Sticky Notes

Re: We Are P.R. Specialists

2005-11-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

I think I figured out today how important Administrative Assistants are for keeping a good face on the office. Do you ever find yourself covering up your bosses mistakes?

I realized that I spend a lot of time editing memos that my boss wants to send out, both to employees and to the public. My boss is a computer-phobe, meaning that in the twenty or so years of the "computer-age" he has learned just enough to get by. He much prefers a type-writer, but the clunky, circa 1962, electric antique that we have parked in a dark corner of the office is, alas, on its last legs. Therefore, my boss has to use his computer to publish the many memos and notes that he sends out on a regular basis.

The one problem with him using a word processor is that he has no faith in the word-wrap function. Instead, as on a typewriter, he hits return at the end of every line and the word-processor, being the smart creature that it is and thinking that he wants to start a new sentence, capitalizes the first letter of the first word on each line.

His memos look like this:

Please be advised that all employees

Are to be issued new, blue linen shirts for

Working in the field. These shirts are not to

Be worn anytime other than working hours.

Employees found violating the dress code will

Be dealt with immediately.

(I made the text of the memo up. We have no blue shirts and no dress code. But you see what I mean right?)

Thankfully, he usually runs these memos by me or one of the other Administrative Superheros before he sends them out...although the occassional one has slipped by.

We quietly fix the paragraphs, never mentioning to him that there is a word wrap function and he can trust in the fact that the computer knows when it's time to end a line and start another one. To try and teach this would be highly stressful for both parties and would cause more tension than it's worth. It's so much easier to help him look like the efficient, well-educated businessman that he presents to the world.

I just realized today though that this is what we do. We fix mistakes before they go public. We are our bosses' PR Agents. We make them look like stars!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: How to call in sick when you're not

2005-11-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

Gosh, I just love reading these wikiHow's. I started off reading this one about how to accept criticism at work...at the bottom of each one are links to other wiki's and I clicked into this one, which I found rather amusing.

How to call in sick when you just need a day off. Has anybody not done this? If you haven't you're a better person than I am. They don't happen often, but sometimes there are days when I just can't face the office...being a full-time Administrative Superhero, Mommy and underpaid Taxi-Driver takes its toll and getting a day of rest can make all the difference in my outlook on work and life.

This tip produced chuckles:

For an added effect, bend over your toilet while pressing your forearm into your stomach so you begin to sound like your stomach is really being affected by whatever you are calling about. (Usually this would make you sound like you just finished vomiting.)

Have you laughed with your wikis today?

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: "And" it was annoying

2005-11-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

I was just reading an e-zine I get monthly...I get a lot of them and read them all. Do you read ours? Administrative Avenue's newsletter is called Shorthand and you can subscribe to it here.

Anyways, I was reading a rather lengthy article in this particular e-zine that threatened to be interesting. The only problem being that I was distracted by the large number of sentences beginning with "And"...I counted over 20 of them in the one article! You see, I was lead away from the main message the article was trying to convey by my desire to have the sentences flow better. This is one of the diseases I suffer from as an Administrative Assistant -- proofreaditis...it's a debilitating condition causing the patient to suffer from tics when encountering mistakes in publications. There is no cure, so reading my local paper (which I swear is proofread by preschoolers or those monkeys at typewriters) causes great pain.

Here's a few notes on using a conjunction at the beginning of a sentence:

Beginning a sentence with a conjunction

It offends those who wish to confine English usage in a logical straitjacket that writers often begin sentences with “and” or “but.” True, one should be aware that many such sentences would be improved by becoming clauses in compound sentences; but there are many effective and traditional uses for beginning sentences thus. One example is the reply to a previous assertion in a dialogue: “But, my dear Watson, the criminal obviously wore expensive boots or he would not have taken such pains to scrape them clean.” Make it a rule to consider whether your conjunction would repose more naturally within the previous sentence or would lose in useful emphasis by being demoted from its position at the head of a new sentence.

From: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/nonerrors.html

-------------------------

Sentences beginning with "and" or "but" are found in English as early as the ninth century, in the Old English Chronicle, and such sentences can also be found in Shakespeare, the King James Bible, John Locke, Edmund Burke, Lord Macaulay, Charles Dickens, and others. There's nothing inherently wrong with the practice.

