Administrative Assistant's Update

MAY 2016 2 E D I TO R ' S N OT E George Pearson Looking for the high-potential employee Who are the high-potential employees in your organization? They're probably in the manage- ment stream, right? They have MBAs or are working on them. Or they have other specialized degrees and are be- ing carefully mentored because they have been identified as future leaders in the organization. But wait, aren't you high-potential too? Don't you, an administrative professional, have talents and skills waiting to be further tapped and de- veloped, enhancing your value to the organization? Of course you do. Has your organization recognized your potential value and set about helping you develop it? If so, you are in a good place. If not, perhaps a wake-up call is in order for company management. In a recent blog, American leader- ship coach Tanveer Naseer described an experiment by Harvard psycholo- gist Robert Rosenthal who used a cog- nitive ability test to evaluate the ability of students from kindergarten to grade 5 to learn and solve problems. Findings were shared with teach- ers, who were then able to see which students had high potential for learn- ing and growth. The teachers paid more attention to the high-potential students, and the students developed to become among the best in their school. "Granted, these results seem pretty obvious," writes Naseer, "until we find out that the results identifying the high-potential students were actually randomized and not due to the results the students obtained on their test. "What this study revealed is that it was the teachers' perception of these students' potential that influenced the kind of support and encouragement they received – conditions which no doubt allowed these students to truly shine in their academic pursuits. "For leaders, it also demonstrates the power we have to not simply ensure that tasks get done by those we lead, but that we instill in our em - ployees the notion that they are in fact capable of so much more." Naseer's target audience is organi- zation leaders, of course (remember, he is a leadership coach), but what or who is a leader? Do you only have the capacity to lead by title or assignment? What about by your influence? When we set aside predispositions, based on what we've seen or heard, about the potential of others, we open the way to a new perspective fueled by support and encouragement. This approach can make a positive dif - ference all the way up and down the organization. By focusing on the potential of employees – not just their position — says Naseer, "it becomes easier for them to accept the challenges they face as opportunities for learning and improvement as they will now have that hunger to accomplish more under our watch." His advice applies to individuals who are looking for ways to tap their potential to fulfill themselves and con - tribute to the success of their organiza- tion. For example, AAU interviewed several executive assistants who joined Toastmasters to enhance their profes- sional and personal competencies. In his blog Naseer reminds us of the power of human potential, citing a quote by inventor Thomas Edison: "If we did all the things we were capable of, we would literally astound our- selves." OfficePro: Demand for admins growing The demand for admins "is growing faster than normal," according to Kelly Workman, vice president of OfficeTeam in North America, who was interviewed for a story in the March/April edition of OfficePro, the magazine of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. In the article, Workman pro- jected that the demand will grow about 20 per cent in the next six or seven years. The article was writ- ten by Williesha Morris, a virtual assistant (VA) and freelance writer. 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

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