On Administrative Professionals Day

Administrative professionals day is the 4th Wednesday in April. Yesterday, to thank the administrators that keep us on track, I took Heather (The Dean’s Executive Assistant), Janie (The Assistant Director of the Graduate School) , and Richard (our Graduate Enrollment Counselor) out to lunch on behalf of theĀ School of Business.

Sometimes leadersĀ treat administrative support as insignificant or interchangeable.Ā  They see themselves as the hero and others are Ā just “the help.” But these others are theĀ indispensable supportsĀ that make themĀ look good.

By way of example, steel an alloy that is comprised of iron and carbon. Sometimes nickel and manganese are added to give it greater tensile strength. The point is that the other elements combine with iron to make it manyĀ timesĀ stronger than it could be on its own.

Steel - Wikimedia
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Steel#/media/File:Steel_wire_rope.png

Too often we get full of ourselves and think we are the sole reason for our success. We forget about the support that helped us achieve andĀ maintain that success. Perhaps it is because I am the typical absent-minded professor that I am more aware of this phenomenon. I am grateful to theĀ administrators thatĀ keep me on track. They improve my work. They are valued colleagues.

As we left for lunch yesterday, I was struck by a metaphor alert. I was taking them to lunch, but Heather held the credit card that would pay for the meal, Janie was driving (since my car has three child seats) and I did not know where we would go to eat. Did I mention that I am grateful for the administrators?

Solomon understood this principle:

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

(Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12)

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Dr. Darin Gerdes is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the School of Business at Charleston Southern University. All ideas expressed on www.daringerdes.com are his own.