If a sentence is incomplete, or if so many sentences begin with "and" that its overuse is notable, that is indeed a problem, but one that should be treated on its own merits.

From: Random House

Now, I'm ready to admit my own transgressions. Some of you probably ask yourselves, "Copier Girl, what's with all the dots in sentences?" I mean, in the words of Chandler Bing from Friends, "could there be anymore dots?"

I guess I write as if I'm talking to someone...taking a pause as I need it and representing that pause as three dots. That must be what the writer of that article is doing...maybe she talks with a lot of "ands".

And...I'm...done...with...this...rant...

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: The Purpose of a Resume

2005-11-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

My friend Carla Vaughan has written another superb article on The Purpose of a Resume: To Win the Interview.

Check it out on Administrative Avenue. I'm adding things daily and working on the next issue of Shorthand, due November 12th. If you're not already a subscriber, then sign up here.

Hope you had a great Halloween...next up, the Holiday Season!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Happy Halloween!!

2005-10-31T12:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

So I didn't exactly make it here in my Dracula teeth and cape this morning. An unfortunate incident occurred at a party on the weekend and my two dollar plastic cape was reduced to ribbons. Who says Administrative Assistants never have any fun?

Instead, I came dressed as the Poker Queen. A crown of "diamonds" - the Royal Flush on the front - a five card necklace and high pairs pinned to my clothes. At least I can now go and buy lunch with my head held high, as everything is detachable and I didn't have to go all out on the makeup this morning.

There are cookies everywhere...our Receptionist Superheroes went "Martha Stuart" on us and made cookies shaped like fingers, spiders, bats and even little brown mice. My diet is taking a back seat today!

It's threatening to rain here in the Lower Mainland of BC, so my little trick-or-treaters will probably get wet tonight. No matter. They'll be happy as long as they get lots of candy.

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Halloween!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Dressing Up?

2005-10-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Do any of you dress up for Halloween in your office? I never have before, but one of our estimators is a Halloween nut (she LOVES it!)...so I guess we're dressing up around here on Monday.

Will I be the only one driving to work with Dracula teeth?

I vant to know...

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: How To Exercise At Your Computer

2005-10-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Another "How To" brought to you by wikiHow...How To Exercise While Sitting At Your Computer

This was my favourite one:

Take advantage of the downtime created by rebooting or large file downloads to get up and try something more ambitious such as doing a few push ups, sit ups, and/or jumping jacks. Beware of your snickering co-workers though.

When I was riding the commuter train into Vancouver a few years ago, there was a guy who would turn up at the station every day in his business suit...and he would get down on the pavement and do push-ups and sit-ups right there on the platform! He even brought a mat, so his suit wouldn't get dirty...

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Copier Girls Office?

2005-10-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

I got this picture from my hilarious MIL who is an Administrative Superhero. One day I'll have to get her to be a guest blogger here. Maybe she could tell you about the day she took the fart machine to work...

A good representation of Copier Girl's office?

I just have to say that I wish my office was that funky looking (without the sticky notes, that is). I do love those Post-its though...

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Do You Get To Wear Jeans To Work?

2005-10-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Does your company allow you to wear jeans to work? Do you have a designated "Jeans Day"?

Our company lets us wear jeans in the office on Fridays, provided we bring two dollars (a twoonie up here in the North) for charity. We collect the money all year and donate it to a childrens' charity.

Recently, my boss offered to pay $3.00 to charity for any woman in the office who wore a skirt and heels on Fridays (kinda sexist...no?). Some of the ladies took him up on the offer, but I didn't. I haven't worn a skirt to work in years...this is a business casual environment anyways, so any skirts/dresses I had when I started here have long ago been given to goodwill. I just wore my jeans anyways and threw an extra loonie (dollar) in the bucket...I LIVE for jeans day...don't mess with my comfort!

Let me know your company's policy on jeans by replying here or using the "Comments" button below.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Hard Labour - Not For Me Thanks

2005-10-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Our Receptionist Superhero and I spent the day cleaning out our storage vault...box building (which I'm extremely fast at now), file sorting, heavy lifting.

