Let\u2019s imagine for a moment that your workplace is hosting a professional development course, and the keynote speaker is\u2026 wait for it\u2026 Mr. Jesus of Nazareth. I suppose that\u2019s not too far-fetched because He may have done that kind of thing back in His carpenter days. Anyhoo, during the PowerPoint presentation, the King of Kings reaches the slide about Employee Care, and guess what it says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo unto others\u2026\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only is this a great rule of thumb for life in general, but it also applies to many situations in your work life. One of these instances, according to the PowerPoint, is Administrative Professional Day. It\u2019s a work celebration that should be planned conscientiously, as it can result in a major boost of self-esteem or a collar-venting plane crash of awkwardness. The main thing to remember when planning for Administrative Professional Day is to keep things simple and heartfelt. Just think of how you might want to be celebrated for your work efforts. To get you started brainstorming, here are some basic Do’s and Don\u2019ts to help you celebrate the administrative staff at your workplace in both fun and appropriate ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every spouse knows or at least should know, not to get their husband or wife cleaning tools as a birthday gift. It\u2019s rule number 7 in the handbook: No vacuums or ironing boards unless explicitly requested. The same general rules should apply to administrative staff: it\u2019s not the best move to give an administrative professional an organizer on their big day. However, it may actually be the best move if you\u2019re trying to find out what their fake smile looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of a creative way to show that you appreciate the work that they do. You can spend the morning doing tasks for them that they generally do for others in the office (answering the phones, brewing the coffee, taking meeting notes, etc.) Or it can be in the form of a trophy from Goodwill with a new label taped on reading \u201cAdmin of the Year.\u201d Celebrate their hard work by showing them you know how time-consuming and valuable it really is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gifting flowers to your administrative staff is a nice gesture but could be misconstrued. Especially the succulent variety of plants, because that just sounds awkward to tell to their family and friends. In fact, don\u2019t buy anything expensive or over the top. Instead, save the cash you\u2019d spend on nice gifts for a succulent Christmas bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A thoughtful gift is often cheaper, more impactful and more appropriate than a lavish gift. In fact, sometimes a heartfelt \u201cthank you\u201d card can have the most impact. In this case, it\u2019s not the thought that counts, rather, it\u2019s the way that you express the thoughts. Make a list of attributes that they\u2019ve displayed that reflect the company\u2019s vision or excellence. Or let your admin staff know about specific times in the last year when their effort made a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conflating Administrative professional day and annual employee review meetings is usually a mistake. In fact, you can spend the whole day focusing simply on the past and present and not even mention what\u2019s to come. This day is not about negotiating the future; it\u2019s about sharing appreciation. OK, my bad. Rant over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How you treat your employees on a daily basis is more important than how you treat your employees on any particular day. Since you\u2019ve read this to the last paragraph, the chances are high that you\u2019re already considerate of the administrative professionals in your work environment. Good on you! Keep it up and you\u2019ll never need a special day for your coworkers to know you appreciate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nDON\u2019T<\/strong>: Give them office supplies.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DO<\/strong>: Put yourself in their shoes.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DON\u2019T<\/strong>: Buy expensive flowers.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DO<\/strong>: Be more thoughtful than generous.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DON\u2019T<\/strong>: Talk about the employee\u2019s future.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DO<\/strong>: Keep it Consistent.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n