Administrative Assistant's Update

7 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE her executive(s), often without verbal cue. A Harvard Business Review article, "Skills of an Effective Administrator" (R. L. Katz, 1974 hbr. org/1974/09/skills-of-an-effective- administrator), demonstrates that not much has changed in the last 40 years. According to Katz, an effective administrator in the 1970s would have three skills: technical, human and conceptual. Although less emotionally driven than my iteration of the role of an administrator, the point being made is the same. An effective administra - tor brings skill with office tasks and equipment, an ability to communi- cate effectively with all people, and Where to use – and not use – hyphens By George Pearson Hyphens are a little like commas in that we often sprinkle them around rather randomly. There are rules to guide you in hyphen usage, though there will still be times when you are left to decide what to do. Here's a situation in which you do not use a hyphen: Mark's perfectly coiffed hair contrasted with his lumberjack-style apparel� You don't hyphenate perfectly coiffed because a hyphen is not used to set off an adverb ending in -ly that modifies an adjective. Here is another example of that rule: Senator Lucia Donatelli finally began her eagerly awaited speech� You do use a hyphen to form com- pounds such as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a hit-and-run driver, an extra-large pumpkin. You add the hy- phen to avoid ambiguity or misunder- standing. (See also lumberjack-style apparel, above.) Here's another example, in the form of a headline: Bystander helps dog-bite victim. If you left out the hy- phen, you would change the meaning of the sentence. However, if the meaning of a compound phrase is instantly clear, a hyphen may not be needed: a sales tax increase, an acid rain threat. Hyphenate fractions when used as adjectives: The audience was one- third teenagers. The vote required a two-thirds majority. You may or may not (your choice) hyphenate frac- tions when used as nouns: One third of the audience stood to applaud the speaker. If you find it more convenient to hyphenate all fractions, that's not a bad approach. Hyphenate compounds beginning with self: self-assured, self-confident, self-esteem, self-pity. Finally, many hyphenated com- pounds evolve into solid words without hyphens: tonight and tomorrow began as to-night and to-morrow. You may still be struggling with e-mail or email. Style sheets seem to be moving toward the latter, but it's still up to you. The main thing is to be consistent. If you have a style guide, use it. If you don't, consider developing one that governs both internal and external communications. And have a diction- ary handy. Assume nothing. You're not sure? Look it up. Writing Tips Two conferences for admins Two upcoming conferences to note in the Toronto area: Executive Leadership Support Forum, produced by Q1 Productions, is sched- uled for March 8-9. Featured speakers include Bonnie Low-Kramen, founder, Ultimate As- sistant, LLC; Cathy Gallagher-Louisy, director, knowledge services, Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion; Bonnie Wooding, owner and founder of Hywood Services (virtual assistant); Bon- nie Mitchell, Everything DiSC trainer, DISCITUS. For information contact: KateJeter@ Q1Productions.com The 18th Annual Administrative Pro- fessionals Conference (APC), "Make the Leap to Extraordinary," will be held May 28-31 at Harbour Castle Westin Hotel Toronto. Keynote speakers include Jessi Cruikshank, television personality; Mar- garet Trudeau, Canadian icon; Tommy Europe, athlete, author and coach; Colin & Justin, television presenters, style commentators. For information: apccanada.com; registration@apccanada.com; 1-888- 443-6786. Continued from page 6 Career paths a degree of big-picture and forward- thinking vision. My path to the role of executive assistant was full of ups, downs, and even some sideways steps, but the re- sult has been an opportunity to learn about what excites me in a role and how I can use the skills I have gained throughout my journey to contribute to the success of an organization.

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