There’s an important holiday on Wednesday, and it’s likely one you’ve overlooked. It’s Administrative Professionals’ Day, and a day that you need to make sure you show support to the people in your office that help you run like a well-oiled machine.
Where Would We Be Without Them?
Whether it’s your secretary, your assistant, your receptionist, or anyone else that makes you look good, keeps you organized and on time, and acts as the backbone of your company, you owe a lot to your administrative staff. Imagine a day without them. I bet you’re sweating at the thought!
A Round of Applause, Please
Let’s look at five ways you can let the admins in your office know how much you care.
1. Acknowledge the Day
Want to give your admin team a shock? Wish them Happy Administrative Professionals’ Day on April 22. They probably don’t even expect you to know that it’s a holiday, so it can go a long way to showing that you’re aware of the great job they’re doing. A handwritten card wouldn’t hurt, either.
2. Give a Gift
I won’t go into all the gift possibilities here, but suffice it to say: your staff will appreciate a gift, whether it’s flowers, a gift card, or something personal that they’d like. Just make sure the gift is appropriate (I’m thinking no bath oils to opposite sex staff!). A cash bonus is okay.
3. Give the Gift of Time
Your staff might appreciate one thing more than flowers: time off. If you can afford it, give your receptionist the day or afternoon off. Or let her pick her own day off, to use when she really wants it.
4. Don’t Forget Kind Words
More than anything you could buy your support staff, your appreciation goes a long way, especially if you don’t often think about giving it out. While today you absolutely should tell each individual employee how much you appreciate their hard work (maybe even pointing to specific examples), go beyond this holiday and build in those pats on the back throughout the year. Staff that gets regular support from their boss will be more ready to help you grow the business through hard work and dedication.
5. Talk to Them
I find that just taking a minute and having a conversation with each of my employees (not at the same time!) works wonders in helping them open up to me. Simply by taking an interest in them, I can foster that relationship.
Mark your calendar for next year so you have more time to plan out how you will show your appreciation!
