5 tips for becoming an excellent secretary
Das Bild der Sekretärin hat sich in den letzten 10 Jahren radikal verändert. Sie sind nicht mehr nur dafür da, um Briefe und Hausmitteilungen zu tippen, Kaffee zu kochen und die Ablage zu erledigen.
Heutzutage müssen Sie Eigenverantwortung und Führungs-qualitäten zeigen. Lesen Sie hier, wie Sie sich zur Topsekretärin entwickeln können.
In today’s business world, good enough is simply not good enough. To achieve excellence, you have to go beyond mediocrity. Many secretaries and PAs ask how they can achieve excellence in their careers. Here are five tips that will help you become a truly excellent secretary or PA:
1 Work with your boss, not for your boss
Build a partnership. Observe your boss’s likes and dislikes. Sit down with your boss and ask him how he likes to have things done. Find out who your boss talks to on a regular basis. Be proactive and anticipate your boss’s needs, and work out solutions to situations that may not go as planned.
2 Give exceptional customer service
You may have external clients, but your boss, your colleagues and your company are your customers as well. When you do a piece of work, make sure it is absolutely accurate. When you write a report, make sure it is formatted nicely. When making travel arrangements make a list of restaurants and emergency numbers in the area your ‘client’ is travelling to. Add small extra details to any task you perform. These little extras will be a pleasant surprise to all those you assist.
3 Be an active listener
Active listening is a form of listening that focuses on the speaker, not the listener. Be able to repeat everything you have heard. If you don’t understand a point, ask the person to clarify it. Keep focused by listening carefully to what is being said and not what you think you would like to be said.
4 Never stop learning
Find out everything you can about your company and the industry you work in. Read reviews of all the latest gadgets for the office. Attend seminars or conferences or take a college course. Being exceptional means knowing what is going on in the world outside and how to handle it.
5 Be positive
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”, said the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Make it a habit to do every job you do the best you can. Smile at others and look at the positive aspects of your job and life. When something goes wrong, see it as yet another chance to prove your excellence. Remember – your outlook reflects on how others see you and your abilities.