After 32 years in business our company is FINALLY sending their files out to a storage company...no, not all thirty-two years of them...they did purge them about 10 years ago. One of the owners here has a few trust issues and we've had to work hard to convince him to let the files go into someone else's care. It hasn't been easy, but we've found a good records storage company that can retrieve our files and get them over to us in a matter of hours if we need them...which we won't, but it will make Mr. Owner feel better that they're still in existence.

Business has really picked up in the last five years and our files have doubled (kill a forest...work for CopierGirl's company). Our vault storage, however, has stayed the same size and has become an unruly, cluttered mess. Not only did we have to put everything in labelled boxes, but we had to FIND a lot of it first...my eyes were going squirly from roaming over the same labels...things that were right in front of my face seemed lost forever...where oh where are the "G's" from 1996?

Lugging the boxes out of the room and onto pallets proved excrutiating, so the Shop Foreman finally assigned the Warehouseman as our personal serf...thank goodness for strong 20 year olds! We did manage to get a good chunk of the room cleaned out...more next Friday.

The worst part of the day was venturing into a hidden corner of the warehouse to find some supplies and discovering...ANOTHER 5 YEARS WORTH OF FILES!!!

By that point my back and feet were too sore to care...I'm hoping management doesn't discover those other boxes soon...maybe they could wait until I'm on holidays...or retired!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Useless Tip For The Admin. Superhero

2005-10-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

On my personal Google homepage, I have a daily "how to" set to pop up everyday with a new tip. Some of them are interesting - how to determine if your cat is overweight, how to get rid of microwave smells, etc.

This one caught my attention: How to make great photocopies. This must be a tip for the "un-admin" in the world.

If you're any bit of an Administrative Superhero you already know how to make great photocopies:

get someone else to do it

send it out to the nearest print shop -- hey, they're the experts

kick the copier into submission whilst threatening to send it hurtling down the nearest stairwell...after all, inanimate objects always take verbal threats seriously

Seriously though, do we ever do less than an exemplary job in everything we do? I've been known to take a paper towel and shine the copier glass if there's even a speck on my copies. I think by now I could actually remove a paper jam in my sleep!

While we're on the topic of photocopies, don't you hate those companies that are using 50 year old copies of forms? They've been copied and re-copied so many times that all the words are fuzzy...and they're so old they were typed in the ONLY font available in 1955.

Just thought I'd share.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Chaos

2005-10-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

I just waded through the mountains of paper on my desk to let you know that:

I haven't expired

I haven't abandoned this blog

I haven't (yet) won the lottery...so I'm not typing to you from my private villa in Anguilla

I can't quite fathom how all of this paper ended up on my desk in such a disarray...I'm thinking evil-work-elves...

Anyways, I'm waiting eagerly to transfer this blog onto my site with the advent of a new feature my webhost - Site Built It! - is adding to their GIANT LIST OF GOODIES. Site Build It seems to have added new features every week since I started this site in August 2005. If you've been thinking about starting your own site, either for an existing business or to write about a topic of your choosing, this is the company to go with. Not only do you need minimal computer experience, but they also take care of submitting your site to search engines, building with block-by-block components and all of the other mysteries concerning "webmastering" (not a word).

They are going to make it easier to site-blog, so hopefully I will soon be typing to you straight from Administrative Avenue and you won't have to leave the site to read Sticky Notes.

Well, back to climbing a mountain of filing, purchase orders and correspondence...happy hiking everyone!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: Shorthand's New Issue Released

2005-10-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Only a day late...

The October issue of Shorthand was just released (to thunderous applause...at least that's what happened when it got to my inbox :). Read a copy of it here.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due November 12, 2005.

Re: WANTED - Horrible Administrative Want-Ads

2005-10-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

We've all seen them...in your local papers and on-line. Those want-ads that make you shake your head in disgust.

Star Admin. Asst. wanted! High-pressure, busy office. 90 wpm, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio. Great organizational skills & professional appearance. 5 Yrs. experience preferred. $8.50/hour

They make me soooo mad! Sometimes I feel like replying to the ad and admonishing the company for being so shameful.

You want somebody to practically juggle and turn cartwheels for $8.50 an hour? Have you no idea how much a person with that much experience and that many skills is worth?

I want you to send me the worst administrative want-ad you've ever seen. Copy it, scan it, take a picture of it or type it out. Blank out the company names and contact information (we won't be sending them our shame letters). Tell us what they're paying and what country it's from.

