Being an administrative support professional can be both rewarding and stressful. It’s not a secret that there are challenges to being an administrative assistant. So, I was happy to come across a “12 Challenges Administrative Assistants Face” on Lifehack.org.
While the list is impressive. I want to go into much further detail, so I’ve split the challenges into two posts. Today’s post will go through the first 6 challenges.
They can be or be expected to:
- Forced To Deal With Difficult Personalities
- Seen As Someone Of Lesser Importance
- Clean Up After Everyone
- Fix Anything And Everything
- Know Everything, Even When Not Included In Meetings And Private Conversations
- Blamed For Anything That Goes Wrong
Please read the Lifehack article, if you’re interested, but I will quote them throughout the posts for clarity and convenience.
If you’re currently an admin or are looking into becoming an admin, you might have experienced this or have heard or felt these challenges before.
Let’s jump right in!
Admins Can Be Forced To Deal With Difficult Personalities
Yes, we can be forced to deal with negativity, but the article doesn’t specify where the “ticking time bombs” come from. I’m going to be honest, it’s anyone. It could be your manager, someone from another department, a colleague, a client, a vendor, etc.
I find it amusing that article mentions that “admin staff usually have a witty charm about them. They can help the heated individual calm down and gain confidence in the company once again, by providing trust and reassuring the angry individual that all will be resolved as soon as possible.”
So, this can be true, but I want to be clear that the assumed responsibility to perform this task of calming down others is not an admin’s. We are not responsible for taking on other people’s negativity or anger. While we may often do this instinctively, remember that other’s negativity is not our responsibility to take.
This is a prime example of the unspoken and unrecognized additional burdens admins can deal with daily.
Just remember, fellow admins, you have the right to choose what you want to emotionally accept. You should determine whether you engage a negative person, ask them to kindly not be rude to you, and or report their inappropriate behavior.
Do what you feel comfortable doing in order to handle each situation. If that’s means calming them, do it! I support you.
They Can Be Seen As Someone Of Lesser Importance
Personally, I always find it reassuring, refreshing, but frustrating when others admit this.
Lifehack states, “Somehow, the administrative assistant position has been classified as a starting position for most companies. What most people don’t understand is that being an administrative assistant is a professional career in which people can excel.”
It’s true.
I take so much pride in my work, and am confused why our profession is seen as “less than.” I have speculated before as to the reason, but in all honesty, it seems like it’s a mix of reasons.
Also, it is important to note that often “having an administrative assistant” for many colleagues, managers, and organizations is seen as a “novelty.” People aren’t thinking about what the specific titles of an admin actually mean, they are thinking of the fact that they have achieved a “level of importance.”
Now, are all people like this? No, but I think that somewhere in most of us, we want to be seen as important, and an administrative assistant is a “soft power” way to show importance, whether or not people want to admit that.
For us admins, we need to understand and remember that our value to a company or manager is not necessarily the quality of work we do. It’s the image our presence provides others and because of this, many people don’t want to change that image.
Administrative Support Can Be Expected To Clean Up After Everyone
Along the same line as the previous point, not cleaning up isn’t typically a characteristic of “higher” status. As the Lifehack.org author put it best:
“You would think with an office full of grown adults, that people would know how to clean up after themselves.”
Admins are typically left (and expected) to “clean up.” Funny thing, I rarely ever have seen companies include that responsibility in a job description. It makes a difference to be clear about the expectations, so we can make accept that responsibility from the beginning.
I mostly get the passive (and sometimes not passive) aggressive condemnation when a shared space isn’t cleaned, or set back up in the way “they” want. It’s the feeling of expectation and threat that we “aren’t doing our job.”
This is typically one of those “grey area” tasks. Where they assume you’re obviously supposed to clean up, and you’re thinking that we will all clean up after ourselves. Instances like this make it hard to say “no.” First, because of the stigma and second, because you’re honestly not trying to “be difficult.”
It’s not likely employers would tell you that “cleaning up after them” is in your job description, but you can probably ask in non- “I had a bad experience” way.
Administrative Assistants Can Be Expected To Fix Anything And Everything
No arguments here, but most of the time it’s not a terrible thing if you can’t fix everything. I think this is a hope that you can, and an expectation that you’ll try to your best to find the solution. LifeHacks.org was completely correct that it is our ability to problem solve that typically solves these issues.
I mean, we rely on our experiences, but also we Google like anyone else. The only difference is that admins put in the time and effort to solve problems.
Admins Can Be Expected To Know Everything, Even When Not Included In Meetings And Private Conversations
According to the article, “Basically, admins are all detectives.”
Yes, but also “snitches get stitches.” Okay, yes, some of us might be good at eavesdropping and asking the right questions, but it’s a dangerous game.
As an admin, you’re often assume you’re seen as expendable (though we know you’re not), which means it’s risky to share information without protection. Rumors and assumptions are dangerous. Sometimes the right call is to act like we know nothing, even if we know otherwise.
A colleague’s assumption of our knowledge is not our responsibility. Keeping others in the loop about all the information we come across is also not our responsibility.
Many people might automatically consider admins an “information hub,” even though we are not in meetings, but an experienced knows what to do with that information.
No one should expect any information an admin knows is another person’s right to know.
It’s not.
And, for the record, there are administrators who honestly don’t care or want to know more than what they are supposed to know too. Not all admins are nosey or curious and are perfectly content to not know any additional information.
Just saying – an admin’s world isn’t just other people. We have our own interests, concerns, and priorities.
Administrative Support Can Be Blamed For Anything That Goes Wrong
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Anyone who blames an admin, especially publically, is a shame.
According to the article, admins log everything to c.y.a. (cover your ass). Admins try to keep email trails, but it’s not just for c.y.a., it’s also to help us keep track of our work and history.
But seriously, do you know how much work it is to keep a detailed record to accurately c.y.a.? And ultimately, having a detailed account doesn’t mean that others will care to use or acknowledge it.
If something goes wrong, and a manager blames an admin, the battle will be uphill any way you take it.
It’s crazy to think about blaming an admin for something the company pays the manager to manage. To me, that’s what managers getting paid more includes. They are the ones who are supposed to take accountability.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed exploring the first 6 challenges administrative assistants face. I truly enjoyed discussing them.
These articles are great because the opinions expressed are important and help us highlight the most pressing needs in our field.
Our individual jobs might offer unique experiences, both the LifeHack article and my perspective might not touch on exactly your experiences. So I hope you write your experiences and thoughts so other admins might relate yours.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
