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Joan Burge's Administrative Blog

Posted by: Joan Burge on 1/20/2009

Do you touch base with your assistant every morning (face-to-face or by telephone) to discuss the day’s priorities, appointments, meeting preparation, department issues, phone calls, and project updates.
Have your assistant place your hard copy mail in assorted color files to speed your reading and determine priority items. An example is a red file for urgent mail and faxes, yellow for interoffice reports, green for general mail, blue for junk mail, etc.
Ask your assistant to color code and flag incoming e-mails.
Communicate shifting priorities throughout the day.
Clearly communicate your needs and expectations so your assistant can meet them.
Allow your assistant to set appointments, handle travel arrangements, and coordinate key events.
Continually focus on your ‘A’ priority items and assign B & C projects to your assistant. Do you include your assistant in helping you accomplish you’re ‘A’ projects?
Compliment your assistant when he or she has done a good job or exceeded your expectations.
Copy your assistant on important e-mails.

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2 Comments

- Feb 02 2009, 3:49 PM Jasmine Freeman
- Hi, Joan!<br>I wanted to comment and let you know how much this process helps me, as your assistant, to determine what is needed and when. 'A' items are pretty easy to indentify but sometimes the 'B' and 'C' priorities can be fuzzy. Meeting daily and coding items is a tremendous help to my productivity!<br>Thanks!
- Oct 14 2010, 1:02 PM Lisa Olinda
- Wonderful tips Joan. We some times forget the simple things. I am passing on the good info to other admins.