relationships when looking for any kind of work, be it office based, temp or perm. Agencies are a great, convenient way for you to find a job. Trawling adverts is not.
You need to talk to them. It's pretty obvious that a confident telephone manner is the corner stone of being a crème de la crème Personal Assistant (for that matter I think email has a lot to answer for - make appointments over the phone - much easier that exchanging lists of dates with a stranger - go on - pick up the phone - make a friend!). Use this opportunity to show off one of your core skills.
If the relevant person isn't there and they don't call you back, call again. You are their only commodity, frankly if an agent isn't willing to at least telephone screen you - then they're not a very good agent.... If they can't sell you they might not be "interested" in you or your skills. But I can guarantee one will - and a good one will see your transferable skills and even tell you what they are!
As you know, I'm a career temp at the moment (and loving it) I'm with six agencies and in five months I have only worked for two - but when I'm looking for work I make sure they ALL know.
You should foster these relationships when looking for any kind of work, be it office based, temp or perm. Agencies are a great, convenient way for you to find a job. Trawling adverts is not.
Monday 12 August 2013
Seven Steps To Managing A Diary Like The Superstar You Are!
You might think that diary management is very straight forward… it is. But here are some superstar touches you can apply so you just don’t get lost… or look like a fool… a PA should be Swan-Like (Elegant above the waterline - paddling like mad underneath!)… not the office Jester!
2) Don’t forget the travel time – seriously – how embarrassing if you do? You’re a sensible person – you know that it’s going to take time to get from one place to another….
3) Lunch – book them in – often! Their lunch will take twice as long as yours and when they’re otherwise engaged… you get to pop out for half an hour of your own! Bliss!
4) Find out early on how your boss “feels” about breakfast meetings… if they’re not a morning person four 7.45am meetings in a week will make you as popular as an ex-girlfriend at a wedding…. (To my mind – if your boss is better than you before coffee – leave).
5) Put notes in the “notes” section. Yes Dearie, we ALL need to know who you spoke to when you fixed this up – even when you’re on holiday – what if we need to move it? Having proper contact details in the meeting is essential – while you’re at it update the contacts file too!
6) Check!! You’re MANAGING A DIARY for a LIVING…. Therefore MANAGE IT!!!! Check ahead – be sensible – read what’s going on and get a feel for their life as you have arranged it. If you don’t know how, what, where, why and when from the diary you have complied – how can you expect your boss to?
7) CONFRIM – it’s a two line email “Miss Brown is so looking forward to seeing you (or Ms Green) here at our offices at 3pm tomorrow. If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Kind regards etc.” obviously you will follow this with your sexy electronic signature so the poor sod knows where to go!
So that’s it – the no BS guide to being right when it comes to this stuff. The colour coding, and lovely labelling, categorising and so on is all very nice… but honestly…. Just do it properly, get involved and give a cr*p and you’ll be fine!
Oh No, No, No! Don't Apologize!
Dealing with difficult or disparaging comments from a “Challenging” boss is VERY simple:
1. CONFIDENCE (even if you’re dying inside)
2. Never apologize unless you are absolutely in the wrong.
3. Never explain unless an explanation is demanded.
4. Don't say sorry while you're explaining.
I am a natural apologiser...
"Sorry, to bother you, could I just have 5 minutes of your time for you to sign these urgent documents that will make you lots of money".
"I'm sorry that the person who works for another company who I have never met before was 15 mins late to the meeting I organised at his office".
"I'm sorry that the traffic was so bad that you were late for your Opera".
"I'm sorry that the suite in the hotel (in a country with a 9 hour time difference that I have never been to and don't speak the language of) was so below par that there was no natural light in the bathroom".
"I'm sorry that you're in a bad mood this morning".
It is your job to help them get everything done that needs to be done and in the way they like it. But certain circumstances are beyond your control. Do not take responsibility for them!
For document signing that MUST be done today simply walk into the office (when they are not on the phone – naturellement) and say "This is the sign off for the new Client Management System, it needs to be done today" put it down on their desk at the appropriate page with a sticky arrow and hand them a pen. Make sure you know what it's for or about – riding that little monster can bring a whole heap more of “I’m sorry”.
Traffic is a universal HATE. If your boss has to be somewhere at a certain time find out about the journey times. If they’re collecting their partner – tell their partner what time they will have to leave home. Timings are easily figured out with googlemaps and if that's beyond you speak to the driver or car service (that said Addison Lee are OTT about their timing and will get them there an hour early!). If you’re worried, just google "live traffic reports".
Hotel accommodation - if they pick at you for this simply say "I was assured that you were getting a premium suite, next time I'll make sure that the hotel knows your preference" - then make sure you do... (and shhhhh with the “Sorry”).
