Unlocking Your Potential as a Multi-Dimensional Assistant: Insights for Administrative Professionals

The 2023 theme for The Conference of Administrative Excellence, “The Multidimensional Assistant,” was selected to describe the many roles and responsibilities the modern-day assistant has. The administrative field is not for the faint of heart and requires many hours of dedicated time, mitigating stress, and navigating various responsibilities. Therefore, it is essential that assistants are continuously learning and investing in their professional development.

Administrative professionals, are you ready to advance your career? Embrace your versatility and become a multi-dimensional assistant by tapping into a diverse range of skills, knowledge, and abilities. Here are some tips to help you achieve success and truly live out the definition of what it means to be multi-dimensional in your career:

Continuously Learn And Grow

Keep up to date by taking classes and workshops, reading industry publications, or pursuing new experiences outside of work that develop new skills and knowledge. This can be done through online courses, conferences, networking events, or free resources. Set a dedicated time each week to devote to your continued education so you stay fresh.

Build A Strong Network

Surround yourself with colleagues, clients, and industry leaders who can support your goals and provide opportunities to learn and grow. This can be done in person or online in social groups. It’s essential that you include individuals whom you esteem and who have accomplished goals that you want to achieve. Remember, we begin to reflect the people we are around, so choose this group wisely.

Embrace New Opportunities

Don’t shy away from new challenges and take on projects or responsibilities outside of your comfort zone. In order to grow, we need to get a little uncomfortable. Sometimes, they will be scary and daunting, but it’s important to embrace this healthy stress so we can reach our full potential.

Diversify Your Professional Skillset

A mix of technical and soft skills can better equip you to handle anything that comes your way. At Office Dynamics International, we embrace both in select courses dedicated to power skills (soft skills), digital skills, and career development, all catered to the administrative profession. Knowing your goals and learning skills related to them will sharpen your mind and strengthen your career portfolio.

Stay Informed

Stay ahead of the game by keeping up with industry trends and changes, attending conferences and events, or following thought leaders on social media. Better yet, do all of the above. Joan Burge, our Founder and CEO, dedicates her time to identifying trends and accommodating her courses to keep up with these innovations. It’s imperative that we all do the same.

Seek Out New Experiences

Seek out experiences outside of work to expand your knowledge and become more multi-dimensional. We need to keep our minds and perspectives fresh. Try a new hobby, travel somewhere new, or find a place in your own town to explore. This will help alleviate stress, allowing you to feel refreshed and tackle projects again with a renewed perspective.

Take On Additional Responsibilities

Demonstrate your versatility by offering to help out a colleague, lead a project, or take on tasks outside of your normal scope of work. The key here is trial and error. If you take on too much, you may feel burnt out. If you take on too little, you may feel bored and uninspired. So, try out a new responsibility and see how you can grow! Recognize, too, that different stages of life will have busy and slower seasons. You need to adjust accordingly for what makes the most sense for you.

Learn New, Non-Professional Skills

We listed above how it’s important to diversify your professional skills and seek out new experiences to keep your mind fresh. It’s also important to advance in a skill that is not necessarily work-related. It is common for Olympic athletes to cross-train; not only does this keep their minds sharp, but it actually strengthens their primary muscles for their select sport, making them even better at their craft. It’s the same principle for administrative professionals. Plus, it’s just fun!

Collaborate With Colleagues

Work effectively with others by collaborating on projects, seeking feedback, and being open to new ideas and approaches. In fact, we work stronger together. The best-selling book The Culture Code talks about this and makes the case for working in groups rather than individually. Tap into your community’s knowledge and don’t try to take it all on yourself.

Communicate Effectively

Good communication skills are essential, and the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders is a key aspect of being multi-dimensional in the workplace. Unfortunately, good communication is becoming a dying art. Therefore, by investing in your own communication skills, you are setting yourself apart as a stand-out assistant and aiding your job security.

It’s time to put these tips into action and showcase your multi-dimensionality. Don’t be afraid to embrace new opportunities, continuously learn and grow, and step outside of your comfort zone.

And, if you’re looking to further enhance your skills, don’t miss The Conference for Administrative Excellence. This conference is the perfect opportunity to network with like-minded professionals, hear from industry leaders, and gain additional insights on how to take your multi-dimensionality to the next level.