Keeping it all together

As admins we have different projects going on all the time, meetings scheduled with our bosses and other things that need reminders set or items brought forward.  I have found to be efficient and professional you really do need to keep all these things together.

For instance when I meet with my boss I have things I need to ask him so I put it in a folder and bring it with me, then we go through it item by item.   I write on each item whatever direction he gives me and then when I am back at my desk I complete the tasks, whether it is forwarding correspondence to someone to draft a reply, filing or replying on his behalf to an email.  I call it the CEO folder.   

Another way you can accomplish this is to have a meeting book just for meetings with your boss where you can write questions you need to ask or insert items you need direction on.  This can be as simple as a lined note book, but restricted only for meetings with your boss.  I find it useful to date the page each time you meet.  This is helpful when you need to refer back to remind yourself of the direction or to remind your boss of an action he or she asked you to do.

For each of the meetings I provide support to I have an agenda folder and any items that people forward me to add to the next agenda or questions they might have, I put in that folder.  When I meet with my boss or one of the Directors about that particular meeting, I always have my folder to refer to.  This is also useful when you meet with the Chair to create the agenda so you can be reminded of anything that needs to be put on it. 

Then there are all those reminders that you put either in your Outlook calendar, your tasks or in your Inbox and this is where I find you really do need to keep it all together.  I don't want to be looking in every which way or I might miss something and will appear disorganized when trying to track it down.  I use Outlook only for items for me to remember.

I don't have my computer with me when I meet with  my boss, but another assistant I know does bring her laptop with her and types in anything she needs to follow up or take action on.  I am still more comfortable with writing it down, but you have to do what works best for you.

I hope these few thoughts are helpful to you or will at least get you thinking about how best to keep it all together.  I would be interested in hearing how others organize themselves and would welcome comments or suggestions as we all can learn from each other and I find that is our greatest strength when we can share ideas.

Working for the Disorganized...

I was recently reminded by a reader of what it can be like to work for someone who is completely disorganized. That definitely can be a challenge.

In all my career I have only worked for one person who fit this description. A wonderful person, but totally disorganized and always waiting for the last minute for everything.

How can the assistant cope? The argument could be said that the role of the assistant is to assist and keep your boss organized so we shouldn't complain when we have to do it. For the most part I agree with that but when it comes to working for multiple bosses this can sometimes be a daunting task when one or more is very disorganized. I have found the best way to cope is to keep yourself organized. Keeping yourself organized will give your boss assurance that everything is under control and they will feel more secure that you are handling things for them. You will also feel more in control of the situation and less stressed.

• A disorganized boss will oftentimes leave more things in the assistant's hands to get done on their behalf because they see that you are good at it and can handle it, which makes for a more interesting job. Although you have to be careful they don't pile everything on you.
• Disorganized bosses are also very appreciative of the way we can make order out of chaos so there is a lot of job satisfaction when you are appreciated and needed.

In my reader's example, the problem was the trials of working for multiple bosses when one or more of them is disorganized. In today's working world it is probably the norm that we are going to work for more than one person, the question is how to balance it? When I worked for multiple bosses, while the one was a proscrastinator and disorganized, the other one was excellent to work for and could fend for himself. The unfortunate part of this was that the person who was organized tended to get less assistance because the most time was spent on the disorganized person.

If you get along well with your bosses then that makes it more bearable and you are also more able to discuss the problems with them. Sometimes bringing the situation to their attention may help. It probably won't help the disorganized get organized, but they will at least have an understanding of what you are coping with and hopefully keep that in mind when they are giving you work.

Here are some things I would suggest to help:

• Have regular meetings with your boss. If that is not happening, schedule yourself in their calendar. If you do arrange to meet with them, be prepared with questions and information so they will see the benefit.
• Read all incoming correspondence and if you have access to their Inbox, read their e-mail as well. You want to keep up to date on their working life and all they have to do.
• Keep up to date on their calendar and look ahead to see what is coming up and what your boss might need to prepare for that. A good bring-forward system is a must for this as you will want to bring forward items they will need for meetings and conference calls.
• Put reminders in their Tasks or Calendar of anything you know is coming up with enough lead time so they will have time to complete it. Remind them verbally as well when you meet with them.
• Keep an organized filing system and file list. You will be the one they go to if they want something.
• If your boss tends to misplace things when they get it, make an extra copy for your file before giving it to them.
• Your co-workers may be able to lend a hand when things get too overwhelming. Return the favour if you can.

To my reader I say, we sometimes put a lot of burdens on ourselves to perform perfectly. Sometimes we just have to accept that we can only do so much in a day and leave it at that. If you are a hard worker, that will be noticed and appreciated. So keep yourself organized and do the best you can do and that is all anyone can expect from you.

Getting organized and staying that way...

I cannot stand clutter so to me it is very important to keep myself organized. If my desk has sticky notes all over the place, files here and there and papers, papers, papers, then I begin to feel buried and out of control. I need to be organized so I can think and function better.

I have found what works for me is having a place on my desk for everything. If it has to do with accounting, I have a bin for that. If it has to do with scheduling meetings, I have another bin for that. And if it has to do with waiting, any kind of waiting: waiting on an answer, waiting for a return phone call, waiting for just about anything, I put it in what I call my "Wait Bin". I have found when I have a place for everything and get in the routine of using it, then when I get a phone call about a meeting or my boss has an urgent request, I will know to go right to my "Scheduling Bin" or "Wait Bin". It just makes my life so much easier. When my boss sees me in control, then he or she can relax and know that I will be able to look after the matter.

I have also found that having a good bring-forward system is essential so you do not miss important dates or timelines. I use my Task function in Outlook and continually set tasks and dates with reminders of what I need to do. Sometimes I refer my tasks to my special bins, for example if I am waiting for information from someone so I can complete a letter, I will put the file with my notes in my "Wait Bin" and put a task in to remind myself to check to see if I received a reply to my enquiry so I can follow up and not just let the file sit in my "Wait Bin".

I keep a handy notepad by my phone and write things down throughout the day and when I've completed that item I strike it off my list. I find this is very helpful when your boss just passes by your desk and asks you to follow up on something, call someone on their behalf or wants you to make a reservation for them. I write it down immediately as a reminder. I also bring a notepad and a pen with me when I am called into my boss's office so I can take any notes or instructions and then again once I have completed that item, I cross it off my list.

What works for me, may not work for you, but the important thing is to have some kind of system in place that will enable you to find things, and help you keep track of dates and important tasks.  Also see an article I wrote on the bring-forward system for a good way to keep track of things that are coming up.