17 July 2008

The Crazy Days of Summer

Does this sound familiar?

I find as an AA that my day is not mine to control. My boss e-mails me or phones me to do this or that so I have to pay attention to the pings that let me know I have another message in my Inbox. I need to check my voicemail when I see the red light is flashing on my phone.

An AA does not have as much say about planning their day. We are "at your service" so to speak, which is the nature of the AA position. This is commonly referred to as multi-tasking or juggling your workload.

I think it is important however in the midst of all these urgent interruptions to prioritize your work and put it in some kind of order. In a typical day this is how I prioritize my workload.

  • Composing letters and e-mails.
  • Scheduling meeting dates and making business phone calls on behalf of my boss.
  • Making travel arrangements.
  • I try to fit in arranging for photocopying and binding documents throughout the day depending on the urgency.
  • Lastly are the administrative tasks like filing, doing expense reports and cheque requisitions.

Of course, if something urgent comes up, then these are all put on the back burner. Such is the life of an AA. Is it Friday yet?

There is no typical day

A friend of mine went on a job interview and they asked her what she did in a typical day. She started to say some things and then stopped and said, "Wait a minute. There is no typical day." That was the answer they were looking for and she got the job.

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