Bad moods.... If you say "I'm sorry you're in a bad mood" it can go one of two ways... either in you clearing your desk or in them laughing it off and apologizing to you. It's a game of roulette so don't play it - leave it under your breath - and then stand well back.
If you have forgotten to do something then do it as soon as you remember - if it's too late... then it depends on your boss. Honesty is the best policy, but the amount of times you will genuinely forget is minimal. Make sure you only apologize for genuine mistakes - they are much fewer and will make you appear much more efficient. Never say "I'm sorry, I forgot" it sounds arrogant and defensive. "That was an oversight on my part" is a better option - remember not to follow it with "I'm sorry"... just leave it hanging and see what they do. You have taken responsibility for it - you don't need to beg for forgiveness. They might sigh with disappointment - and they might remind you about it in the future... but you will not be thought of as the PA who is always doing things that she has to apologize for!
If you succeed in doing this - tell me how. :)
Sunday 11 August 2013
Being Organised: Some Things You'll Need To Know
When you first walk into an office to work as a PA/EA/Office Manager or Secretary it's easy to have a pre-conceived notion about what the job may be like. Expectations are strong on both sides. You expect to find a level of structure in place, your boss expects you to either maintain or (more usually) improve on the current state of the office.
You might be walking into a role that is well established. What is expected of you may be written very clearly in the form of a job description or handover notes. You might be flying blind.
Here are my top tips about things you can put in place to make sure you are providing the right kind of support to an employer.
1) Answer the phone in the right way. If you're not sure - check out this article. It's one of the first things you're likely to have to do and it's always a great way to make the right impression.
2) Find out about the existing arrangements for diary management. This can be done in a number of ways. You might be wholly responsible for the management of someone's time, either all of it or during office hours. It's likely that you will deal with appointments, meetings and invitations straight away. Familiarise yourself with the existing system as soon as you can. Most offices use Microsoft Outlook and give you direct access to your boss's diary - this is also a tool that they can see. For any electronic diary system it is important that any appointments that you confirm are added to this in a timely manner. More on this here. If you walk in to the stone age and are faced with a big leather book (trust me - I know that this still happens) that lives on your boss's desk then you'll have your work cut out for you. just ensure that the lines of communication are as open as possible and you will learn the true meaning of "I'll pencil that in".
3) Contacts need to be managed well. Outlook has an efficient and straight forward provision for this. Ensure that these records are kept as up to date as possible. It is easy to cut and paste or enter a new phone number or other details as an when they come up. There can be a bump in the road when you stock pile business cards handed to you when your boss comes back from a meeting if you don't enter them straight away. Typically, if they have met someone recently then they are likely to want to contact them soon. They'll want to know why, when they come to send the email they've been thinking about for a couple days the person's details aren't in their contact file. Check out this article for more info on contacts management in Outlook.
4) Filing is still an integral part of the "paperless" office. Regardless of medium, this system should be as navigable as possible. Thankfully electronic filing is made a lot easier in this day and age than physical filing due to the ability to "search" documents you have correctly labelled. This is true too for emails. If you can get something again then don't keep a paper copy of it, unless your boss has made notes in the margin. I had a boss who was very keen on his noted copies of meeting agendas... made for a laborious filing system - but I managed to find everything... eventually! See this article for more info on filing and ways to approach it.
5) A Bring forward file is a useful tool when you need to pass your boss tickets or invitations at a later date. It's also useful for keeping papers relevant to meetings in the right place to pass to them to read the night before a meeting. Just remember to check it! See here for notes on how to set-up this simple system.
6) Having a dedicated signature book might seem old fashioned. Signatures are still required in the real world though! If you are working for someone in a position of authority in a firm (and most people with an Assistant generally are) a dedicated file of documents that need to be signed is useful. You will know where they are and you will be able to work out a good time to ask for them book to be dealt with. Make sure you know what the documents are though as it's often quite embarrassing to be asked a question you don't know the answer to. If you have any correspondence relevant to the document then it's worth printing them off an clipping them under the signature page for your boss's reference. If you don't - then ask the person who requires the signature to send you a short email summarising the reasons they need the signature.
7) Template letters are very useful and if you arrive in a role and can't find any then it's useful to set them up. A standard thank you letter (see here for an example) that you can personalise to the occasion/individual is a great one to have for those blanker minded days. As you progress in the role you will become more familiar what is and isn't relevant.
