Your Administration TeamLook After Them
In most organisations the administration/support team, although they can be acknowledged as being important to the business, they are treated as if they’re not.
Day after day, week after week they are in the office, slogging away making sure the work gets done. Many of them are so conscientious they won’t take time out and stay at their desks until the work is done. Not only are they integral to the running of any business, their income and the way they are treated may not always reflect the importance of their role.
Jenny’s Story
Jenny has worked for her current employer, for the past three years and thoroughly enjoys her role as Personal Assistant to the General Manager. They have a great working relationship. Whenever she needs time off to attend her children’s sports days and special events, it’s never an issue. If she requires the occasional afternoon or morning off to deal with personal matters, all she has to do is ask. Because of this attitude with her employer, she does her utmost best in her work and never thinks twice about working overtime on the odd occasion. In fact she works twice as hard.
This is a totally different situation to Jenny’s previous employer. Jenny had been working for another organisation where her boss was ‘married to the job’. Although he had a wife and family, his behaviour didn’t reflect this. He worked all hours of the day and night and couldn’t understand why everyone else went home at 5.00 p.m. Although she did her utmost best to organise him and get the work done on time, he would always ask for tasks to be done just when she was getting ready to leave for the day.
On the many occasions when she worked back or took work home so that her boss would have what he wanted for the next morning,he never thanked her. He just assumed that’s what she should do. He never considered her needs. She was a single parent and therefore had major responsibilities. She had a life too. Her boss on the other hand was fortunate to have a a wife who didn’t work and took care of their personal life.
Prior to Jenny being in this role, there had been three other people who had worked in her position, and all three had lasted less than three months.
Jenny had enough, she left after 6 months and found her current position. It wasn’t the money that was her main issue. It was the flexibility and appreciation. Although her boss was pleasant enough, he just didn’t understand that there is more to working with someone than just paying their wages.
The Final Word
When employing staff make sure they are the right fit. If you’re looking for someone who can be extremely flexible in their hours and can come in early and stay late, then make sure that person is in the right personal situation to do that.
Employing people is a skill in itself. Keeping them happy so that they will be an important part of your business is another story. As mentioned in prior newsletters, when you look after your people, they will look after you and your business.
Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life.
lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Smart Choices How To Hire The Best (1)
Today’s economy is exploding with talent, allowing you to be selective about the staff you hire. Yet, the crucial step to filling a position is finding the right talent for your organization - someone that has the skills for the job, easily blends with the culture, interacts well with the team and believes in your mission.In his best seller, Good to Great, Jim Collins writes, "In the good-to-great transformation, people are not your most important asset.
After The Sale By Kevin Schappell (2)
Here is a list of things to think about after the sale. Notify your insurance agent about the new car. Read the entire owners manual. Familiarize yourself with the service requirements.
South Beach Diet Effects On Sales (3)
The company produced bagels, pastry and other goods. The flat-bread maker Damascus Bakeries substituted the flour wih grains such as flax, soy and added oat fiber. Healthy sandwich roll-ups with reduced amount of carbs resulted and a high fiber content.Citrus producers introduce low-carb drinks.
Retreads The Highest And Best Use For A Worn Tire By ARA Content (4)
(ARA) - Although they may look round and black, retreaded tires are one of the greenest, environmentally friendly products a fleet can buy. Retreaded tires have one of the highest post-consumer contents of all recycled products, and are responsible for saving North Americans more than 400 million gallons of oil every year.
Bankruptcy Basics (5)
Courts reported that the number of filings for the year ended March 31, 2003 “exceeded 1.6 million for the first time in any 12 month period,” a 15.1 percent increase from the previous year.There are two basic types of personal bankruptcy: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.
Drivers Of SUVs Saving Big Money With Diesel Engines By ARA Content (6)
These bigger vehicles burn high amounts of fuel, which not only puts a dent in drivers' wallets, but also increases the country's dependence on foreign oil. Ironically, the MarketFacts study shows that fuel economy is an important issue for SUV and pickup drivers.
The Best Things In Life Are Rarely Things (7)
He’s one of the wealthiest people I’ve ever met, and one of the richest guys I’ve come across.What’s the difference you ask? Well, I’ve known many wealthy people (the type with all the material resources you could imagine), and then I’ve met truly rich people who have one thing in common: they have balance.David has all the monetary success you could ever imagine, yet what made him special in my eye is that he wasn’t driven by money; it was more about his relationships.
Multiple Channels Multiple Times (8)
Benefits can be the slippery eels of internal communication.But, to put the issue into context, this is another case of complex communication. In this case, a large volume of information that's not easy to understand.Descriptions of benefits typically involve a high level of density: in other words, they contain a lot of information in a small amount of 'space'.
