Administrative Assistant's Update

7 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE Ready to become a supervisor? By staff Congratulations! Your hard work has been rewarded with a promotion to the position of manager or supervisor. What will it take for you to succeed in that role, especially if you now are the boss of former colleagues? "Learn what you need to be good at and what to let go of," advises Karen Rae Short, a business coach who specializes in skills for new managers and a featured speaker at the annual Administrative Professionals Confer - ence earlier this year. Learning to let go of your past administrative life, she emphasizes, is a process that requires time and self-reflection. Think about what will be required of you as a manager, identifying tasks (perhaps collecting the mail) that now should be delegated to others. Handing off responsibilities no longer in your job description means learning to trust others, she says. "Ask yourself, am I the best person to be doing this [task]?" Ask your boss for clarity if you are not sure about what is expected of you. New-job jitters are to be expected, she says. The skills that likely helped you land your new position are also those that will help you succeed as a manager: a focus on people, open communication and a positive attitude. To that end, recommends Short, "keep the culture light-hearted." There may be opportunities, for example, for pot- luck lunches or other occasions that foster team spirit. Be generous with others, urges Short, ensuring credit is shared with those who contributed to meaning - ful outcomes on a project. Some may not wish to be singled out in public for praise, says Short, so be attuned to individual preferences. Own your mistakes, says Short, instead of casting blame on others. At the same time, look for ways to help others succeed in their work. As a manager, be prepared to make a decision – it is what others expect of you. "Learn from it [the decision] if it turns out to be wrong," says Short. Above all, be the manager you as- pire to be, she says. "Lead by example: how do you want your team to think, act and behave?" Erika Giesl wins top AAA award Erika Giesl, an active, long-time volunteer for the Association of Administrative Assistants, has won the highest honour from the national organization. She has been awarded the 2016 Linda Bates Award of Excellence for her work at the local chapter and national level since joining AAA in 1994. She earned her Qualified Administrative Assistant designation in 1999. "At present, there is no member who is more willing to give of her time, to accept commitments and follow through on those commitments for the betterment and promotion of our Association and service to our members," states AAA national president and director Jackie Pontin. She said Giesl is "one of the mainstays of the Toronto Charter Branch," at various times holding the position of program chair, membership coordinator, secretary, vice-president, treasure and president for the Toronto chapter. Previously, Giesl was named to AAA's honour roll in 2012 and 2015 in recognition of her service to the branch and national board. In addition, she has served as a director and vice-president of the national board of AAA and sits on the advisory board of the Administrative Professionals Conference, which holds its annual convention in Toronto. A mother of three daughters, Giesl is an active volunteer with her local Lions Club and serves on the board of her condominium. Erika Giesl ASSOCIATION NEWS IAAP GTA OneNote webinar July 12 Microsoft specialist Greg Creech will be webinar keynote speaker at an IAAP Greater Toronto Area local area network event July 12 from 7 to 8 p.m. Become an organizational maestro with Microsoft's OneNote as you create and edit your notebook for event planning, education/training, project tracking, and other uses. Non-members are welcome. For more information, contact Olia Primak, director and chair, International Association of Administrative Professionals GTA LAN: iaapgtalan@gmail.com.

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