8) It is essential that you have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages. You need to be familiar with the way they work. The whole of Microsoft office is very similar. If you know how to use Word then using Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint is more intuitive. If you can't use the packages, get some training. At the risk of showing my age, this wasn't something I actually had lessons in at school. I taught myself all my Microsoft Office skills on the "job" as it were. University was my main training ground on Word - I soon learned to double line space an essay that was required to be a certain number of pages (!). Excel is difficult to learn if you don't have a purpose for it. It's brilliant for anything financial, but it's also fantastic for creating easily negotiated lists. I use it for address databases (mainly to use the mail-merge function in Word), invitation lists, basic budget planning (though it is much more capable than me of doing very complicated stuff ). Outlook is very intuitive and the help function is always useful. If you're scared - train. Pay for it if you have to. It will be a great investment. If you're coming into the sphere of the PA through an agency you will have to complete tests on these packages - so don't lie! :)
I have worked in a lot of different offices over the years, and for some very busy people. You might be surprised to learn that even though I have called this website "Shorthanded" I don't actually have shorthand, not at a level good enough to put it on my CV anyway. I also don't touch type... I have tried learning - but my three finger method seems to work out at about 50 words a minute which has been good enough so far. My point is that even if you didn't go to secretarial college, then that shouldn't be an obstacle to you getting a good job in the admin world. Don't get me wrong, I think having proper secretarial qualifications is very useful and I often wish I had formal training. However, I've done okay with what's between my ears and a willingness to show willing!
You might be walking into a role that is well established. What is expected of you may be written very clearly in the form of a job description or handover notes. You might be flying blind.
Here are my top tips about things you can put in place to make sure you are providing the right kind of support to an employer.
1) Answer the phone in the right way. If you're not sure - check out this article. It's one of the first things you're likely to have to do and it's always a great way to make the right impression.
2) Find out about the existing arrangements for diary management. This can be done in a number of ways. You might be wholly responsible for the management of someone's time, either all of it or during office hours. It's likely that you will deal with appointments, meetings and invitations straight away. Familiarise yourself with the existing system as soon as you can. Most offices use Microsoft Outlook and give you direct access to your boss's diary - this is also a tool that they can see. For any electronic diary system it is important that any appointments that you confirm are added to this in a timely manner. More on this here. If you walk in to the stone age and are faced with a big leather book (trust me - I know that this still happens) that lives on your boss's desk then you'll have your work cut out for you. just ensure that the lines of communication are as open as possible and you will learn the true meaning of "I'll pencil that in".
3) Contacts need to be managed well. Outlook has an efficient and straight forward provision for this. Ensure that these records are kept as up to date as possible. It is easy to cut and paste or enter a new phone number or other details as an when they come up. There can be a bump in the road when you stock pile business cards handed to you when your boss comes back from a meeting if you don't enter them straight away. Typically, if they have met someone recently then they are likely to want to contact them soon. They'll want to know why, when they come to send the email they've been thinking about for a couple days the person's details aren't in their contact file. Check out this article for more info on contacts management in Outlook.
4) Filing is still an integral part of the "paperless" office. Regardless of medium, this system should be as navigable as possible. Thankfully electronic filing is made a lot easier in this day and age than physical filing due to the ability to "search" documents you have correctly labelled. This is true too for emails. If you can get something again then don't keep a paper copy of it, unless your boss has made notes in the margin. I had a boss who was very keen on his noted copies of meeting agendas... made for a laborious filing system - but I managed to find everything... eventually! See this article for more info on filing and ways to approach it.
5) A Bring forward file is a useful tool when you need to pass your boss tickets or invitations at a later date. It's also useful for keeping papers relevant to meetings in the right place to pass to them to read the night before a meeting. Just remember to check it! See here for notes on how to set-up this simple system.
6) Having a dedicated signature book might seem old fashioned. Signatures are still required in the real world though! If you are working for someone in a position of authority in a firm (and most people with an Assistant generally are) a dedicated file of documents that need to be signed is useful. You will know where they are and you will be able to work out a good time to ask for them book to be dealt with. Make sure you know what the documents are though as it's often quite embarrassing to be asked a question you don't know the answer to. If you have any correspondence relevant to the document then it's worth printing them off an clipping them under the signature page for your boss's reference. If you don't - then ask the person who requires the signature to send you a short email summarising the reasons they need the signature.
7) Template letters are very useful and if you arrive in a role and can't find any then it's useful to set them up. A standard thank you letter (see here for an example) that you can personalise to the occasion/individual is a great one to have for those blanker minded days. As you progress in the role you will become more familiar what is and isn't relevant.
