Are You an Irreplaceable Administrative Professional?

By Karen Porter

The Administrative Professional
Job Performance and Career Success Coach
Assisting Administrative Support Professionals Since 2004

Some administrative professionals get offended when a coworker implies that anyone can do their job...that all admins are replaceable.

But do you know where the "truth" is in that thought?

It's in the individual admin's training and professional development. Each administrative professional, even if in the same role, IS different in that respect. Unfortunately, some administrative professionals flaunt the fact that they don't need training and development because they "learn on the job"---like that's an honor badge they're earning.

But the truth is that "learning on the job" is equivalent to that slang phrase we call "winging it."

And winging it implies you're doing something without training or preparation.

• Would you hire a florist or baker for your child's wedding who was winging it?

• Would you go to a doctor or dentist if you thought they were winging it?

• Would you allow a lawyer to represent you in court if you thought she was winging it? An accountant to do your taxes?

• Would you hire a painter to paint the interior of your home if you thought he was winging it? A carpenter to build it? Even a realtor to sell it?

• Would you allow a hair stylist to cut your hair if you thought she were winging it? A mechanic to change your oil? A butcher to slice your meat at the deli or supermarket?

• Would you respect your boss or your company officers and president if you thought they were winging it? (I don't know about you but I'd be looking for a new place of employment if I though my company officers knew diddly about running a company--because they'd soon be running it into the ground.)

So why is being an administrative professional different to some?

The truth is it's not. And that's what sets the REPLACEABLE administrative professionals apart from the IRREPLACEABLE administrative professionals. And make no mistake...the latter group is smaller than the whole...but that's the group of admins YOU want to be among.

If you've been winging it as an admin for 1, 5, 10 or so years then it's quite possibly true that you are easily replaceable. I know that sounds harsh. But it's true. If you're flying by the seat of your pants at work without preparation and training, I could come in TODAY and replace you. So your offensive coworker WOULD be correct with his or her offensive statement.

Why could I do this?

Because I know how to wing it too. It takes no training or professional development to wing it and learn on the job. I can do that. And don't give me the commonsense argument---I have as much of that as you do too. I even have a few admin jobs under my belt so I have "experience" to list on my resume.

So what would TRULY differentiate you from me?

Absolutely nothing...

...Unless one of us has more training and professional development (and that means with hard skills AND soft skills)---and FLAUNTS THAT (with tact and modesty, of course)...and APPLIES THAT, even general preparation and training, to the specific needs and projects on the job. (Yes...you can't always train to be specifically prepared to handle what comes at you daily but you can train and prepare with general skills that you then adapt to the situation.)

...Unless one of us is PREPARED to do the job, and not winging it as we go. If I can do each of your tasks better and right the first time (without winging it and learning as I go) then I do an overall BETTER job for your boss and your employer.

And he WILL notice.

I'll look confident. I'll make it look easy. I won't be stressed on the job. Everything I will do for my boss and employer will be a smooth process. He won't catch me furrowing my brows as I struggle with a new assignment. I've prepared to do this task. I've trained or gained professional development in this area. So I'm not worried. In fact, I'm enjoying my work and the new challenging assignments and scenarios on the job. I'm even enjoying working with and serving the different manager, coworker and client personalities and work styles because I've trained and prepared for that soft-skill aspect too.

And you know what else...I'll bring skills and new ideas to the table at work that you NEVER even thought of. After all, how could you without exploring any new training or professional development? If you're winging it, you're working with a "what you see is what you get" mentality and you're "working with what you have" in front of you. You can't bring in new skills and ideas to apply to your job duties because you DON'T KNOW THEY EXIST. You're working in a vacuum.

So what's next for me as "your replacement"?

Your boss is going to give me MORE challenging assignments AND do what it takes to retain me on the job too. He does NOT want to lose an IRREPLACEABLE administrative professional, at least not without putting up a fight.

Plus he's going to give me a few pats on the back...and I might even get a few "wow's" from my coworkers...for using my repertoire of skills to implement a new idea or solve a problem around the office.

So IF you want to be that person then you must learn to MASTER your CHOSEN profession through ongoing training and professional development.

You must learn to master every current or potential task, duty and scenario of your administrative profession and then some---particularly BEFORE you have to do them (not learn as you go each time).

You must QUIT advertising that you "learn as you go" on the job, quickly or not. Yes....NEVER say that aloud again at work (even when it's true).. Never say it to me. Never say it to your coworkers. Never say it to anyone---unless that's the image you want them to have: That you're not trained, prepared or skilled in your chosen profession and career and that you JUST learn as you go using a little commonsense along the way. Does that image sound irreplaceable to you?

Instead, START flaunting that you are a TRAINED PROFESSIONAL who learns, maintains, updates and implements best administrative professional practices ongoing. Don't tell your employer or your prospective employer that you can learn quickly or that you can learn anything as you go. Sure that's being flexible which is good but EVERYBODY says that these days. Nothing unique there.

Instead, say you train and improve your professional development skills year-round so that you can successfully accomplish new projects and assignments, support your boss effectively and solve challenging problems as they arise on the job or at the office. (Really...say that...tweak it and work on the flow and tone until it comes out naturally in your voice.)

Let bosses and coworkers see or know THAT  (instead of you "learn as you go" on the job) and you're creating an image that DEMANDS respect.

And MEAN what you say by doing that training and professional development year-round (even with your own funds on your own time).

• THAT will make you a more irreplaceable administrative professional---one who also is competitive in today's job market (should you decide or need to change employers ).

• THAT will make you more irreplaceable and different from the administrative professional next to you.

• THAT will shut up the coworker next to you who says you're like every other replaceable administrative professional he knows.

• And frankly, THAT will improve your image at work.

Be a trained, highly skilled administrative professional ready to take on any new administrative (and then some) tasks...who constantly refreshes and upgrades your hard skills and soft skills...and uses what you learn daily and visibly on the job. Highly skilled career administrative professionals ARE NOT born that way. Don't wait to "catch on" at work. Purposefully train and develop on a regular basis. Be prepared for any assignment or challenge that comes your way---expected or not.#