How To Change Your Car39s Motor Oil By Stephen Bucaro (9)
That's the oil filter canister just to the right of, and below, the end of the open air intake tube. Use a proper size wrench to remove the canister lid.
What 8 (10)
6: Inventory When You Need ItInventory that sits in the warehouse, not being sold for income, eats away at your available cash flow. It is an asset, sure, but it should not become a liability because it is not quickly converted to cash.
What Is A Secured Loan (11)
With secured loans it is also far more likely that you will be able to borrow a larger amount of money and pay it back over a longer period of time.
Where Is Our Largest Technological Plan (12)
e-Movies 08. e-Security (Federal, State, Country, homes) 09. e-Elections 10. TV telephony 11. e-Police 12. e-Government (all between the government and the Citizens) 13. e-Theater 14.
Never Get Lost Again - Map Reading Is A Thing Of The Past By Niall Kennedy (13)
And if I'm going to be going to that destination again I can save it in the memory for future use.It offers 4 modes - the first time I tested it out I chose "shortest route" from home to office, and it displayed almost exactly the route I'd have chosen.You get yard by yard voice instructions (so you don't have to look at the screen as you drive) and it corrects directions immediately if you take a wrong turning, and there's a handy "Repeat" button to get an instant repeat if you didn't hear an instruction.If you need a visual representation of where you are, there is a useful "3-d" view, down to lamp-posts and garbage cans.
BOOK REVIEW Performance Of Financial Institutions Efficiency Innovation Regulation By Patrick T Harker And Stavros A Zenios (14)
Due to the fact that the book is written by two academics, it is a well-researched book with many real life examples involving financial institutions in various countries.The book is dividend into various sections such as: What drives the performance of financial institutions; Drivers of performance: Identification, Specification & Measurement; Environmental drivers of performance and finally, performance and risk management.Though the book is well written it is more geared towards persons involved in research in the financial management sector rather than your ordinary layman.
Virtual Assistance Higher Productivity (15)
You could also try doing the administrative chores yourself but this would interfere with spending more time on your revenue generating activities.The best solution to help ease your office overflow, without breaking your budget or having to provide space and equipment, is to hire a virtual assistant (VA).These highly trained professionals work from their own offices.
The Art Of Being Specific Encourages Focus (16)
I can tell when I have not been following my written goals for the day because I feel stressed and lost. I remind myself to go back to my list and start focusing on accomplishing the goals I have listed.Being specific helps one to look at the small pieces of the puzzle.
5 Things You Must Do To Fail In Business (17)
There are more books about succeeding in business then curse words on MTV. It is not easy to define what makes a business succeed, but it is easy to describe what makes a business fail.
Why And How To Work With A Consultant (18)
Adding the services of a consultant can make a difference when time or human resource constraints would otherwise mean a lost revenue, market, promotion, or funding opportunity.Know your limitations and expect a consultant to know theirs.
Tips For FirstTime Homebuyers (19)
(NC)—Near record low interest rates are opening the doors of homeownership for many Canadians. "This may be the perfect time to consider purchasing a home," says Gail Kassie, Director, Mortgages and Home Financing Products, BMO Bank of Montreal.
9 Things You Must Do To Maximize Your Chances Of Obtaining A Small Business Loan (20)
To vastly increase your chances of a successful funding application, you will need to present the following information:1. The reason for the loan. The lender will be looking for something that fits within the normal range and expertise of your business.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Writing One Or Two Line Ads (1)
In the second ad, doesn't that peak your curiosity? It does mine. I would begin to think, They can save me $122.00? How? I would click the link, go to the web site to find out.
Are Mortgages A Risky Business (2)
On the other hand, a borrower tied in to a contract at say 10% for several years who then finds that rates have dropped to 5%, will not exactly be celebrating.
The 8 Biggest Mistakes When Designing Portfolios And How To Avoid Them (3)
Over time, the compounding effect of portfolio management expenses can be quite large, thus depriving you of better returns. For this reason, you should focus on minimizing portfolio management expenses, specifically trading costs, advisory fees and taxes.5.
New Energy Bill Reducing Our Dependence On Foreign Oil (4)
While the underlying factors behind the dramatic increase in the price of oil this year are a combination of all the above, the impact is hardly comforting.Weakening Economy.Higher oil prices that work like an added tax have the effect of holding down hiring, consumer spending, and corporate profits.The July jobs report that was released by the Labor Department on August 6 was a disappointment.
