A boss who takes a minute or two to say

Here’s how to show your executive assistant
know you really appreciate her contributions
If you’re looking for the perfect way to say thanks on Administrative Professionals Day on April 25, don’t be so quick to make reservations for both of you at the classiest restaurant in town.
Your assistant would probably appreciate a nice meal. But there’s something she’d like a whole lot more: time to herself.
An informal poll of assistants in the Brookfield-based Executive Support Program, a professional development group for administrative assistants, shows time is one of their most precious commodities. These are women who have no two days that are exactly the same. Dealing with interruptions and daily changes are the norm.
They spend their days planning, organizing, scheduling activities and managing interruptions. They spend evenings attending to husbands, children, parents, school groups and communities where they have devoted what little attention they have left.
Many put off taking care of themselves, thinking, “I can get to that tomorrow.” They are loyal and committed to putting their company and others first.
So instead of a lunch, our members say, give them a gift of time. Some possibilities include:

  • A paid day off of her choice. Promise her you won’t call her at home, like you do when she’s sick or at home on vacation. Then keep the promise.
  • A free class or seminar of her choice. We’re not talking Power Point or Excel. We’re talking creative writing, Nia movement class, music lessons or crafting classes. The types of classes she’d love to take during the evening but is too exhausted to even consider.
  • An afternoon off. She’d probably love an appointment for a massage, facial and nail treatment. Recruit one of her friends in the office to arrange this for you. Or let her make the arrangements herself.
  • Tickets to any event you know she’ll like. Spring for the entire family, plus dinner afterward. Family time is so precious for most administrative assistants that they will cherish this thoughtful gesture.
  • A spa day. She needs to be pampered, and the spa folks pamper like no one else. Herbal wraps, saunas and healthy fruit shakes can work miracles.
  • A gift certificate. Remember that four-star restaurant you were considering for lunch? Buy a gift certificate and let her take her husband to dinner instead. Our members tell us that even though they wouldn’t mind lunch with you, making nice with the boss in a social situation can sometimes be a bit strained.
    Our members have even more suggestions. If you’d rather give her a gift, forget the cliché candy. Instead, arrange to have a “gift of the month” delivered to her desk, like a fancy gift basket or cookies from a gourmet bakery. It will show your gratitude all year long, even when you’re away on business and she’s holding down the fort.
    Sometimes the simplest gestures are often the best. Members were unanimous in agreeing that a boss who takes a minute or two to say “thank you” – either verbally or with a nicely written thank-you note – shows true appreciation. As one assistant said, “Acknowledgement means more to me on a day-to-day basis.”
    As for flowers, there are far better options. “Flowers are nice, but in the office there are a lot of others who work hard but aren’t acknowledged with a special day,” one assistant said. “So I’d rather keep a low profile.”
    Said another: “A simple thank-you or a pat on the back with ‘good job’ keeps me going.”
    Kathleen Johnson is the chairman and meeting facilitator for the TEC Executive Support Program, a professional development group for administrative assistants. Contact her at 414-379-3609 or at ihksjohn@aol.com.
    April 13, 2001 SBT

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