More Than Just a PA - [website] Published: 27th of Sep 2011 by: Miss Knowitall
Considering the ease with which managers can type up and send emails and letters, book flights online and keep in touch with other members of staff...
...it’s a wonder that there’s anything left for a PA to do.
But the advancements in technology have done little to make the job of a PA obsolete; in fact as technology continues to change so do the demands on managers and directors increase, meaning a good PA is a more useful asset now than ever before.
So what makes a good PA, and what’s the difference between a PA and a secretary?
Firstly let’s just say that a PA’s job carries a higher level of responsibility (varying from organisation to organisation) than a secretary in that a PA may be required to make executive decisions in the boss’s absence, whilst secretaries traditionally follow instructions and keep their opinions to themselves.
Another way of putting it might be that a secretary works FOR the boss while a PA works WITH the boss.
For this reason it is imperative that a good PA is 100% aware of all that is happening with the business and remains so, has excellent communications skills (assertiveness is key!) and is cool, calm and very, very organised.
A good PA understands that every piece of writing they send out and every word they speak while on the job is a representation of their company and boss, and that poor grammar, punctuation and spelling all reflect negatively on the organisation.
Likewise they understand that while they may be good at what they do (they may be assertive, efficient and more organised that a filing cabinet) there is always room for improvement – just like in all things we do.
Staff Training offers PA Training Workshops nationwide. Bookings essential, enquire now at info@stafftraining.co.za