8) It is essential that you have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages. You need to be familiar with the way they work. The whole of Microsoft office is very similar. If you know how to use Word then using Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint is more intuitive. If you can't use the packages, get some training. At the risk of showing my age, this wasn't something I actually had lessons in at school. I taught myself all my Microsoft Office skills on the "job" as it were. University was my main training ground on Word - I soon learned to double line space an essay that was required to be a certain number of pages (!). Excel is difficult to learn if you don't have a purpose for it. It's brilliant for anything financial, but it's also fantastic for creating easily negotiated lists. I use it for address databases (mainly to use the mail-merge function in Word), invitation lists, basic budget planning (though it is much more capable than me of doing very complicated stuff ). Outlook is very intuitive and the help function is always useful. If you're scared - train. Pay for it if you have to. It will be a great investment. If you're coming into the sphere of the PA through an agency you will have to complete tests on these packages - so don't lie! :)
I have worked in a lot of different offices over the years, and for some very busy people. You might be surprised to learn that even though I have called this website "Shorthanded" I don't actually have shorthand, not at a level good enough to put it on my CV anyway. I also don't touch type... I have tried learning - but my three finger method seems to work out at about 50 words a minute which has been good enough so far. My point is that even if you didn't go to secretarial college, then that shouldn't be an obstacle to you getting a good job in the admin world. Don't get me wrong, I think having proper secretarial qualifications is very useful and I often wish I had formal training. However, I've done okay with what's between my ears and a willingness to show willing!
Tuesday 30 July 2013
Office Romance: Is it EVER appropriate?
I stumbled upon this article on the BBC website this morning. It's whimsical look at the "role" of the Secretary in the office in the 1950s/1960s - it's nothing to do with the job description - it's about the role of the Secretary as an object of desire.
Lucy Kellaway writes this article as part of the promotions for her Radio 4 Series "Sex and the Office". Now, sadly, I'm not really a radio listener, so I know I won't have the opportunity to review the series for you. However, the article raises some interesting points.
Prior generations revered the Secretary as an object of desire - the woman in the office that "By the early 20th Century the secretary had become a cultural type. Girls wanted to grow up to be one. Boys thought they'd marry one".
But what of the role of the female administrative professional in the 21st Century?
Kellaway continues "In the last 60 years or so our attitude to sex at work has moved from denial to delight to disapproval to disallowing.". We've moved from the sex-bomb 60's, into the hairy legged 70's, through the powerful, defensive 80's and the compensatory 90's into the "It's All About Me" 21st Century.
As women in the workplace I am sure we are all very thankful for the fact that men are no longer "allowed" to ogle and leer inappropriately. I'm sure that we are all thrilled that there are no "inappropriate" comments about our sex-lives thrown around the office on a Monday morning or after an obvious "Walk of Shame". I know that we all dress demurely and without recourse to attract any unwanted attention. HR departments delight in processing cases of harassment, or taking someone aside for a quiet word after an indiscretion at an office party which could be deemed an "extension of the workplace".
The fact of the matter is that outside of educational establishments work is the place where people find their life partners these days. There will always be beautiful girls who are given their entry level job on reception because they are "better presented" than the other less attractive candidates.
For my part, I take the rather un-modern approach of Helen Gurley Brown, the late editor of Cosmopolitan, who is quoted in the article as saying "You see, I don't think it's wrong to use your sex appeal and femininity to get ahead on a job. In fact, I can't think of a better way to do it,".
We do it in all other areas of our lives, the pressure upon us as women to be able to do everything well, a (really good - high pressure) job, children, a beautiful home, an interest in culture, politics, eating out, cooking like Raymond Blanc, weighing nothing, juicing, Pilates... etc etc.... surely we should be allowed to use our natural abilities to assist in such things.
The key to really moving on is making the office a safe space in which to do this. I think that the problem we have now is that men have been so frightened by the rules - you can look, but don't look like you're looking, never touch - and the Gods of HR forbid you to flirt! - that the new generation of "entitled" young women are now being more obvious about it. Appropriate office wear is another subject - but I can tell you, not many people follow this and there is a lot more on show these days than in the swinging 60s.
If "never in the office" were true then how would the truth that most people meet their partners at work be true? How is it done? A friend of mine conducted a very lengthy relationship with a colleague for years, essentially in secret because "inter-office relationships aren't allowed where I work". But how can an employer enforce this? Surely this is a breach of one's human rights?
Conversely, is the adoption of under-the-radar tactics just another way to add a salacious element to a relationship that is not embarked on with the most honorable of intentions? The excuse to keep things out of the public eye is often a very convenient way for one or other party involved to act in a less than honorable way.
The rules of the game have come full circle - with one very important change - unwanted attention can now be dealt with. It raises the stakes, and makes the chase all that more exciting. Anyone who has been out in the City on a Thursday night knows that the game is still being played. Everyone, talks about it. You just have to learn how to play it properly, discreetly and with both professionalism and style.
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