Message #61588

[countrigal]

Raindance,
I suggest that you talk with your assistant, one-to-one, and let her know you appreciate her desire to move on to other tasks and perhaps ask her why she's wanting to.  It may be that her skills and what she really wants to do aren't in the areas needed to be in the position that she's currently filling and that discussing this may let her (and you) understand this and perhaps have her move into a position that suits her skills/desires/expectations more.  It may be that she isn't really cut out to be a true admin if she doesn't have, and doesn't want to learn, all the fine finishing touches that we automatically use in our every-day duties as experienced admins.  Personally, I've never had any formal training what-so-ever for any admin type duties (except that one typing course - a semester - back in my sophomore year in high school), and yet I feel that I "finish" with the best of them.  I might not be able to arrange flowers, or decorate an office, but I can set up a meeting, type formal reports, informal communications, etc, and ensure proper grammar, spelling, etc are used.  I understand the business world I work in, and the proper means of communicating with whomever I need to contact (ie: via e-mail, through a secretary, in person, or through my boss).  I don't feel that education is necessarily what she's missing, but it may just not be what she's a natural at, nor what she's comfortable with, which is why I'm suggesting discussing with her what she expects out of the job and then set up a plan with her on how to get there -- if it's in your power.  Setting up the plan allows you to show her where you see she's needing some additional experience/time before moving on without "criticizing" her so much as educating her, and yet still get the outcome you're hoping to get -- a productive assistant who gets proficient at the duties you hand down to her.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator