PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

Hi there everyone

My role has recently changed from a purely administrative one, to partly generating my own workload.  When I'm working with my boss, everything is fine, as he is so motivational and I feel fired up to get on and do the job.

When he's not around however, my motivation slips a little and I find myself finding other things to do ... like posting to the hub for instance ...!!

Has anyone else had this problem or know of any tips to keep myself going?  All help appreciated.

Smitkit

If there is truly nothing else to do, education yourself on a topic relevant to your position.  I had time this week to peruse "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities."  I learned some concepts and terms that will be helpful in dealing with property & casualty insurance from 2 hours of studying 8 chapters.  Another thought is learning another language.  Or, make up a wish list of things you want to get done when your boss is there keeping you busy.  The trick to staying motivated there is to schedule a time to do the project and then laying out the steps you need to do.  I have to congratulate you on being motivated enough even to ask.  We've got a couple people who probably have read every Sidney Sheldon novel and what I refer to as "dirtbox romance" novels that exists.  That displays a major lack of initiative to litlte ol' moi and, I hope, to others.  Go wild!

Thanks guys, some good tips there.  I'll defintely start doing the "to-do" lists at the end of each day as I know that used to work in a previous job.  I'll let you know how I get on.

Smitkit

AND just a comment from the peanut gallery here, your To-do lists need to be fluid, added to as your day goes on.  Here's what I do, I have a steno pad and each day starts out with a blank page which is dated at the top.  (steno pads work really well for this because you can use the reverse side of the page quite easily, you'll see why that's important in a second).  Anyhow, start your fresh page each day with your own selfgenerated to-do list.  Accomplish your tasks, crossing off things as you complete them...when bossies ADD to the list, put those items on the reverse side of the same dated page...again crossing off what you manage to get done, and somehow managing not to bite anyone when they add more STUFF for you to do.

At the end of the day, or the very beginning of the next day, take the items from your page that weren't accomplished and the bossie added tasks as well and put them at the top of today's new page, and include the stuff that got tacked onto your list by outside forces with an asterick so you know they were "add in's" to your original list.  Then add tasks that you self generate to the end of this new list, again using the reverse side of the "new" page to add those tasks given to you by bossies.  repeat day after day until your steno pad is ragged edged and filled up then file it away and start a new one.

Why keep a separate list of stuff people lob at you during the day in addition to your own self generated list?

Because it provides a clear record of when you're being sidetracked, new duties you're taking on and who assigned them and the outcomes of them, (or at least whether they got done or not) this little steno pad can become your way in to outlining the reasons you need a raise, demonstrating why some things get done and other's dont (for instance if a higher up reprioritizes your day for you) and when it's performance evaluation time, gives you a nice little way of looking back on what you've done for the last few weeks or months, or even years depending on how long you keep the magic archive.

I once had a group that I supported, and when a big deadline for a project wasn't met was able to clearly show my direct Manager why, who had funneled projects to me at the last minute, who followed up, and who didn't and where my time had gone in relation to this particular project which had been passed to me along with my other, ongoing duties.  Worked like a charm and I got a pay raise too once my manager had seen what I acutally did in a day, he was truly impressed and well...it worked for me...and having that pad in hand, all day everyday on my desk, in my hand if I went to a meeting, worked better than any diary I've ever used, it was simple and straight forward and to this day, I Still use my system.

Well, ok, "Ms. Show-Off"!  So, me and Smile use the $50.00 Franklin Covey planner refills, and you get by AND get a raise with a $1.29 steno pad.  Hmmmmpfh!  Stomps off to ponder the sheer simplicity of this/can it be?!!!!!??!   Yes it is:  brilliant AND economical.  Unfortunately, I am too mired in my own anal ways to change now.  Oh well, some one has to keep Franklin Covey in business, I guess.

HEY there now, Im a BIIG FC lover, but....I have the BIG $150.00 one, and that's for meetings and outside stuff and phone numbers and well big stuff, for me the day to day stuff still works best with that £1 steno pad, PLUS you get the added appeal of lookin like Della Street all the time, pad in hand... Now WHERE did I put those pearls?! Dating myself again,,,, Im still
Lost in London,

Oh!  That reminds me, did Della ever find a job after Perry fired her?  I was thinking about that unusual thread Monday when I was home sick.  Perry Mason came on, and I logged on to see if I could find the old thread where he fired her, but couldn't.....

Ellen (Yea, I remember STRANGE things when I'm sick) in TX

Ellen,

Did you try using the "Search" function to look for that thread?  I used the "Search" function yesterday to look for an old thread and it worked like a charm.  A lot easier than combing through all the old threads.

WhiteSatin