Volunteerism

Admin Gal recently got to ‘volunteer’ at an event that her corporation was sponsoring.  On a whole, the time was rewarding and fun, aside from the heat and ‘glow’ that everyone was wearing.

All in all, Admin Gal fully supports corporate events that helps the community and the social causes that the company lives in.  The question arises, is there a line that can be crossed between social awareness volunteerism and brand promotion?  And wherein does that line be come work and not voluntering?

Here are the main points that crossed my mind as I thought about this issue:

1. While most volunteer events and experiences involve work, should the work required really be so closely tied to your actual job responsibility that you feel are working for free?  And should you be?
2. If your company is organizing the event, encourages ‘Volunteers’ to man every conceivable booth, gate, and other event staffing need, shouldn’t they be paying employees for the time instead of taking advantage of a ‘service opportunity’?
3. The guise of ‘volunteerism’ should not be code for promote, promote, promote the company while giving it a glaze of social relevance.

Admin Gal is aware that most corporations have parts of their companies that are devoted to the concept of ‘doing good for the community’.  But at some point, what the employee does during this time really does have to benefit the community, not the corporate coffers.

Following Directions

Policies and procedures are in place for reasons that are specific to the bottom line of the company.

As an admin, I am amazed by the convoluted efforts made to get around those simple steps.  All so they can “Save Time” or a classic “I don’t need to follow procedure”. When in reality they who go against the established protocols are just causing more problems than solving them.

The need to circumvent the process is rampant from top to bottom in an organization.  Executives do it as much as the employee at the very bottom of the employment rung.

So here is the truth, when people come to me in a fit of frustration.  Complaining about how they can’t get something done because the process is broken, they present a pile of papers or an email chain of misery to me and beg me to do what they can’t.  A couple of clicks of the mouse, clicks of the keyboard and a form or two printed later… VOILA!

I have performed a MIRACLE!

Maybe I have a sick sense of humor or I’m immune to their plight, they come to me grateful that I’ve gotten done what they’ve been unable to accomplish.  I simply say, when they ask how I got it done so quickly, ‘I followed the directions.‘ without batting an eye.

What’s In A Name?

In the course of my day I seen a multitude of different email addresses.  Each company has its own email protocol.  First.Lastname@company.com (a classic) or First Initial.Last Name@company.com or Initialsplusnumber@company.com. These examples are just a few ways to skin the email naming cat.

But when you get to the personal side of the email world, all bets are off.  I have a few creative email addresses.  They’ve helped me beat spammers. But when I have to put a professional face on my personal life, I make sure that I have an email address that won’t have people giving me a second look.

When I am applying for a job or trying to grow a business, most potential clients are taken aback by the more creative email addresses.  For example:

1. An experienced IT professional with 12 years experience is putting himself out in the market place, the contact email is badmojojuju@xxxxx.com.  Seriously.  Bad Mojo Juju?  Would I want that person anywhere near my computers? No.
2. I get the Make-up Artist: MUAdiva@xxxx.com. That one makes sense, but I’d like a name to go with the email address.  Do I call the person M-u-a-h?
3. How about the just plain secure?  perfectlygood4U@xxxx.com.  Good for me?  How do they know?

Maybe I’m taking things to far, but the point is that your first impression often is your email address.  Witty can come through in different ways.  Unique does not have to be a flag flying high and proud.

Being proud to just be Jane.Smith@xxxx.com.

Politics at Work

Politics & Religion should always be discussed with great sensitivity and tolerance.  There is nothing that is a bigger hot button topic.

But I have a bit of a pet peeve.  It’s one thing when the company you work for encourages you to ‘do your civic duty and get out there to vote’. It’s another when they direct you specifically to do certain actions regarding bills in process. Up to and including form letters and scripts to Congress people and Senators.  These letters do not offer a choice of opinion, but a specific view point that supports the political views of the company.

I get it.  I can make a difference.  The point is ‘I’ can make the difference.  I have the backing of the Constitution & the Bill of Rights to vote my conscience.  Not be a political lackey for the company I work for.

For a minimum of 2,080 hours out of a year, thats 8,760 hours, I give my employer my full attention.  Often it is much more than that.  That time does not give them the right to influence my political view point.

I’m willing to have a civil discussion about politics and religion with people I trust to respond in kind.  But I won’t allow my self to be used to further the political agenda of a corporation.

Rules at Work

Rules are a guideline by which behavior is governed in any given situation.  In a work environment it can be a boon and a curse all rolled into one.

You see, rules form a framework by which we can set our expectations of how we can conduct our selves in the workplace, do our jobs, expect compensation, etc.  Rules can also stymie the work environment.  Keep people from growing into their potential.

