Becoming a Competent Secretary

In the mid-70s, perhaps, the alluring profession for smart and sensible people was secretarial job. Becoming a secretary was as simple and quick if at all you carried a university degree, knew the swiftest art of stenography, learnt how to hammer keys on the manual typewriter at a whopping speed besides being familiar with good grammatical rules to sketch meaningful and concise letters.

I know, one of my uncles, who after attaining bachelor degree in arts, took up a short course in stenography and typewriting. As an opportunity paved in, he moved to one of the Gulf countries, and since more than three decades he cherishes the one and only post of Personal Secretary.

I remember my good, old colleague who was working as a secretary. He wasn’t that techno-savvy, but, in truth, he was a tactical secretary, with more of traditional skills and wise anecdotes. He knew when to pacify others and when to dictate others in order to get things done. His oft-quoted saying was ‘Listen to all, but do what you are supposed to do’.

He used to maintain a diary to record key contacts, tentative appointments, and things-to-do. Although he was familiar working on a PC, but occasionally, he was more convenient tip tapping on a Remington typewriter. Above all, he held sharp ears and quick response with ‘Yes Boss’ attitude whenever his boss summoned him for some trivial or urgent task.

Like the old saying ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’, a secretary has to be talented and vigilant on all fronts. I remember a person who performed tasks across diverse platforms. He was like a juggler, and with good commanding voice, he used to make things happen. Very often, he was like a chief coordinator among a cluster of all departments’ secretaries.

Obviously, the role of a secretary depends on the size and type of a company. At some workplaces, secretaries are more like gatekeepers, who handle telephone calls, greet visitors with cheery manners and mediate with their bosses when people want to meet them. Fortunately, they do little correspondence or filing tasks.

Presumably, secretaries who cherish their profession know how to cast their career pathways. Being all-rounders, they know how to shift and adapt to newer roles, when given management responsibilities, they readily accept it, when they’re tasked with personal errands, they deny not, they speak up when required and remain mum for the sake of confidentiality, they know when to be rigid and taciturn and when to be cordial and elaborative. With more competencies, they know how to surf sites and extract information, and at times, they are like star performers representing for their chiefs at key meetings.

It’s sometimes hectic and burdening schedules for secretaries who need to answer their phones or log on to their laptops anytime and anywhere. It’s absurd to see with Bluetooth headsets clipped in to one’s ear’s exterior part or headphones with dangling chord and be alert all the times to receive and make calls. Even while driving a car, it’s needed to answer mobile call. After all, it’s a part of a life where you’ve to be a multi-tasker when you become the right hand of your boss. 

At times, besides managing significant duties, you have to orchestrate events and delegate tasks within the deadlines, plan travel schedules, lead others tactfully and take reliable decisions, with your exceptional abilities and acumen.

Now-a-days, no one masters the art of writing in shorthand. With the advent of supportive technological and digital devices, it’s far simpler to record voice and then transcribe on a personal computer. Sometimes, it matters how well you perceive from lengthy dialogues and discussions and take terse notes to prepare a report on special project or present meaningful minutes of a meeting.

When there’s work overload, there can be no way to escape from it. In such case, it makes sense how you manage your work in stages and take interim breaks to erase off your frustration without any objections. Instead practice patience, focus on your tasks and keep doing things, with truthfulness, confidence and honesty. 
In chaotic conditions, reciprocate to refined signals and act in accordance to the temperament of your superiors.

With all the caliber and capabilities, undoubtedly, secretaries are tactical problem solvers, interpreters with clear communications, overseers to get things organized, envoys to endorse others’ endeavors, events and travel experts, observer of human traits and tendencies and little emissaries who keep their corporate culture connected.

Yet, it’s ironic that secretaries are sometimes dishonored, and their job status like a fixed lamppost, with no upwards and major promotion that can alter their job titles except changes in grade or minor adjustments in pay scales based on seniority.