The Secretary and Its Characteristics

The Secretary and Its Characteristics

ABSTRACT

 A secretary is an assistant to an executive. He is trained to type and perform many office duties. He possesses personal and business attributes. He guards his professional ethics of confidentiality, superb appearance and absolute loyalty. There are legal, medical and bi-lingual specialists in their own way. The personal attributes of a secretary include adaptability and self-confidence while his business attributes include secretarial skills and responsibility. The employment of new technologies in the office threatens the secretary. The secretaries are jittery and apprehensive about their jobs. The executive thinks he can use the computer himself and thus not needing the secretary. This is so because the modern laptop does not require the executive to know keyboarding because he can talk to or write on the screen and everything would be typed. He can employ internet teleconferencing facilities for meetings. All these not withstanding, the secretary is indispensable. This is because the executive needs an assistant who invariably must be the secretary who is trained in receiving visitors, answering and making telephone calls when the executive is busy on very important engagements. What the secretary needs in order to keep his job is to be abreast of the new technologies. He should continually undergo retraining in secretarial or office skills and communication skills. 

INTRODUCTION

There is apprehension in offices by secretaries as to what is their fate due to inventions and innovations in modern technologies. The computer has been invented to do many things that are hitherto done by the secretary. A chief executive can stay in his office or room to make flight and hotel reservations. He can manage information. He does not need any knowledge of keyboard to input his information. He can now use a pen to input his letter or document on the computer and with internet facility and with efficient server he can send his mail and receive reply. He can store, edit, retrieve and print his information. However, the secretary’s roles and personal attributes still make him somebody to reckon with in the office and in the organization. This paper will focus on who a secretary is, types of secretary, secretary’s nomenclature, his personal and business attributes, professional code of ethics, the secretary’s fear of new technologies, his fear is allayed and why a secretary is indispensable. A conclusion is given at the end.

WHO IS  A  SECRETARY ?

The word Secretary has been defined variously by different authors and employers. Some of these definitions are: Onifade (2004) defined a Secretary as “An assistant to an executive, possessing mastery of office skills and ability, assumes responsibility without direct supervision, who displays initiative,  exercises judgment, and makes decisions within the scope of her authority.” A Secretary is the person who performs the myriad of daily chores that nibble away at an executive’s time. “A Secretary as the principal administrative support position in an office increases the effectiveness of program staff by coordinating the paper flow of the office and carrying out the day-to-day administrative support activities required to accomplish the work of the organization.” (http://www.cs.state.ny.ns/tsplan/tsp) Talking about Etymology, “A secretary’s main purpose is to; bring food to meetings, especially ice cream and hot chocolate. The term is derived from the [Latin] word secernere “to distinguish” or “to set apart,” the passive participle (secretum) meaning “have been set apart,” with the eventual connotation of something private or confidential. A secretarius was a person, therefore, overseeing business confidentially, usually for a powerful individual (a king, pope, etc.). (http://en. wiki pedia.org/wiki/secretary).  “A Secretary is either an administrative assistant in business office administration, or a certain type of mid or high level Governmental position, such as a Secretary of State.” Having expressed a few shades of opinion about who a secretary is, the ingredients that must be contained in explaining who a secretary is should include – confidentiality (secrets), assistance or support or help, professional code of ethics, typing skill and communication skill. A Secretary should be able to keep secrets of the organization and that of his boss. His role is principally that of support, assistance or help. He carries out activities assigned to him by his executive or takes initiative which is within his authority and responsibility. A secretary is a professional who has some code of ethics which he should guard jealously. He Should be dynamic and versatile because he works in an environment that is not static. He should be ready to accept change and challenges of the office and the world of work. His title changes in conformity with his responsibilities. For example a legal secretary has some professional responsibilities different from those of a medical secretary. The computer’s functions now change. You can now talk or use pen to write on the computer and what you say or write is typed devoid the use of the keyboard. What an amazing innovation in the world of modern office technology! Because the secretary interacts with people as the first contact of people visiting the organization and because of the operation of the telephone for the organization and his boss, his communication skill, human and public relations skill must be super. His appearance must be superb. 

Characteristics of a good secretary

The role of Secretary of a Management Committee can be key to the efficient functioning of the Committee, particularly in organisations with few or no paid staff members. Below are some of the qualities, skills and knowledge which should be demonstrated by those carrying out this role.

A good Management Committee Secretary will:

be methodical, with a good eye for detail; be well organised, with an orderly mind; bring objectivity to the proceedings; deal promptly with correspondence; be able to take accurate notes of meetings; make sure members receive all the necessary material; bring the necessary material to the meeting; work well with the Chairperson; ensure quorum is met for meetings; and have knowledge or experience of committee procedures.

  

Top Qualities of a Good Secretary 

1. Confidentiality and Privilege

Confidentiality is the main quality expected of a good secretary. During the course a secretary’s work, the secretary will undoubtedly manage a wide range of information that is private and privileged to the employer and the employer’s clientele. Your boss needs to be able to trust that the work he gives you is treated and carried out with the utmost confidence, as without this trust your boss will lose confidence in you, no matter how fantastic your typing skills are. It takes years of experience working as a secretary with each employer to be able to distinguish what is confidential and what is not, and in fact you can never really be sure of this. Even something which appears to you to be inconsequential and common knowledge may not in fact be so, the divulging of which could create a catastrophe with dastardly results, not only to your employer and your employer’s business but also to yourself. Therefore treat all material as confidential and in the strictest confidence. 

