AEAC's Administrative Blog

Corporate Giving

AEAC — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:03:36 +0000

Read this informative article on corporate giving. Even if you are just starting out you may find there are some benefits to setting aside a portion of your budget for giving. Specifically giving in your community may provide you with great leads. If a community member is in need of a service you provide, they may just call on you because they have become familiar with you through your community involvement. AEAC has worked with small and large companies and the ones that are most successful often have had some sort of giving or donation program. Best of Luck to you.

What is an Administrative Center

AEAC — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:18:31 +0000

An Administrative Center is a place where busy executives can receive assistance with handling the back end of business. All of the task, that an in office assistant completes are done in a centralized location. In a call center environment, calls are taken on behalf of executives, meetings are scheduled, events are planned, travel is booked, correspondence are drawn up and much more. The advantages to companies outsourcing their administrative task are monetarily economical and time saving. Small Business owners, large companies, and entrepreneurs save on employment cost such as taxes, workers comp, and insurance. They also save time by outsourcing their administrative task because it frees them to focus on things that only they can do such as nurturing client relationships and generating new business. At an Administrative Center a client pays a fee for service, and eliminates paying for time not spent on completing task. For example: If you pay your in office assistant for 40 hours per week, and he or she only actually uses 20 hours per week to complete the task you gave them, you are over paying them by 20 hours. When you outsource to an Administrative call center you only pay for the work actually completed no matter how long it takes to complete that task.

Administrative Cost Saving Tips-Dining Out

AEAC — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:28:34 +0000

Pick up a newspaper, turn on the radio, and turn on the evening news and what will you see and or hear. We are still in an economic crisis and in the midst of financial restructuring. It isn’t just on American shores either. The global economy has been affected as well. So companies large and small have been taking a look at ways to cut cost in small ways. Even the smallest change can positively affect the bottom line.

The “bottom line” counts whether you’re a major corporation or a housewife trying to manage her household finances. So companies all over the world are cutting back. Problem with the need to cut back is that clients and prospects still expect the same level of service and “wooing” if you will. A large part of the business of gaining new business is done over a meal. Also many times executives choose to hold major business meetings over lunch, cocktails, and dinner. These tabs or dining bills may not be as large as other expenses, but they do affect your bottom line. Every dollar your company spends will have an effect on your bottom line. Because dining out is a large part of doing business and gaining business, AEAC believes your organization should consider cost saving tips for dining out.

AEAC feels that there are two major ways companies can save money while “Dining Out” without compromising on the standard your company has set.

Sign your executives up with companies like OpenTable or DinersClub. Any services that allow its users to receive points and discounts for frequent dining. Open Table specifically is very Admin friendly (in our experience). You can work with your Administrative Professional to book all of your lunch and dinner meetings through them. Similar to frequent flyer miles, you will accumulate points that you can use towards free dining and discounts. Check it out and see if it works for you and your organization. If so you may find it a cost saver and a valuable resource.
Vendor Negotiation is also a viable option. When you want to entertain a client, meet with a prospect, or brainstorm with a colleague. You normally do so at a nice restaurant. Specifically when it comes to clients and prospects you want to entertain well, while striking the balance between appearing successful and being budget conscious. A way to do this is work with your admin/admins to negotiate discounts with local restaurants in exchange for being your company’s restaurant of choice. We suggest picking a restaurant of each cuisine i.e. American, French, Italian, Seafood etc., so that you have a variety of options. Before you contact any restaurant managers you should have the following information: how many executives in your office, how often they dine out, what the average check or bill has been (review past expense reports), and the percentage of your business you are willing to give to them. Also have in mind what level of discount you are looking to receive.

Remember every dollar counts, when it comes to your bottom line. So work with your Administrative staff to find ways to cut back without cutting out all the perks, and means by which you generate new business.

Do You Hear What I Hear? (Tools for Effective Listening)

AEAC — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:36:07 +0000

As an Administrative Professional you face many challenges in your day. Keeping yourself organized and on task, and keeping those you support organized and on task can be daunting. One of the things you may have challenges with is how your receive instructions. How your boss communicates to you his or her expectations for you can be a source of frustration for you. I have both experienced and known those who often receive fly by instructions from their executives and in my opinion those are the worse.When at all possible I encourage AP’s to ask that their bosses to submit their assignments in writing via, email or hand written notes. However it has been our experience that the vast majority of the time your receiving of the cuff and voice mail instructions. So we feel knowing how to effectively listen is a valuable skill all assistants should have.

