An Office Administrator and Administrative Assistant Switch Jobs for the Day
By: Jennifer L. Torney
What was the purpose of the project?
Sometimes supervisors are criticized for their lack of knowledge of a subordinate’s job. I wanted to switch positions with my subordinate for the day tosee what her job was really like, and I wanted her to do the same for my position.
What steps did you take to ensure that the project was successful?
I first asked my employee if she would be interested in participating in this project. She really liked the idea and she was very open to participating. I made a before and after survey to reflect on expectations and outcomes for the experience. I filled out the survey for the Administrative Assistant position and my partner answered the Office Administrator survey. We had a short meeting to discuss our “before” surveys before we did the project.
What was the outcome?
The project was very interesting! The day that we chose to participate in this switch was perfect because it was a difficult day. If it were an “easy” day, we would not have really experienced what both jobs are really about. In my position as an Admin Assistant for the day, it’s not all about just answering phones and following directions from the supervisor. There are so many requests and issues that are not typical on a daily basis. I found myself running around more like an office coordinator, rather than sitting at the desk all day. In my partner’s position as an Office Administrator, she indicated that the position was a lot more difficult than she thought. She said there were more demands and keeping up with everything was tough.
What did you learn from this process?
I learned that it is important to know your staff’s responsibilities and how they are handling their job. Many times a subordinate may not express to you problems they are having on the job because they do not want to feel like they are complaining. As a new supervisor it is important to develop your team and to communicate effectively with them. It’s not a matter of asking your staff what duties they are working on daily just to make sure they’re working, but to really understand their work and how it affects yours.