From personal experience, I have come across extremely efficient secretaries who are very eager to please and be helpful that they go the extra mile. I recall one occasion in particular where a secretary takes a phone call for her boss. The caller asked for some information from a client’s file which the secretary eagerly provided to the caller, thinking she was saving the boss some time. Needless to say, this resulted in dire consequences. So don’t try to be “too helpful” in a situation like this as whether or not a caller is known to you or not, you do not have your boss’s experience to judge what information can be released and to whom. It is all good and well to want to go the extra mile for your boss, but this should be ‘offered’ to your boss, and not just ‘assume’ that it is warranted. 

Also, you will have heard the saying that ‘curiosity killed the cat’. It is human nature to be curious, and being curious is not a bad thing. But as a secretary there is a fine line between just being curious and being so exuberant that you want to tell everybody about it, either inside the office or outside. Don’t. Don’t even reveal anything you handle for your employer with your nearest and dearest, and this also applies to your boss’ movements and personal life, no matter how very interesting it is to you or how excited you are about it.  

2. Honesty and Integrity

Honesty and Integrity go hand in hand. You cannot be honest if you have no personal integrity, and a person that is not honest has no integrity. Everyone thinks they are honest in the broad sense of the word, however taking even a paperclip or a postage stamp from the office without official permission is really stealing. Even if you think your employer can afford it and will not miss it, it is the employer that has paid for it and not you, so it is their property and not yours. Likewise, making personal phone calls and having personal phone or mobile phone conversations or text messaging on your employer’s premises during the hours that you are paid to work, is theft of the employer’s time. 

3. Professionalism

A good secretary presents herself and behaves in a professional manner with a good attitude. There are many books that tell you how to "dress for success" and control your body language, but keeping on top of your personal traits is only part of the story in managing your professional image. There is no way around the fact that people judge you by your personal appearance, so a well groomed look will show that you care about yourself as a person and therefore have the capacity to care about others. A little attention to how you look goes a long way to display your professionalism.   People are constantly observing your behaviour and forming theories about your competence, character, and commitment, so present and conduct yourself in a respectable manner appropriate to the organisation that you serve and show a willingness to help other professionals.  

4. Knowledge and Skills

In the Desiderata it says, “Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. And this is never more important now than ever before, as the times they are achanging – and ferociously rapidly too in this day and age. So, continue to accumulate knowledge and obtain new skills, especially in technology, as this can improve the quality of your work, and believe you me, exercising your brain will also help you stay young, and prepare you for any ‘greener pastures” in your future such as a promotion, advancing your career or even a change in career path. 

5. A Sense of Humour

Developing a sense of humour is important in work life. You do not need to be a clown but a sense of humour can help you deal with criticism and with difficult people, and to gracefully handle mistakes without snapping people's heads off when things get stressful. It is professional to be able to take criticism lightly to deflate personal attacks. 

A survey found that of 737 CEOs surveyed, 98 percent preferred job candidates with a sense of humour to those without. Another survey indicated that 84 percent of the executives thought that employees with a sense of humour do a better job than people with little or no sense of humour.

 A study discovered that people who have fun on the job are more creative, More productive, better decision-makers, and get along better with co-workers, and also had fewer absentee, late, and sick days than people who weren't having fun. Working together as a team can also be fun and productive. However, fun and humour in the workplace must be appropriate in nature, and not be offensive to the ordinary or reasonable person, but encourage people to see the absurdity of a situation and also be a useful tool to help people lighten up and not take things so seriously and, properly used, can effectively reduce the intensity of conflicts or even avert them. Other Qualities of a Great Secretary

1.     Organized and detail oriented.

2.     Puts the boss's and company's "best foot forward" since he/she will most likely come in contact with clients before the boss does.

1.     Always answers the phone and greets visitors with a smile on his/ her face and in his/her voice.

2.     Have up-to-date skills and the ability to learn new skills and procedures with ease.

3.     Knows when to keep his/her mouth shut and when not to. Doesn't quibble over the small stuff.

4.     Listens well and presents solutions rather than dwell on problems.

5.     Presents a professional appearance and attitude at all times. Doesn't bring personal problems to work.

6.     Follows through quickly and efficiently with all tasks.

7.     Terrific spelling and grammar skills, and knows how to interpret the boss's hieroglyphics!

8.     Remembers the pressures the boss is under and doesn't bother the boss with every little problem  

Do's and Don'ts of a secretary

A good Secretary will NOT, Ignore correspondence.  Keep copies of all correspondence. Keep information to her/him. Check quorum is met for meetings. Be late for meetings. Respect confidentiality. Throw away important papers. Work closely with the Chairperson. Write down trivial details of all discussions at every meeting. Make it easy for others to take over by keeping clear records. Rely on his/her memory. Prepare for meetings well in advance, Repeat private conversations. Summarise discussions effectively, Organise meetings at the last minute. Keep people informed, ensure accurate minutes of meetings are kept.

 

REFERENCES

Harrison John 1979. Secretarial Duties. London: Pitman Publishing Limited. Lauria Morrie 1972. How to be a Good Secretary. London: Pitman Publishing Limited. Onifade Adewale 2004. Management: Office Business Education. Abeokuta:  KAPPCO Professionalism in secretarial ethics < http://www.secretarialsite.com/secretarialethics.htm> (Retrieved December 5, 2008) Secretary – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.  <http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/secretary> (Retrieved March 4, 2008) Secretary Training.