Administrative Assistant's Update

Finding your own path to success Constantly learning, moving up By George Pearson After Cheryl Westcott (see "Intense, frank interview tests EA's mettle," page 6) graduated from high school in Bolton, Ontario, in 2001 she "had no idea" what she wanted to do, so took a job in the warehouse of a book publisher. Later, she moved into a sales coor- dinator job at the fi rm, using the pro- motion to learn computer skills. Over a four-year period she worked her way through a number of positions until she lost her job when the company reduced its workforce. She then took a job as relief recep- tionist at a construction company. "I couldn't just sit there," she says, "so I asked the senior project manager if he needed help with anything." He took her under his wing and showed her "all the ins and outs of construction. He was the old-school construction mentality but he was more than willing to help me out because I was eager to learn." The move from a publishing house to the construction industry was jar- ring, not least because of the "potty mouth" language typical of construc- tion, though Westcott says she was not put off. "I guess I was in my ele- ment at that point," she says. But she did recognize a need to learn a lot more about the industry, so began taking courses and earn- ing certifi cates. In the next dozen or so years, she moved through several more construction fi rms (it's an up- and-down industry, she observes), taking on more complex and demand- ing roles, including project coordina- tor and contract administrator. During this time she benefi ted from the guidance of a mentor, John Krasko, an executive with several of the con- struction fi rms Westcott worked for. Krasko grew up with three older sisters, explains Westcott, "so he was more understanding of the struggles I was dealing with." "He knew what I could do," she says, "so he would always push me to do more," such as pursuing courses and certifi cates. She completed a program in project management at the University of Toronto this past spring, (again after encouragement from Krasko.) "Every single course that I've taken so far has applied in some way or another to what I'm doing now," she says. She names "people navigation" as one of her most valuable skills and recommends a Toronto Construction Association course, "Communication, Negotiation, Confl ict Resolution," for anyone – inside or outside the con- struction industry. "I recommend that to anyone deal- ing with diffi cult people. It basically sets you up so you can fi gure out how this person came to be like this and how to properly communicate with that type of person; so you obviously change the communication style to the person." 7 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE EA as ninja, under the radar By George Pearson Sorbara Companies executive vice-president Greg Tanzola likes to call his executive assistant, Cheryl Westcott, his "secret ninja." In feudal Japanese lore, a ninja was, among other things, a covert agent. Tanzola recognizes that an EA can easily be overlooked as someone equipped mainly to get coffee, usher in visitors, handle phones and correspondence, and arrange meetings. Westcott, as "ninja," may do all these things, but they're only a small part of her activities and her value to Tanzola and the company. In a meeting she can authoritatively discuss bonding or insurance claims or complex contracts, or casually refer to names of those in the business that she's interacted with on a professional level as a former project manager. "Sometimes people are disarmed," says Tanzola. "She has a lot of weaponry to add to the conversation, but she's off the radar. She brings so many skills to the table that I recognize personally, but I think just because of the way people think, they may be surprised." How can admin pros arm them- selves to become more ninja-like in developing weapons to the benefi t of their employers? Take project management certifi cate courses, suggests Westcott, because they include cost control, scheduling and other elements that are transferable to all sorts of projects that can be managed by an EA. Go beyond computer skills to get a grip on sensitive work- place issues such as confl ict resolution. Take any courses you can that will help you navigate the workplace and support your executive. People skills are critical. Stand your ground when you know you are right. Push back, respectfully, not in a counterproductive way. Your boss might go home and say: she's right; I'm not going to tell her that but tomorrow I'm going to go in and we'll just keep going. Credit: Rose Winter (Shutterstock)

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