The 10 Qualities All Successful Administrative Assistants Share at the Office

You are an administrative assistant and, because of your role in the company, you are a critical bridge between your boss and your co-workers. Your boss might say you are a critical buffer between him or her and co-workers, customers, clients, vendors and any one of the seemingly dozens of potential distractions to their day. But, we’ll save THAT topic for another blog!

The support you give your boss requires some serious skills that most people aren’t born with. Therefore, in order to succeed and advance, focus on sharpening the skills most valued by top executives. Without them, you’ll shortchange yourself and potentially miss out on important opportunities.

Great administrative assistants all share a few common traits. Luckily, you can acquire them with a little bit of work. Even the traits and skills that people say “you’re born with or you’re not” can be learned, with all apologies to those people.

 Top 10 qualities you need to become that superstar administrative assistant your boss will love: 

1. Adaptability

The ability to adapt to any situation on the fly is critical. You need to be able to think quickly and efficiently no matter what comes up.

2. Be a problem solver 

Along with being adaptable, you have to be able to handle difficult situations. Solving minor problems without taking them to your boss will take a load off of their plate and make you shine.

3. Radiate professionalism

It’s important your outward appearance and attitude reflect your administrative skills. This means you must stick to the dress code and watch your body language – slouching in meetings is forbidden! Furthermore, address everyone with a firm handshake and make eye contact. Fair or not, you represent your boss and department with every interaction, but if you project professionalism, you’ll get it returned more often than not.

4. Be outgoing

As an administrative assistant, you’ll meet professionals from every level of the company, as well as important clients. Make sure to give everyone a great first impression of you and the business you represent.

5. Have exceptional organizational skills

You must be able to multitask … keep everything organized … and find anything your boss needs at a moment’s notice. You can’t do any of this without first-class organization skills. In addition, being organized will keep your work on track so you’re never behind schedule.

6. Master time management

Being organized is the key to mastering time management. However, you’re not just managing your time — you’re managing your boss’s time too. On the plus side, making sure your boss’s day runs smoothly usually coincides with your stress level plummeting.

7. Have strong written and oral communication skills

You’ll write many documents, from e-mails to company-wide memos, and you need to communicate clearly and succinctly. In addition, you’ll speak with many people on a daily basis, so make sure your phone etiquette is excellent.

8. Know your business

Because you’ll communicate with professionals throughout your company and industry, make sure you know your industry-specific terms. You’ll understand your work better and be able to connect more clearly with your colleagues, outside vendors and clients.

9. Diplomacy rules 

The dark side of office politics and gossip is always there, mostly lurking in the shadows. Unfortunately, sometimes it stops lurking and can suck you in. Co-workers often think that if they complain to you about a work situation, you’ll automatically pass it on to your boss. Make sure not to discuss personal matters with co-workers or participate in gossip. Don’t become the message-bearer, either. Offer to set them up with a meeting with the boss if they’d like to discuss it with him or her.

10. Honor confidentiality

At some point, you will handle sensitive information and it is essential that you keep it 100 percent confidential. Oftentimes, federal law mandates your silence on most issues, but more importantly for your career, you absolutely must be someone your boss and co-workers trust.

It’s hard enough to be a good administrative assistant, but if you want to become great, work on these 10 qualities.