Your submissions will be forever archived on Administrative Avenue and the best one will win the Grand Prize.**

Send in your submissions by using our Contact Form. Contest deadline is November 15, 2005.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

**Grand Prize consists of one (1) brand new Sharpie Pen and the notoriety of having your name published on a website! Oooo, aaaah, ooooh!

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due October 12, 2005.

Re: Copier Girl's Varied Career - Part I

2005-10-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

I'm trying to focus my efforts lately on the "Getting the Job" section of Administrative Avenue. I'm hoping to get some good resume and cover letter samples and articles up in the coming weeks.

On that same note, I thought I'd fill you in on some of the many jobs I have had in my 14 year Administrative Assistant career. I will admit, I do like a challenge. I think that's why I've continued to change jobs on a regular basis. I don't like to be bored AND I want the respect I deserve in my job. If you aren't willing to pay me/treat me properly, I'm going elsewhere. You know I think Administrative Assistants deserve the highest respect and remuneration...we all work hard for it.

I've never had a problem transitioning from one job to the next and the experience gained from each position, good or bad, has been tremendous.

Part I - The Newbie

My Mother-in-Law (MIL),who is also an Administrative Superhero and reads here regularly, was kind enough to give me my very first experience working in an office environment. At the time, I was still in college taking "Secretarial Arts & Office Administration" at Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta.

MIL was taking a vacation and decided that I could handle her job while she was away. I filed, I typed, I answered the phones and I greeted customers. I was working in a real office!

Up to this point, the only phones I had answered were the ones at my fabric store job and the ones at home. I was green! I'm sure I accidentally hung up on a couple of people in the days that she was gone.

The one lesson I took away from that job was to use that hold button. Instead of stumbling over your words, while you try to remember whether what's-his-name is in or out, say, "just one moment please" and put them on hold. Take a deep breath, think about your answer, press the line once again and talk to your customer. This allows you a moment to compose yourself and sound professional.

[The hold button is also a great tool if a caller is being rude...put 'em on hold and swear away. Of course, that's a lesson for another day...]

Anyways, I'll be forever grateful to my MIL for giving me that experience and the confidence to move forward into other administrative positions...and I'm also grateful that she did all the really hard stuff before she left for her vacation and gave me the easy jobs. Thanks MIL!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Send Us Your Ideas, Submit an Article, Tell Us About Your Blog

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due October 12, 2005.

Re: RSS/XML/Yahoo/MSN

2005-10-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Administrative Avenue now has an RSS and XML feed! You can also add us to your favourites on your personal Yahoo and MSN home-pages.

Be sure to keep up to date with all the coming changes and additions to Administrative Avenue. Go to Administrative Avenue and click on the RSS/XML, Yahoo & MSN buttons above the button bar.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand". Next issue due October 12, 2005.

Re: Working With Employment Agencies

2005-09-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

We recently received an excellent enquiry in our mailbox at Administrative Avenue from a reader who is having trouble aquiring experience as an Administrative Assistant. Denise wrote:

I graduated from college in May 2005 with a degree in business in office systems technology and a certificate in word processing. I have many skills with software, typing, filing, telephone, etc. Unfortunately, I am having a very difficult time getting my feet into the workplace because of my lack of years experience on a job as an administrative assistant. If you don't have more than two years experience on a job, how can you get an opportunity to work and get experience that others will not hire you and give you a chance to get? What are other things that I can do to make my skills stand out to land that perfect job as an entry-level administrative assistant?

I remember experiencing the same kind of frustration when I was starting out in my career and I'll bet a lot of you did too. It's a vicious circle. How does one gain experience at something if all jobs require that you already possess experience?

I believe that a lot of what we do in life is great experience for working in an office. Consider using the following to your advantage when writing out your resume:

Have you ever done any volunteer work? Planning events, making phone calls, collecting donations and recruiting other volunteers all count as experience. Use it!

In your previous "non-administrative" jobs, have you ever practiced good customer service, run a computerized till, counted money or done inventory. This is also experience. Use it!

Are you a parent who has recently returned to the workforce? Running both a family and a household you have probably managed a calendar, balanced a cheque-book and run a thousand errands. This is all previous office experience. Use it!