Here are some Tips:

Be Present: When receiving instructions remain present in the conversation. Meaning avoid thinking about what needs to be done next. The next bullet point on your to do list. Try not to think about the thing you were just interrupted from doing and be present. This will take some practice, seeing that in order to multi-task your mind may normally often be in several places at one time. Focus your thoughts and train them to only receive information at this time by mentally squishing any other thoughts that arise. You can practice this at home with your family and train your mind, you may even have to say to yourself focus (insert your name here) focus.
Make Contact: When receiving face to face instructions make eye contact with the person speaking to you. Lift your head up from staring down at your note pad, and look into their eyes and watch their facials expressions. People often express the importance of what they are saying with their expressions or some people even jester with their hands. If your head is down you may miss these ques. Making eye contact also helps the person you are speaking to see if you understand what they are saying. When I conduct workshops I like to look at the faces of those in attendance to see if their eyes are glazed over or if they are really listening. If their eyes are glazed it makes me feel as though they are physically there but mentally somewhere else. If their eyes are focused on me, I believe they are listening to what I am saying.
Listening isn’t Speaking: If your executive is speaking on a subject you are familiar with, resist the urge to finish their sentences for them. If your executive says something that sparks a question in your mind that you need to ask, write it down and ask it later. This will give the speaker the chance to finish a complete thought, asking questions while the speaker is trying to complete a thought may cause them to lose there train of thought which can lead to frustration. In addition holding your thoughts, opinions and questions to the end shows exactly what you heard them say and shows what things you need clarification on. If you interrupt, it can be seen as you not paying attention and that you just want to get your points across.

In order to be a stellar Administrative Professional you need to be able to swiftly and efficiently carry out the assignments you are given. In order to do this you must hear the instructions clearly in the first place. The points outlined, can be applied to effective reading as well. Whether listening or reading, be present and stay focused on the person who is speaking or the item you are reading. Make contact by giving eye contact to the person who is speaking, don’t just gloss over the email read every word. If you are receiving verbal instructions, don’t speak until the speaker has finished, let them finish their thoughts. Developing your listening skills can help you to do the assignment right the first time around. Therefore effectively communicating with your executive can lead to a lasting career with your organization.

Knowing Your Worth (Turning Your Job Into a Career)

AEAC — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:37:09 +0000

Perhaps you went to college and majored in Business Management and life circumstances lead you to the position of Administrative Professional. Perhaps you took and entry-level position with your company as a way to get your foot in the door, but that was five years ago. Perhaps you started in the mail room and worked your way up to Executive Assistant. No matter the reason for your decision to become and remain an Administrative Professional, you deserve to be fulfilled in your career. You deserve to be recognized for your hard work, and to have your purpose in the organization cleared defined.

Everyone within an organization has worth, has value, and should be treated as an important asset. It would be great if others recognized our worth and always properly utilized our skills; however that does not always happen. I believe it is up to you to know your own worth and communicate what you discover to others. There is a way to make the executive’s you support feel as though they can not properly do business without you.

To illustrate my point let me tell you a story:

Several years ago I found myself supporting a gentleman who owns several companies. He also sits on the board of several organizations, and at the time was the Vice President of a major football organization. I found the job through an online career service and moved to the area just to work for said person. I was super excited! My boss was like a living Saint, extremely kind and giving to everyone. However he was also very demanding, and had a very low tolerance for incompetence.Our Company needed to put together a catalogue of our products, and we needed it done very quickly. I was asked to contact several vendors and get quotes on services. While gathering this information I noticed the costliness of the vendors. We had several companies come in and explain their process and their fees. While interviewing the vendors I observed that all of their processes were pretty much the same. They would take pictures of the products and add a description and a price. I thought to myself, “You can do this!” I reminded myself that I had taken a graphic design course in college, and let my boss know I was willing to give it a try. Long story made shorter. I created the catalogue from start to finish and saved the company thousands of dollars.

Lesson in illustration

1.Identify opportunities to show what “you” can do, talents and skills that may not be put to use as a part of your day-to-day responsibilities.

