Focuses on the training and development needs of admin professionals and features topics such as hard skills (software competencies, writing, communication, filing) and soft skills (teamwork, time management, leadership).
Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/712710
AUGUST 2016 2 E D I TO R ' S N OT E George Pearson Automate the admin? The answer is within your grasp New research predicts that office support positions will be most at risk over the next 10 to 20 years when automation and artificial intelligence is applied to everyday tasks. The report, entitled The Talented Mr. Robot: The Impact of Automation on Canada's Workforce, is based on research from the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (BII+E) at Ryerson University. A news release from BII+E ex - plains that automation, which has been confined largely to routine, manual tasks, "is now entering the realm of cognitive, non-routine tasks and occupations, such as driving and conducting job interviews." Some jobs will be lost while others will be restructured and new jobs will be added, the report suggests. Jobs in the low-risk realm "are linked to high skill levels and higher earnings, such as management and jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)," the report concludes. If office support is seen as high-risk and management seen as low-risk, where does this put the administra - tive professional? It's a question that demands some thought by those teaching a new generation of support staff and by admins themselves. As we see in several of the stories in this month's Administrative As- sistant's Update, a strong working relationship between admins and their executives is built on a foundation of mutual respect, emotional intel- ligence, judgment and experience. When the relationship works well (and would a machine ever be an adequate substitute?), the executive relies on the admin as a proxy who can operate in skilled and substantive ways to move forward with the boss's agenda. "Hiring the right assistant can be … trickier than filling traditional man- agement positions, because personal chemistry and the one-on-one dy- namic are so important—sometimes more so than skills or experience," Melba Duncan wrote in Harvard Busi- ness Review several years ago. "Expert assistants understand the unspoken needs and characteristics of the people with whom they work. They have high levels of emotional intelligence: They respond to subtle cues and react with situational appro- priateness. They pay close attention to shifts in an executive's behavior and temperament and understand that timing and judgment are the founda- tion of a smooth working relationship. A good assistant quickly learns what an executive needs, what his or her strengths and weaknesses are, what might trigger anger or stress, and how to best accommodate his or her personal style. Good matches are hard to come by: That's the reason so many good assistants follow an executive from job to job." With the right skill sets, an admin professional will command a premium in the most automated of work envi - ronments. The challenge for admins – today and tomorrow – will be to keep learning and adapting to manage change and not be defeated by it. Ontario changes AODA requirement As of July 1, all members of Ontario organizations must be trained on accessible customer service and how to interact with people with different disabilities. Previously, an organization was required by the Access for Ontar- ians with Disabilities Act (AODA) to train only those members who worked with customers or created policies or procedures on how to interact with people with different disabilities. Administrative Assistant's Update is published once a month by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Director, Carswell Media: Karen Lorimer Publisher: Todd Humber Editor: George Pearson george@adminupdate.ca Associate Editor: Jennifer Lewington jennifer@adminupdate.ca EDITORIAL OFFICE (519) 271-6000 Administrative Assistant's Update Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. 1 Corporate Plaza, 2075 Kennedy Road Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 CUSTOMER SERVICE (416) 609-3800 (800) 387-5164 FAX (416) 298-5082 (877) 750-9041 carswell.customerrelations@ thomsonreuters.com Contents copyright. All rights reserved. © 2016 Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission. Brief extracts may be made with due acknowledgement. Annual subscription: $189. Publications Mail Registration No. 40065782 GST# 897176350 UPDATE Administrative Assistant's