Your Worst Enemy To Successful Investing The Media (5)
Around the first of the year, along with the New Year's resolutions, come the New Year predictions for what will be hot and what will not. As if that isn't enough to produce a massive case of information indigestion, now we have the cable financial shows with pretty much the opinion of the hour.
Networking Tips Getting An 8 (6)
You will of course need to publicize your 800 number in your promotional materials, and advertisements. The best way to get the most out of your 800 number is to have a definitive plan on how you will employ it.
Workplace Fitness A Gym Full Of Useful Advice For Continual Learning (7)
My body DOES know its limits. But I AM doing that which I said I could not. It's a thrill! End performance anxiety. Walk into a gym and you see the jocks who grunt and lift huge weights vying with their buddies for the most reps.
Business After The Iraqi War (8)
Also, the national unemployment rate, which was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, remained unchanged at 5.8% for March 2003. While the majority consensus is that the economy will eventually recover, it is apparent that this will definitely take more time and effort than what most people had originally predicted.Carlos T.
18 Tips For Saving Money On Gasoline By Fisher Swanson (9)
3. When you run your air conditioner you get much worse gas mileage. Use your air conditioner sparingly. If you have a lower setting, use it. Turn it on until the car gets cool, then turn it off and let the fan circulate the cool air.
Ten Tips To Get Started Writing Your Book (10)
Your reader, the media, the television and radio talk show hosts all want to know why you wrote this book. Be prepared up front, so you will shine when opportunities come your way.
Your Organization Is Only As Good As Your People (11)
But everyone also has an inner desire to grow beyond where they currently are. It is possible to provide higher level possibilities which also have their own parameters. Give people something to work toward and they will produce more than they would without that possibility.A third thing that can be done is to “loosen up”.
You Deserve To Retire Early (12)
You deserve to retire early, so that you may spend your time fulfilling your dreams. Do you need a Million dollars to retire? Not necessarily. You may choose to retire a lot sooner than that.
The Benefits Of Catalog Sales For Your Business (13)
Any invoice more than a month past due could indicate trouble. Your best recourse is to hold up shipments to that catalog until you get paid. You can even ask for payment up front on new orders.-----Jim Tilberry is President of Tilberry Direct Marketing.
4 Customer Service Mistakes Companies Should Avoid Making (14)
This company wasted 20 minutes of a customer's time, all in the effort to get information. If you have to disregard your customer's time in order to gather a marketing profile, you're defeating your long-term marketing goal, which is to retain a satisfied customer base that makes repeat purchases.Russ Mate is President of MateMedia, Inc.www.matemediainc.comsales@matemediainc.comYour Partner on the WebToll Free 1-877-309-7521MateMedia offers the following services:Web HostingWeb Design & DevelopmentSearch Engine OptimizationDomain Name Registrationwebmaster@matemediainc.com
What Is An Artist’s Statement How Often Should It Be Updated (15)
I would suggest that you start with words that best describe your art and inner thoughts then go back to edit them into definite statements. Most artists know and feel what they are trying to convey to their audience, however, writing it down becomes a huge task.Personally, I believe your artist’s statement should be written by yourself because of the personal touch you would be able to provide to it.
Celebrating Successes The Power Of Compliments (16)
To use a familiar analogy, criticism has the same impact on people that salt does on plants. Stated positively, compliments act as nutrients for people, just as fertilizer does for flowers.
Timing Is Everything When It Comes To Buying Homes (17)
Monitor the market and tract home prices. Expect to spend 90 days watching the real estate market through advertisements. Question and investigate homes that are advertised month after month.
5 Tips For Savvy Use Of Your Home Equity Line Of Credit (18)
In the twelfth month, prior to the expiration of the 0% offer, I paid off the remaining balance with another home equity credit line check. During the 12 months, I also made sure to continue my regular payment towards the HELOC at the same level, meaning that more of each went to pay down principal and less went to interest.
Getting PreApproved For A Home Loan Is One Of The Best Ways To Get A Leg Up On The Competition When Shopping For A Home (19)
If you’re not sure, call the lender using their customer service number and ask them what happens after all the information is submitted.3. Find out if there are any fees involved for pulling your three bureau credit reports, and for the underwriting.
Truth Or Consequences How To Give Employee Feedback (20)
In the bestseller, Good to Great, Jim Collins discovered that, "the good-to-great companies continually refined the path to greatness with the brutal facts of reality."And, in his recent autobiography, Jack Welch reports that he spent about half of his time on people: recruiting new talent, picking the right people for particular positions, grooming young stars, developing managers, dealing with under performers, and reviewing the entire talent pool.Says Welch, "Having the most talented people in each of our businesses is the most important thing.