2. Take ownership of any company you work for, because you believe you contribute to its ability to function.

3. Saving your company time, money, and resources will help to communicate your value to your company. They will view you as an asset.

Knowing your worth means knowing how the skills and talents that you possess will help your company in any given situation. Once you are able to identify your worth you can use this knowledge as leverage when bargaining raises, roles, responsibilities, or new employment opportunities.

For More Learning Info Visit: www.y-gaconsulting.com follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/ygaconsulting

How you do the things you do! ( How Work Styles Factor In)

AEAC — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:49:41 +0000

Some people work well under pressure, others do not!

Some people work well witha micromanager, others do not!

Some people work well when they are left to complete a task the way they see fit, others do not!

Some people need step by step instructions, others do not!

Some people take a year and a day to complete one task, others do not!

As unique as each individual’s finger prints, so are the ways we complete a task or give an assignment. We all work differently, we all thrive if different types of environments. For example: If you have a dominant personality, and therefore work well with those who will allow you the space to do your job the way you deem necessary as long as outcome is a professional piece of work. We have found that when someone stands over you giving you step by step instructions. You may feel frustrated, which may lead to you being flustered, which leads to you making mistakes.

So what can be done when you are paired with a boss, who works opposite of your style?

You must find a way to align your work patterns with theirs while leaving the door open for you to be yourself. Below are three brief points on how we suggest you do this:

Have a conversation and explain to the person or persons that I support the way in which I feel I work best. Open dialogue is the best way to feel out whether or not they are open to changing the way the administer work to you or not. If they are, good for you there will be a period of adjustment but it is possible.
You win some you lose some. Take the opportunities when they arise to show your boss how you feel the task should be completed and then ask for their opinion. This will work to bring about balance in your relationship. They may begin to see that your way is not so bad, and on some task they may surrender to letting you do things your way.
Most managers, by the time they have gotten to the place in their career of having someone under them to support them. May pretty much be stuck in their ways. If you have someone who you support that will not budge. You must align your work patterns to theirs. In order to do this you must first have a clear understanding of how they work. Then you must model their behavior and be extremely patient with them. Check your attitude and emotions at the door and do business.

In a fairy tale world all AP’s would be paired with someone who works the same way they do. However this is not a reality! When faced with a reality that is unfriendly; we must remain focused, make adjustments when we can, communicate, and get the job done. More E-Learning

Over Worked? Under Paid? (Turning Your Job into a Career)

AEAC — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:21:51 +0000

The Issue

In speaking with 100’s of Administrative Professionals and having done the job I have observed many things that cause AP’s to see what they do as a job and not a career. One of the major issues is many feel over worked, meaning they are asked to mimic their executives schedule and work load. They are often asked to do things outside the scope of their duties i.e. personal errands and the like. An EA or AA often acts as a middle man between their executive and their clients and or colleagues. So being an Admin is often considered a high stress job, without the high stress salary. In addition to the lesser pay, many AP’s must exhibit great humility. Many Executive Assistants are college graduates and are very intelligent hard working individuals. However even though the executive and the admin both may have a college education, industry knowledge, and years of experience the position of administrative support is still looked at as lesser or not equal. Many administrative professionals complain of being talked down to do, and not being treated as a co-worker but more as a servant. So why is someone who does Administrative worked looked down upon or paid low wages at some organizations? Well seeing that all executives and organizations are different it is hard to say. Speculation isn’t fact so we cannot say for certain.

Resolution

So what is to be done about this? What is certain by example of history is that often getting what one deserves isn’t given but demanded, lobbied for, and aggressively pursued. Those who felt the injustice made the choice to plead their case and get what they deserved. Please take a look at this article on salary negotiation, you may find it helpful. Here are some of Y-GA’s Tips:

Know your worth so you can negotiate your worth.
Do your homework, both within your organization and abroad to find out what can be done in regards to raises and bonuses.
Be Diligent
Be Patient
Remember relationship is a large part of being an AP. “Partner for Success” with the person or persons you support.
Speak Up with Solutions- Don’t just complain, come up with resolutions to the issues that concern you.