We have recently added two new articles to Administrative Avenue about working with employment agencies. Employment agencies are an excellent way to gain experience working for different kinds of companies on a temporary basis.

Discover the benefits of employment agencies by reading:

Working With Employment Agencies - Part I

Working With Employment Agenices - Part II

If you have more ideas to help Denise and other new Administrative Assistants, please let us know by using the comments button below or contacting us at Administrative Avenue.

Best of luck in your job searches!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Trying to Stay Alert

2005-09-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

I really should attempt to get more sleep. I find that I'm a little less than effective at work when I lack the rest I so dearly need. A good 7-8 hours per night is absolutely necessary for me.

Yesterday found me neatly punching holes in my purchase orders as per usual, before giving them to the A/P girl to file. I knew I was experiencing sleep deprivation when she pointed out that I had put three holes down the side of each P.O., instead of the required two-hole punch in the top! I had carefully punched a stack of at least 100 documents without noticing my error. Thank goodness they are filed in the office and aren't for any outside use.

Last night I stayed out too late planning for the Girl Guide year (yes, I do that too...doesn't everyone?) and managed only about 4 1/2 hours sleep. I'm sure I'm not the only one who lays in bed in the morning thinking up terrible diseases that could have struck me in the night and render me incapable of turning up for work that day! After 15 minutes of drawing a blank, I dragged myself out of bed, took two aspirins, drank a vat of coffee and somehow made my way here.

The only thing is, I can't even manage to calculate 10% of a price today without relying on my trusty calculator!

My kingdom for a nap-room in the office!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

P.S. Is it wrong to drool on the lunchroom table when trying for five minutes of shut eye?

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand" Next Issue Due October 12, 2005!

Re: Give Me Time!

2005-09-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Whoever said that March comes in like a lion has never experienced September quite the way that I do.

For me, a parent of three children and a full-time Administrative Assistant, September has been an extremely busy month. The summer months were far too kind to me, allowing me time after dinner each evening to catch up on my reading, tidy the house or even (heaven forbid) take a short nap! With the onset of September comes the beginning of a new school year and the onslaught of activities my children are involved in. Soccer, Judo, Girl Guides, Scouts, Field Hockey…and I’m sure there’s more. Once again I feel like an overworked, poorly paid taxi driver and my house looks like a war-zone. Not to mention that my cheque-book is running on overdrive!

This is my feeble attempt at apologizing for the lack of updates to this blog and to Administrative Avenue. The site is a little over a month old and I had hoped that it would be more filled out by now. I have so much that I want to say and so little time in which to write it down.

I just wanted to let you, the reader, know that I am attempting to get here and correspond with you. I will try to post more often. After all, I can’t say “regularly updated weblog” in the description with a good conscience if I don’t post enough!

While we’re on the topic of being busy, I recently offered to be the Secretary for my daughter’s high school’s PAC (Parent Advisory Council). I don’t know what it is about me that needs to be involved in so many things…maybe I’m too nosy or something. Anyways, the meeting was progressing nicely with other parents offering to take on the roles of President and Treasurer. When the call went out for a Secretary the room was silent…no offers...nobody spoke. So I think, “I’m a Secretary. I can take minutes and type minutes and photocopy minutes and email minutes. I could find time to do that once a month.”

And so, as if it were attached to a marionette string, my hand went up…

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Shorthand's First Issue!

2005-09-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Today, Administrative Avenue sent out the first issue of its newsletter Shorthand.

Shorthand is Administrative Avenue's monthly newsletter, featuring new articles, tips, tricks and humour for the most important person in the office...YOU, the Administrative Assistant!

Read it here: Shorthand September 2005 - Premiere Issue

If you'd like to start receiving Shorthand on a monthly basis, sign up here.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Re: Sometimes Old is Better

2005-09-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Do you have any well used items on your desk that you're attached to? Something that could use replacing, but you just couldn't bear to part with it?

I have a calculator...one that's about ten years old. It used to be cream coloured, but now it's mostly grey from the buildup of dirt and ink from the ribbon I have to change every 2 to 3 weeks. My fingers know where every key is and I know without looking -- and by the sound of the daisywheel -- that I've made a typing mistake.

