MARCH 2017
P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O R C A N A D A ' S O F F I C E S U P P O R T S T A F F
Administrative
Assistant's
UPDATE UPDATE
PM
#40065782
INSIDE
Controlling stress . . . . . . . . 2
How top performers are able to
remain calm and in control
Diffi cult conversations . . . . . 3
These tips will prepare you to steer
them in the right direction
Social media posts . . . . . . . . 5
Automating saves time, but can
come with risks
Women helping women . . . . 7
10 reasons to help other women
succeed at every level
By Jennifer Lewington
In 2003, Pat Shantz landed a part-time
position as an administrative assistant
in the offi ce of the mayor of Stratford,
Ont., expecting only to fi ll in for a
maternity leave.
"I happened to see the ad in the
newspaper and thought I can do that,"
says Shantz, a former legal secretary
for law fi rms.
After a few months on the job, Shan-
tz's part-time position became full-time
after the election of a new mayor, Dan
Mathieson, now on his fourth term.
She has worked as his administrative
assistant for almost 14 years.
He says the job title does not
capture the full scope of Shantz's
duties.
"I call her my executive assistant
and that is a very senior position,"
he says. "She is also a strategist, part
chief of staff and one of the city's most
infl uential bureaucrats." He adds:
"People think it is the chief admin-
istrative offi cer and the department
heads, but she probably touches more
information than all of them."
He recalls an incident in 2005 when
a car wash spill contaminated Strat-
ford's drinking water for several days.
As the city scrambled to truck in water
for residents, Mathieson recalls that
Shantz "seemed to pick up on what I
should be thinking about next."
Workplace
change feeds
stress
Layoffs, job redesign and other
workplace changes fuel demand
for sick leave, according to a recent
survey by Morneau Shepell.
According to the human resourc-
es fi rm, 46 per cent of respondents
reported they took time off work –
or noticed others doing it – after an
organizational change. Respondents
identifi ed several negative effects,
including on their mental health
and job performance.
"Among the types of organiza-
tional changes, job redesign has
the strongest correlation to sick
leave for both physical and mental
health," Morneau Shepell president
Alan Torrie stated in a press release.
She has 32,000 bosses
– and loves it
Credit: Jennifer Lewington
Continued on page 4
Pat Shantz with Stratford
(Ont.) mayor Dan Mathieson
