Reply #21: I'd blame the boss & not the secretary [View All]

[NewJeffCT]

In the corporate environment, we've been calling them "administrative assistants" for years, or "admin" for short.

The boss most likely is looking for a certain type of personality when he/she hires an admin: A person that has trouble making meetings on time may want an admin that will take control of their schedule and to make sure that nobody unscheduled interrupts their time.

The boss may also want to see how his admin does with more responsibility as well - we had a woman like that in our department, who went from an admin to an accounting job once she completed her bachelor's degree.

I've found that just being nice and showing respect is the best way to deal with an admin who has a lot of power. Treat them like they are a key player, because they might very well be.