She sits at my right hand like a sidekick (see, I've personified the object now...sad) and is the first thing I power up in the morning when arriving at my desk. On her face is a label reminding me of a much used calculation that I don't really need to look at anymore. That calculation is ingrained in my fingers memory and I easily type it in when needed.

Yesterday, our Receptionist purchased a new calculator for the girl that sits beside me. A sleek, quiet model...it has a chrome-looking finish that would look lovely next to the latest kitchen appliance. Patty is pleased with the new arrival, but to me the buttons are confusing and the printing sound too muffled. I much prefer the loud announcement to the office my calculator makes. "Look, Copier Girl is doing work! Click, click, whirr, whirr...another bill paid, another purchase order priced! My, but that Copier Girl is a busy Administrative Assistant!"

I hope to be able to prevent myself from wrapping my arms protectively around my calculator, while holding her close and yelling "No!!!" when the Receptionist asks me if I'd like a new one too. I'm praying for the willpower!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl
/vhb

Enclosure: Sign up for Admin. Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Tip of the Week: #2

2005-09-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Every Friday, Sticky Notes brings you a new tip or trick designed to help you do your job as an Administrative Superhero more effectively.

Today's tip: Tidy your work area

Take the time to tidy up your desk before you leave work, so that you can start fresh the next morning.

Put away pens, notepads and other tools and stack work neatly into organized piles. Turn off your monitor and other electrical devices to conserve energy and dispose of garbage and recyclable paper.

Tidying up will allow you to easily start the next workday free of clutter...on your desk and in your mind!

For more organizing ideas read Administrative Avenue's new article: Organizing Work With the "ABC Method"

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Re: Commuting

2005-09-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

My oldest daughter started high school this year and my boss was gracious enough to let me change my hours so that I could drop her off at school and come in a half hour earlier in the morning (and, of course, leave a half hour earlier at night).

The trouble is, I've found that the traffic is horrible at 7:30 in the morning (the time I'm now leaving home) as opposed to 8:00 (when I'd usually leave). I'm encountering bumper to bumper traffic on the main thoroughfare and even though I've tried a few different routes these last two days, I'm still not arriving at work until 8:10. Thank goodness I'm not the office receptionist and I don't have to be here during certain hours, but I still feel bad walking in ten minutes late even though I make up the time at the end of the day.

Also, driving in heavy traffic puts a negative edge on my mood that I really don't need to be bringing into the office. Living where I do, in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia near Vancouver, I thought I'd learned how to properly commute. I always, always hit the restroom before I get in my car and make sure I have a bottle of water handy. You can never be sure, especially if you have to cross a bridge around here, how long you will have to exist in the cramped confines of your own car due to heavy traffic.

I guess I'd gotten used to my 25 minute commute and will now have to figure out how to get here expediently at a different time of the day.

Rush hour -- argument number one for becoming a Virtual Assistant!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take Admin. Avenue's Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Have you signed up for Admin. Avenue's Newsletter?

Re: Labour Day

2005-09-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Copier Girl resides in Canada and will not be at her desk today as she is, regrettably, basking in the sunshine on the Labour Day statutory holiday and enjoying one of the few remaining days of summer.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely yours,

The Administration
Administrative Avenue

Attachment: Take Administrative Avenue's Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Tip of the Week: #1

2005-09-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Every Friday, Sticky Notes brings you a new tip or trick designed to help you do your job as an Administrative Superhero more effectively.

Today's tip: Put a smile in your telephone voice!

Even if you're not the Receptionist for your company, as an Administrative Assistant, you almost certainly use the phone for business on a daily basis. Putting a smile on your face before you use the phone makes you sound friendly (even if you don't feel friendly ;-) to the person on the other end. Consider the benefits of putting a smile in your voice:

People respond positively to friendly people and will go out of their way to do what you ask. Your requests are bumped to the front of the line and get done in a timely manner.

Your "smiley voice" can diffuse a potentially angry customer and put him in a position to more effectively communicate his needs...and put you in a better frame of mind to respond to his requests.

Your friendly voice helps the customer to visualize you as a real person, rather than "that drone at Company XYZ." You get some respect!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take Administrative Avenue's Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: We Need You More When You're Not Here

2005-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

It’s amazing what can happen at one’s job when they’re not there to take care of matters. A case in point is the events that transpired today at my office. Our regular receptionist took the day off and our very junior receptionist filled in for her on the phones. Because I’ve had lots of experience in the reception position in the two years I’ve been here -- I started as a temporary receptionist and got hired to do administration and accounting -- I was appointed her backup for any questions and to take overflow calls.