Many Administrative Professionals have the great fortune of working with employers who consider them equals, who value them in every way, and who are financially compensated accordingly. To them we wish continued success. If however you are among those AP’s who feel over worked and under paid, you must be your own advocate. Do you job to the best of your ability, know your worth and make sure those you work with and for, know it too. Remember to watch your attitude, and go for gold!

Attitude vs. Aptitude (Turning your job into a career)

AEAC — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:24:43 +0000

Question # 1 Can you have a great aptitude for all things Administrative and still not have success as an Administrative Professional?

Question # 2 Will your ability to take excellent dictation, set up great corporate events, and create powerful PowerPoint presentations put you on the fast track to success?

Answer # 1 Yes, according to this article and others your attitude can hold you back in your career. You may have the ability to do the job but having a bad attitude can be a large stumbling block. Part of being a great Admin. is your ability to partner with your co-workers to get things done. You also need to be able to maintain relationships with vendors in order to secure good pricing and service. Bad attitudes are often reflected in the way you answer the phone, speak to co-workers, or follow-up with vendors. Your organization is relying on you to represent them well at all times while you are on their time.

Answer # 2 Yes, and No. If you have great skills you will achieve a certain level of success, but a bad attitude can quickly derail you. It may also hinder you from landing that dream position in the future. As an Administrative Recruiter I work with HR Managers in selecting Administrative Professionals for their organization. One thing they look at when reviewing resumes is how many times you have switched jobs, and how long you were at each job. We have commonly found that some high skilled admins. don’t even get called for an interview for these very reasons. Why? Because without access to details as to why you may have had 6 jobs in 6 years, they are left to speculate. They often speculate based on previous experience in their own organization. Often they have had otherwise good Admins. who didn’t last long because of poor attendance and bad attitude. They may also consider (and I would tend to agree) poor attendance as a reflection of your attitude towards your job. Either way employers want someone who is approachable and positive about their job or career.

Listen, I know that many Admins. feel over worked and under paid and that can have and affect on your attitude. However it doesn’t have to. You Decide! Bad things happen to good people all time. Life is full of unfair things (in my experience). You can take the position of defense or offense. On defense you react to everything and everyone. On offense you make the choice to endure what you must for future success. On offense you attack your day with a positive attitude. You can make yourself a valuable resource by being approachable and having a positive mental outlook. Pair a great attitude, an excellent skill set and aptitude for learning together and you can turn your job into a fantastic career.

Partnering for Success (Turning Your Job Into a Career)

AEAC — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:17:13 +0000

Many times a relationship of sorts is formed between assistant and the person or persons they support. From this relationship a wise Administrative Professional can learn a wealth of information. Learn all you can and yes can all you get!

When working as an Executive Assistant I found two things out that helped me partner with my boss for both of our success.

1. Most people are flattered when asked for their help: True Story – I met my Mentor by walking into her office introducing myself and asking her a simple question that had nothing to do with my job and everything to do with hers. She was more than willing to answer my question. In fact she invited me out for coffee and she allowed me to get from her a wealth of information about organizational design and the world of consulting. She also helped me with conflicts at work and even let me help her with projects outside of my job. To this day I consider this great woman a dear friend and mentor. All this because “I wasn’t afraid to ASK” ! If your boss isn’t approachable in this way find another successful person in your area of interest who is approachable.

2. Do you HomeWork : It has been my experience that knowing as much as you can about 1. what you boss specifically does and 2. the industry you are working in. Can (when the knowledge is demonstrated either by action or conversation)help your boss to see you as a partner to their success. They may begin to feel more comfortable with giving you assignments outside of your normal scope of duties. The more you are able to take off your executive’s plate, the more you are looked at as an asset to their success. In regards to your success, demonstrated knowledge of the industry your company is in may open the door for promotion or job transition. For Example: If you work for an executive in the Financial Services industry; read The Wall Street Journal, follow the Economy, and read articles on all things Money related.

Quick Tip: Your boss receives tons of industry related magazines right? They may skim through some of them and most if not all end up in the trash. Grab them before they hit the pale, take them home or read them on your lunch break. If need be ask for permission to do so.

Bottom Line: If you want your boss to consider you a partner for success or if you want your boss to be your partner for success. You have to ignore fear and ask questions. You must learn as much as you can and demonstrate your knowledge. You Define! Your Destiny!

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