People who step beyond the boundaries set by the rules will be either lauded or vilified.

I frequently step outside the boundaries of my rules.  You could say, I run with scissors.

If something isn’t working, I find a way to make it work.  I go over, under or around that which impedes me to get the job done. That often means rules get broken.

I don’t advocate landing in jail.  Those rules shouldn’t be broken.  But when an organization has become so hide bound by its own rules, sometimes a rule-breaker is just what the organization needs to find its path again.  Organizations that have no flexibility in them are the ones that fail.  Especially in today’s climate.

Not all rule breakers survive in a rigid organization.  Organizations exist that appreciate the unique talents of these individuals.

Follow Instructions

Instructions.  When given clearly and concisely can make many of life’s challenging aspects less bothersome.

For example, when a sales person calls an office.  Protocols are in place to filter the sales information to the correct departments &  individuals.  When these protocols are followed good things happen.  Meetings result.  Names are remembered. Maybe even contracts signed.

When protocols are skirted….

Let’s just say, this Admin’s inner dragon at the gate appears.  The sales world is rough and tumble.  People need to make a living, put food on their table.  These are worthwhile endeavors.

To the sales people out there, DO NOT CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM!

I know that sales people are told to ‘be creative’, ‘think outside the box’, but when you annoy and anger your only hope of getting your information to the correct source. You might as well throw in the towel.  It’s like be put on hold forever.  You become nothing but static.

So, once more, repeat after me – “I will follow the instructions the Admin gives me.”

Do so – you will have a good and prosperous life.

Choose otherwise – the dragon at the gate will turn you into a crispy critter and dunk you in ketchup.

Dress Code or How Not to Dress Like a Pop Tart

The summer has drawn to a close.  People have once more started covering their bodies with more layers of clothing in order to accommodate the wildly fluctuating temperatures of the fall.  HOWEVER…

That doesn’t mean that some people do not try to keep summer alive.  The sad, sad truth is that companies need to put forth some sort of dress codes. If only to educate the clueless.

This summer my eyes have been assaulted with cleavage baring tops on people where more fabric is a necessity not a fashion statement.  Skirts that with a stiff wind or an inappropriate bend the world would be privy to their privates.  More knarly, sparkly flip-flops that were stinky bio-hazards that did not belong in a corporate environment.  All of the above a direct violation of the company’s dress code.

People.  I am not the fashion police.  I’m sure that people look at me and say I could desperately use a make over.  But when I leave the house in the morning, I know that no fashion catastophe will happen.  All my bits and parts will stay properly covered and never see the light of day so that my co-workers will wish never had happened.

The advice of a good friend follows :   Folks – put a mirror in your foyer – one last look before you leave for work, doesn’t hurt.  If you have to question to yourself whether or not something is appropriate, it probably isn’t!

Mid-Year Evaluation Time

Time for the Mid-Year Evaluation.   I dread this time of year.  My stomach clenches, migraines lurk on the edge of my consciousness, every little stupid annoyance becomes a drama of epic proportion. Why?  Because I’m being judge by people who really have no clue about what I do.

Gone are the halcyon days when the average secretary was thought to just answered phones, typed memos and got cups of coffee (yes, I know this is a glittering generality).   The reality is the Administrative Professional is a project manager, an office manager, often times a human resource manager, an accountant, and a candlestick maker.

We do all this while making our boss look good.  The surface of our pond, lake, inland sea is smooth as glass, while the rip currents underneath are treacherous.  The people around us have no clue about what it takes to make things go smoothly.

So, I sit here filling out my portion of my Mid-Year evaluation, celebrating the triumphs and delicately explaining my defeats.  Because when push comes to shove, the triumphs aren’t what get in your personnel jacket.

Office Supplies

The purpose of Office Supplies is not to supply your home office, your children’s school supplies, your church auxiliaries or any other non-work related activity.  Instead, Office Supplies are to be used specifically for the purpose of conducting your job. 

 

My job is to order Office Supplies.  Not supplies that are pretty, neat-o, or make you feel good, but supplies that don’t break the bank. I am tasked specifically with keeping supply costs down.

 

If you have a brand of pen that you like, buy your own and lock your desk!

 

Oh! DON’T hoard supplies!  As the procurer and distributor of said Office Supplies, I am the only one who is authorized to hoard supplies.  I do so for a reason. YOU DON’T NEED A YEARS SUPPLY OF PENS OR STICKY NOTES OR NOTEBOOKS AT YOUR DESK.

 

Office supplies are a privilege not a right.  Some companies make you get your own!