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7 Must-Do Actions to be Successful in Your Career as an Administrative Assistant

So you already have achieved great success in your career and are a pretty savvy assistant. So what’s next for you within your career? Well here are 7 must-do actions of success-minded assistants. See which ones resonate with you; which ones you can do more often and with more consistency.

  1. See yourself in a new light, starting today! What are your secret dreams and visions for who you want to be or where you want to be a better person at work? Do you wish you were more confident? More assertive? A better communicator? Better managing conflict? Picture yourself already having and emulating those qualities. The mind is attracted to what you put in front of you.
  2. Remember, perception is a powerful thing – and you can alter yours at any time. Administrative Professionals Week and April is the perfect time to think about your career as an administrative assistant, executive assistant, and secretary. Typically our perceptions are our reality. So do you really see yourself as a strategic business partner? I mean 100% belief. Your actions will let you know if you do or not. One great example is an assistant requesting a daily meeting with his or her executive to review the upcoming day’s top priorities and more. Whether these morning meetings take place in person or over the phone they are vital to the executives and assistants team success.
  3. Have the courage to update old, unproductive habits. This applies to all generations, not just the seasoned assistants, especially the part about unproductive. I personally coach assistants one-on-one where I sit at their desk for 2 days and observe their work behaviors. Yes, this can be daunting for the assistant. However, my goal is to help them eliminate habits that aren’t serving them well and introduce new processes, procedure and protocol that will help them be more successful.
  4. Look for change – and avoid fearing it. Change is in hyper mode this year. I’m not sure what is in the air, but assistants everywhere are going through some type of change whether it is losing a job, moving to a new job, promotion or change in their personal life. Don’t wait for change to happen to you. Learn to be a catalyst for change in your organization and it will catapult your reputation.
  5. Improve work systems and work-flow. Avoid accepting “what is.” Your brain will not look for new answers as long as you accept what is. As you approach your day and throughout your day ask yourself questions like, “How can I streamline this process? How can I make this simpler? Do it faster?”
  6. Strive for excellence versus mediocrity. Anyone can have mediocre performance. It is a small group of individuals who strive to be extraordinary. Think about how you can take an extra step or go the extra mile. How can you deliver over-the-top customer service to your internal and external customers?
  7. Dare to cross boundaries! Let nothing hold you back from success. Yes, that is scary and can be dangerous. But you will never know what you are truly capable of if you don’t step out, take a chance, or do something that scares you.

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Joan Burge

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