Wouldn't you know it that we'd be sent in search of missing cheques, MIA courier packages and get asked questions that no-one, in the history of the company's 33 years, had ever been asked before. Seriously, I had no idea that we even stocked earthquake emergency books, let alone where to find them!

It got to the point where the Junior Receptionist was embarrassed to poke her head around my cubicle and ask me yet another "Einstein only knows" question. To her credit, she's fresh out of high school and has picked up the job like a pro. The issues thrown at her today were simply foreign to even the most experienced staffer here.

I simply told her to do what I do -- put that smile in your voice when you answer the phone -- and make sure the line is on HOLD before you commence with the sobbing and swearing.

After a thoroughly exhausting day, I have decided that Maggie, our regular Receptionist Superhero, is far too valuable to the operations of this company to take time off. Therefore, she will be permitted no further vacation days for any reason, EVER.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take Administrative Avenue's Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Community

2005-09-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Are you an Executive Assistant, a Receptionist, an Office Administrator, a Clerk or a Secretary? Do you specialize as a Legal Assistant or Medical Office Assistant? Did your entrepreneurial spirit lead you to become a Virtual Assistant? Whatever your title may be, whether you're new to the job or a seasoned expert, we want to hear from you!

Administrative Avenue is a new site (growing daily) dedicated to providing articles and resources for all Administrative Assistants. We want you to grow with us.

Send us any ideas you have for content you'd like to see on the site. If you've written an article for Administrative Assistants, send it to us. We'll post it on Administrative Avenue and provide a link back to your site (with a personal note about you of course :-)

If you have a blog dedicated to the Administrative profession we want to read it and we'll list it here on Sticky Notes. Or, if you'd just like to submit a blog post or two to Sticky Notes, we welcome your contribution.

Although Administrative Avenue is very small right now, we'd like to grow it into a strong community of Administrative Superheros (because if you do this job, you know you are one!).

Let us know, LOUDLY, what you want.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take Administrative Avenue's Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Dress Code Violations

2005-08-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

The company I'm currently working for has a "business casual" dresscode, as we are a construction company working out of a mid-sized office in an industrial park.

Management recently took it upon themselves, by email, to remind us to be mindful of the way we're dressing in the office. In their opinion, the dress style of some employees was slowly sliding downhill. While I agree that a dresscode is necessary in any business environment, I was taken aback by a few things:

The e-mail was only addressed to the administration people in the office. Apparently, someone upstairs in Estimating had complained about an individual downstairs in Administration wearing weekend-style clothing. We, in Administration, were singled out as the culprits and admonished. A better approach would have been to send a general "friendly reminder about dresscode" to everyone in the office .
The Manager sending the email took it upon himself to cut and paste a snippet of dresscode conduct off of the internet, a sample of which follows. This particular style of dress is neither conducive to the industry we work in nor was it personal in any way. This came from a manager that everyone in the office has contact with every day. The email sounded canned, like it came from some unreachable CEO, who has no idea how the little guy lives. Business Casual
Specifics for women's business casual: Don't confuse club attire with business attire. If you would wear it to a club, you probably shouldn't wear it in a business environment.
Pants / skirts:Women can wear casual pants or skirts. Neither should be tight. Fabrics should be crisp; colors should generally be solid; navy, black, gray, brown and khaki are always safe bets.
Skirt length and slits: Your skirt should come at least to your knees while you are standing. While you are seated, your thighs should be covered. If your skirt comes to just below the knee, a slit to just above the knee might be acceptable. A very long skirt should not be slit to above the knee. Generally slits in the center back of a skirt — to facilitate walking a stair climbing — are acceptable. Slits to facilitate a view of your legs are not appropriate for business purposes. Slips should not be visible...etc, etc, etc..
As a parent who is in the process of spending hundreds of dollars getting their kids ready for back to school, I felt that this was an inappropriate time to ask the office staff to update their wardrobes. This, though, could just be me being a tad touchy about the fact that my credit card is ready to set fire to my wallet right now...it's been swiped so much!

