Recently, I have had recurring conversations with people in business, education, and government about how important quality Administrative and Executive Professionals are to an organization. The conversations were mostly due to scenarios where a solid Administrative Professional would benefit the organization.
Business owners, school principals, directors and department heads are, understandably, considered the leaders of the organization. Don’t get me wrong, they are super important. They cast vision, set policy, provide direction and more. But their role is only half of the equation.
You must also have someone who is good at
executing the vision, the policies, the decisions.
Full disclosure, I might be a bit biased to those who serve as an Administrative Professional. My mom was our church’s secretary for 30 years. I frequently heard people in the congregation make a comment like, “So-and-so is the pastor, but we know it’s your mom who runs the church.”
I encourage all of us to rethink how valuable those roles are, making sure that we have the position, that we have the right person in the position, that we’re compensating them for the value they provide, that we’re honoring them, recognizing them, and treating them with the respect that they deserve. Because often times, they really are the ones who keep the organization running.
So, if you haven’t lately, celebrate your Executive and Administrative Professionals today on Administrative Professional’s Day. And then, keep celebrating them.