Administrative Assistant's Update

MARCH 2017 4 He sums up their working relation- ship as "a business partnership." In contrast to working for one boss in the private sector, Shantz says her city job means she reports to the mayor and the public. "How many bosses do I have?" she asks. "There are 32,000 people [the population of Stratford] who think they can call and they can. I tell people "call here for anything; it does not bother me and I will put you in the right direction." Over the years, Shantz has devel - oped multiple skills to keep up with her evolving responsibilities. One is being a filter for the mayor. She manages his schedule, takes dicta- tion for correspondence, drafts some speeches and fields calls from those anxious to speak directly to the mayor. She has to decide who really needs a word with him and what should be handled by city departments. When she receives a complaint, she sends an email to the relevant department and checks back in several days to see if the matter is resolved. Shantz logs all calls in a spiral-bound notebook, crossing off items as they are resolved and highlighting others for action by the mayor. In the end, he knows who called and why. Soft skills win the day Mathieson credits Shantz's soft skills for part of her success in the job. "She is probably one of the most attuned people for listening to people's real issues," he says. If a resident calls to complain about garbage collection, for example, she often figures out the underlying problem is something other than the pickup itself. That ability to listen is key, she says. "I know when somebody calls here this is the last stop," she says. "My job is to make sure they get what they need or get directed to where they need to go. Sometimes I keep them on the phone and try to calm them down and get them feeling better before I hang up the phone." Over the years, event planning has become a major responsibility for Shantz. She schedules 50-60 events a month for the mayor, recruiting council members to stand in when he cannot attend a function. She is also the mayor's point person for special events, such as the two-day visit last December of Rogers Hometown Hockey and its host, Ron MacLean. Event-planning skills are key For such one-time events, she works with local organizing committees and reports to the mayor on what needs his attention. For annual festivities, such as Canada Day celebrations to honour local volunteers, she sends out invitations, orders award plaques and, when needed, books hotels and other venues. "I make lists all the time," she says of the need to be organized. "I go over it all the time with Dan [Mathieson]. I will say we are doing this and that and he has some ideas." Some event planning also requires detective work by Shantz such as tracking down information on po - tential recipients of the city's annual Bronze Star honours. Given that Mathieson holds other jobs in addition to that of part-time mayor, Shantz uses colour-coded files (one for each position) to store rel- evant emails and documents. "When we meet to go through his mail it is all there and I know what is what," she says. In a job that demands responsiveness – to the mayor and his constituents – Shantz says she manages her day by going with the flow. "My day is just following email; as you get things done another email pops up and someone needs some - thing or the phone rings," she says. "I gave up having a plan when I come in in the morning because it is not going to happen." Such unpredictability is fine. "This is an awesome job," she smiles. "I love that I get to talk to residents all the time ... . I am never bored." She has 32,000 bosses Continued from page 1 Tips for success in public service Pat Shantz, administrative assistant to the mayor of Stratford, Ontario, since 2003, offers advice to AAs seeking employment in the municipal sector. She recommends: • Do your homework before applying for a job: "Get to know the municipality, just like you would a company." • Stay positive when dealing with the public: "You need to be able to take criticism. There is not a whole lot of praise." • Develop a relationship of trust: "He [Mayor Dan Mathieson] knows he can confide in me. There is a great deal of trust between us." Like the travel ad for Las Vegas, she adds, keep office conversations private. "You can say anything here and it is never going to go past the door." • Be flexible: "I am in by 8 a.m. and I leave by 5 p.m. but I don't always take [a break for] lunch...We eat at our desk and continue on. I have worked Saturdays and evenings if I have to come in just to get stuff done."

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