I'd love to hear what other Administrative Assistants have to say on this issue, as it can be quite the touchy subject. Let me know what your opinions are on dresscode.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take Administrative Avenue's Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for Administrative Avenue's Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: I Have a Pantry in My Desk Drawer

2005-08-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

I seem to have dedicated an entire drawer in my desk to the various food items I keep bringing to work to snack on. Because I am too lazy to make a proper lunch in the morning, I frequently throw whole boxes of crackers, blocks of cheese and granola bars into my bag as I rush out the door to work. The cheese of course goes into the fridge - the scraps of which end up as a science project, aka: Mining for Mould - but the non-perishables end up in my desk drawer.

At this moment, in my drawer, I have three boxes of crackers, two homemade granola bars, a package of honey covered almonds and a bran bar I got as a sample in the mail.

I even have a reputation around the office for being the go to girl when someone is feeling a tad hungry or having a craving.

Because of this reputation, I was not at all surprised when my collegue Craig recently asked me for a Power Bar. I didn't have a Power Bar to share with him, so I rooted through my stash naming off the various items he was welcome to eat.

"I have Breton crackers or a granola bar. You're welcome to my grapes or maybe you'd like these gummy bears," I suggested.

Looking very confused he wondered, "Why are you offering me food? I just wanted you to order me a power bar...you know, one of those things with lots of places to plug things in."

Sometimes effective communication is a hard snack to swallow.

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take the Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for our Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Feng-Shui Filing

2005-08-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

My boss and I spent over 15 minutes today searching our files for a missing cheque copy. The cheque, which is supposed to have its own supplier file, was eventually found in the “Miscellaneous M’s”. While 15 minutes doesn’t sound like a long time, it was time taken away from more important tasks both of us could have been doing.

It highlighted for me the importance of filing accuracy. Setting up and maintaining a good filing system is vital in running an organized office. The time saved by having documents in order and at the ready is central to ensuring that revenue-producing tasks are performed faster and more often in the office. We’ve all heard it before, and know it’s indeed true: “Time is money.”

Unfortunately, our company has recently gone through a number of both junior and temporary Administrative Assistants and our files seemed to have suffered the brunt of their inexperience. We’ve had a hard time teaching the art of filing by last name (not first) and putting the most recent document at the front of the file.

This mayhem makes me want to cordon off the files and maintain them myself. Just as Les Nessman did in WKRP in Cincinnati, I could tape off an area of the floor around the filing cabinet. Complete with openings for a door and windows (for ventilation of course), it would be my own personal filing Mecca! (Obviously, I need to switch to DeCaf).

My fondness for accuracy and organization lead me to be selfish with the sharing of work. It may be true that I hate filing, but I despise disorganization more. I want it done right the first time, so I don’t have to go back and fix it.

Doing it myself, though, is neither conducive to my heavy workload nor to the teaching of new people. I don’t have the time to do it myself and I have no desire to take away from the experience that others need.

I’m in a filing frenzy…and so it’s just another day at the office!

Sincerely yours,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take the Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for our Newsletter: "Shorthand"

Re: Mining for Mould: Cleaning out the office fridge

2005-08-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

After resisting the task for many weeks, I finally made the dreaded trip into the kitchen this morning to tackle that science project we call “the office fridge”. We are supposed to take this task in turn in our office, but it inevitably falls to the last person who decides they can no longer place their lunch next to that green sandwich that’s been making rude gestures at them, with its graying ham tongue and furry cheese teeth, every time they open the door.

I don’t mind saying that I am brutal with the purging of leftover goo. If you haven’t missed that Tupperware container in the three months that it has been gathering spores in the office fridge, then I have no problem with throwing it and your petrified salad in the garbage as a unit. This Copier Girl isn’t separating the two!

While this task shouldn’t always be the responsibility of the Administrative Assistant, it often falls to us to do it because, as per our training, experience and very nature, we are the most organized people in the office. Expired yogurt and liquefied grapes rock the very foundation of a good Administrative Assistant’s organized, A to Z world.

As anybody well-versed in the world of administration will tell you, “If you don’t intend to keep it, file it under G!”

Sincerely,

Copier Girl

/vhb

Attachment: Take the Pedometer Challenge!

Enclosure: Sign up for our Newsletter: "Shorthand"