24-28 April is Administrative Professionals week, with the exact day falling on Wednesday of the last full week in April.
Around the world, events and conference are organised for Administrators, with the final touches being perfected. Whether it is education, upgrading skills, thought leadership, or fresh ideas and insights gained from peer-to-peer networking; a lot of incredible people attend and participate in these events. Not every administrator will have an opportunity to attend a large event, but there are hundreds of ways we can support our administrative staff through the year to make sure they are at their best to assist us in our roles.
A little history on the day: During World War II, there was the shortage of skilled administrative personnel in the USA due to Depression-era birth-rate decline and booming post-war business. The National Secretaries Association was formed to recognize the contributions of administrative personnel to the economy, support their personal development, and to help attract workers to the administrative field. In 1952, a national day was first created to further this cause.
It’s hard to calculate how many administrators there are. It’s not just Secretaries, Office Clerks, Receptionists, or Data Entry Operators that fall into the administrative category. What about all the Accounting and Payroll Clerks, Document Controllers, Shipping & Receiving Operators, Customer Service Agents, Executive and Personal Assistants, Office and Department Managers?
As technology has become a more prominent part of business and roles have evolved, administrative staff have not been replaced. Instead their roles have evolved and changed, with the expectation for them to be more technologically savvy, and to have an even wider range of skill sets to draw from. When was the last time you heard of a receptionist that just answered the phone? Instead they are now your front line customer service, event organisers, accounting clerk, and junior document controller, all rolled into one efficient power house of diverse responsibilities.
Our administrators are more than just “support staff”, we for one would be lost without them. Think about the administrative duties each of your co-works and employees take on to support your role. You may find that often the person you thought had no administration in their role does way more than you could have imagined.
So this week recognise all your administrators for their skills and loyalty, attributes every office depends upon.
And from us, to all of you, thank you for the hard work you put in every day to make us more successful.
