As an assistant of any level, you will be exposed to a large portion of your employer's colleagues, friends and business associates. You and the administrators affiliated with these people will also be working closely together. Add to this the fact that you are probably one of the first points of contact when people within your own office need information and help, then you can clearly see that your behavior is going to be constantly on parade and your abilities on display.

This can stress some administrators out. As a result, they may be unnecessarily curt, do their best to stay holed up in their office or even let the stress impact their professional demeanor and occasionally "flake" or lose their tempers. This is a problem for them professionally, but it is also a problem for the administrative community at large, since high-level administrative assistants are, like it or not, role models for pretty much everyone else in the office.

You may think that this is really not that big of a deal. However, the behavior of an administrator or administrative assistant directly impacts the tenor and personality of the entire office. If you are calm, in control and always helpful, then you will soon see that others in the office mimic your behavior. By expecting the best of yourself, others will soon start to expect the best from themselves as well. In addition, your remaining cool and collected prevents others from giving themselves a "pass" when things go wrong and allowing themselves to lose their tempers or behave unprofessionally.

Particularly if you have been with an employer for a long time, you must never let your temper take over. Not only will other administrators follow your suit, but your employer will soon come to associate your behavior with the rest of the office's professional actions. A good administrative assistant can influence an entire office positively, so make sure that you are always the source of positive energy and actions. Your employer will thank you with loyalty and professional rewards as well, while your job will get progressively easier because everyone around you is happy to work with you.