The New Kid on the Block: Establishing Good Working Relationships

I have just recently changed my working situation. I have a new boss and a new way of doing things. Here are a few tips when starting a new job:

• Pay attention to the questions you were asked at the interview. Those questions will give you a good idea about what is important to your new boss. In one interview, the person interviewing me said he needed his filing done on a daily basis as many people were using the files and it was important to have all the information up to date. This was mentioned a few times in the interview so I knew it was important and when I got the job I made sure to do my filing every day. On another interview I was asked how I handled client relations. I have always been a good people person and was able to answer the question positively. When I was on the job I made sure to take extra time establishing relationships with the clients as I knew it was important to my boss. In each instance, once my bosses saw I was acting on the things that mattered to them it gave them confidence in me as the new person.
  
• Once you are settled in your new desk, re-introduce yourself to your new boss. Even if the person knows you and this is an internal move, it is good to establish your working relationship right from the start. If you have a chance to sit down with him or her to discuss how they would like to have things done that is great. Listen and write down ideas on how you will accomplish what is required.
  
• Introduce yourself to your new co-workers who will be working close by. Even though you may have been introduced to everyone as they gave you a tour of the office, take the time to greet them and re-introduce yourself and ask their name as you get the opportunity. We meet so many people on the first day it is hard to keep track of everyone. The people that you especially want to know are those who will be working in your area. They will be your greatest resource.
  
• Acquaint yourself with your boss's files. A filing cabinet can give you a lot of information about your new boss's responsibilities and how they like things done. Don't be too eager to change things until you do some exploring and get the lay of the land. Files may need to be cleaned up and put in proper order and new file folders made. Make the filing system easy for you, not complicated.
  
• Make sure the file list is up to date. All the files in the cabinet should be on your list. As the new person the file names will be new to you. It is a great tool to have your file list up to date in a Word document so you can electronically search for the file names when your boss comes around looking for something. On one job I was in I was fortunate to have the first day to myself to go over the filing system. I ended up staying late to put it in good order as it needed a lot of work. The next day my boss was frantically getting ready to go to a meeting and came to me to get a document he couldn't find. Fortunately the night before I had found that document in the Z's, but it should have been in the B's. I would have never found it for him if I hadn't taken the time the day before. I was easily able to retrieve it for him. He was surprised and impressed that I had found it so readily. It started our relationship off to a good start as he knew I had taken the time to know his files.
  
• Get to know your boss's contacts so you will recognize names when they call. Identify yourself by name and who you work for. When people call and are unfamiliar with your voice they will know right away by your greeting that they have the right number and you are available to assist them. If you don't know the answer, take down their name and number and tell them you will get back to them as soon as possible and then ask around to get the answer and return the call.
  
• On the first e-mail contact with someone, introduce yourself and tell them who you are working for and what you are doing for them. For example, Hello, My name is Patricia Robb. I am [Insert Name]'s new assistant. I will be handling the scheduling of this meeting... Make sure your signature line is complete with name, who you work for, company name, phone and fax. If they are receiving an e-mail from you they will have your e-mail address, but some companies have a standard signature line they like you to use and include the e-mail address. You should always go by your company policy. If you don't know what it is, the HR Manager will be able to assist you.
  
• Look in your document management system and look at letters, memos and e-mails that have gone out to get an idea of what kind of work you will be doing and the style for saving documents.
  
• If you see your boss searching through the file cabinet, offer your assistance. Write down what he or she is looking for and ask when they will need it by and tell them you will look after it. Your new co-workers should be able to assist you. They are hoping to get you up to speed quickly to relieve their workload and are usually more than happy to help out.
  
• Give your boss confidence when they ask you to do something by repeating back to them what they have asked you to do. They will then see that you understood the request. Be sure to write things down when asked to do something. It gives people reassurance that it will get done when they see it on your list of things to do.
  
• Some good people to know in an organization are the mailroom staff, the accounting staff and the IT staff. Take the time to introduce yourself to these important service people. You will be calling on them often. It is a good idea to have them on your side.

Need not apply

I told the mailroom staff I was going to apply for a job with them. They said that I need not apply.

Were they saying I was not qualified? Actually, I know I would be horrible at the job and obviously they know it too. Collating, copying, binding, stacking and couriering is not my thing.

It takes all kinds of skills and people to run an office efficiently and having someone who can do a job well and be suited to it is a good match.

I asked them if what they were trying to say was that they didn't mind me visiting, but wouldn't want me to live there. After a chorus of yeses I got the point.

Working in the Mailroom

An email comes around from the Mailroom staff, "Would the person who put an unaddressed envelope in the outgoing mail please let us know who this should be addressed to".

Working in a service area of an organization can be a challenge, but in particular in the Mailroom. We try to courier packages to post office boxes. We leave incomplete instructions on the photocopy request forms and then wonder why it was done wrong. We put our registered mail in with the regular mail and then are upset because it didn’t get registered. If a courier package does not make it to its destination, we are quick to make the Mailroom staff feel that it is somehow their fault. But most importantly, when we need something done we need it done NOW!

How can the assistant and the Mailroom staff work more effectively together?

Communicate

If you know of a big photocopying job that you will need done, let your Mailroom staff know so they can prepare for it and adjust their schedules to accommodate your requests.

Is it really that urgent?

Be honest! Do you really need that job done in the next 30 minutes. Be realistic in your expectations. Is there a possibility you have the time to do the job yourself? It may be quicker and less stressful for everyone to do it yourself if you see the Mailroom staff are particularly busy.

Who took the last yellow sticky?

If you take the last item in the supply area of your Mailroom or notice that there are only a few items left, let someone know so more can be ordered.

It has to go out when??

If you are working on an urgent document that needs to be couriered out and it is getting close to the end of the day, let the Mailroom staff be aware of that so they will know that you will be rushing in with your courier package at the last minute. A good suggestion would be to give them the address or addresses you will be sending the package(s) to so they can prepare the courier slips ahead of time. They will appreciate it.

The busiest time in the Mailroom can be at the end of the day when all the courier companies are arriving for their last pick up and we are all arriving wanting to get our package in that last courier run.

We are a Team

Working together as a team will make our work lives easier! If you are fortunate enough in your organization to have team meetings, invite a member of the Mailroom staff to participate. Communicate to them big jobs that are coming up or problems that need resolution. Having your Mailroom prepared ahead of time with this information will make everyone’s job less stressful.

The Mailroom is the final checkpoint before a document leaves your organization. Appreciate that! They can pick up on errors before the envelope leaves the door.

Bottom Line

Communicate with each other! Show respect for each other! Assist when necessary! Appreciate each other’s deadlines and schedules. And realize we are all working towards a common goal to do the best job possible.

Return to Sender: Who do you return it to?

Most business envelopes have their logo and business address pre-printed on the envelope, but if you are in a large organization with many people sending letters out every day, how will your Mailroom staff know who to give the envelope to if it comes back Return to Sender? A good tip is to put your boss's initials under the logo and address on the envelope. Then if the envelope is returned your Mailroom will know who sent it and can return it to the proper person. This is especially helpful when you are doing a large mailout as there is usually some mail returned.

Another reason to put the author's initials on the envelope is if the Mailroom staff notice your envelope is missing part of the address or name. With the initials on it they will know who the author is and can return it to be corrected.