Admin Chronicles

What Are Open Source Programs?

As an office manager, you must stay on top of technology trends. By being generally aware of what’s going on, technologically speaking, I’ve made my life at work (and overall, now that I think of it) much easier.

One of the newer technological trends is open source programs. Open source programs are software applications created by a community of developers and producers rather than a single commercial entity.

Open source programs have an advantage over other programs in that they allow creators to have a variety of agendas, priorities and approaches. This, in turn, makes the software much more functional and diverse than other types of programs.

Open source programs are also available free of charge, because the source code for the program is “open” – released to the public for anyone to help develop and improve.

Many businesses refuse to use open source programs, though. Open source programs don’t have formal support and training options. They’re susceptible to rapid change. They don’t have a long-term development path, so you can’t be sure what the particular program will be like in a year.

Why does this matter to you? A good number of open source programs can help increase your productivity and make your job easier. We’ll look at a few of these next time.

The best open source programs for administrative professionals

We've discussed open source programs, what they are, how they come about and why they are useful.

Today, I want to give you a list of some of my favorite open source programs. I’ve found each to be useful in my job as an executive assistant.

PDF Creator

This open source program allows you to create a PDF file from any other program. Once installed, it creates a “printer” choice that “prints” your file (such as a Word document) to PDF format. You can download PDF Creator here.

Open Office

While many companies use a commercial product like Microsoft Office, not all do. Open Office is an open-source suite of products that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and other software. Open Office is compatible with other office suites, too. You can download it from OpenOffice.org.

GIMP

While most companies provide an office suite to their employees, fewer provide image-editing software to employees. That’s where GIMP comes in. GIMP allows you to do most of the same tasks that you could do using Adobe Photoshop. Find it at the GIMP website.

If you’d like to find more open source programs that can be helpful to your job, check out this article from Kim Komando at USA Today.

When NOT to Hit SEND (Part 2 of 2)

In my last article, I offered four of the most common e-mail mistakes that you will encounter as an executive assistant. Today, I want to look at e-mail communication from another angle: e-mail etiquette.

Radio personality Kim Komando offers an excellent list of common e-mail mistakes. At the top of her list?: “Failing to follow e-mail etiquette.”

Indeed, your ability to follow the rules of etiquette in any form of communication is essential to your role as an administrative assistant.

Here are some important aspects of e-mail etiquette you should always follow whenever possible:

1. Avoid using emoticons and abbreviations. “LOL” is perfectly acceptable when you’re in a chat room or e-mailing your friends. At work, it is extremely unprofessional.
2. Always include a greeting, closing and signature in your e-mails. While an e-mail isn’t as formal as traditional business letter, the same basic structure applies.
3. Avoid using company e-mail for personal messages. Every e-mail you send from work can be monitored. Don’t put anything in an e-mail you wouldn’t read aloud to your entire company (or at least to your employer). Have your friends and family use your personal e-mail address for all correspondence, jokes, photos and other personal back-and-forth.
4. Be thorough but concise. Keep your e-mails short. A few paragraphs with just a few sentences per paragraph are ideal, as many people skim e-mail and miss more in-depth information. Use the telephone or a meeting to cover that sort of information.

When NOT to Hit SEND (Part 1 of 2)

As an administrative professional, your communication reflects directly on your manager and your company. To maintain a professional image for both you and your company, you must master the art of e-mail communication.

One of the best ways I’ve found to improve my own e-mail communication is to understand the most common mistakes - and then avoid them.

Here are some of the most frequent mistakes I’ve seen over the years:

1. Failure to include a subject line or choosing an irrelevant subject line. Poor subject lines make it harder for recipients to find e-mails after the fact. Choose subject lines that contain keywords, important terms, locations, companies, and/or times.
2. Forgetting to check the spelling and grammar. While e-mail is a less formal means of communication, you should still strive to maintain the highest degree of grammatical and spelling accuracy as possible.
3. Completing the “To” field first. This leads to more e-mails sent by accident than any other mistake. Don’t address the e-mail until you've completed your text and proofed it.
4. Assuming tone. In text, your words don’t carry your tone of voice the way that spoken conversation can. As such, you must make certain the tone of your e-mail is clear and concise.

Next time, we’ll take a look at the etiquette of e-mail communication.

Dealing With A Difficult Boss (Part 2 of 2)

Believe it or not, it’s possible to thrive while working with a difficult boss.

Make no mistake, though; it’s not easy. As an executive assistant, you’re expected to work directly with your employer. Perhaps more than any other position, you have more than your share of contact with that individual.

Still, you can get on top of the situation. Here are some tips to help you survive and thrive with a difficult boss:

1. Discuss problems with your employer. Don’t be confrontational or defensive. Approach the situation as though you’re asking for help and advice.
2. Be professional. Even if you don’t like your employer, you have to treat him professionally. It may well help you get along better with the person, and it will certainly help you when it's time to move to another position or workplace.
3. Perform your best. Make sure your boss doesn’t have a legitimate excuse to criticize your performance.
4. Get support. If other employees have the same concerns you have, they can help give you power to persuade your supervisor to look at his or her behavior and change it.
5. Document everything. Keep a record of every demeaning comment or unreasonable request your manager makes. There is a difference between someone who is not your friend (which your boss should not be) and someone who is offensive to a fault.
6. Have a backup plan. One of the risks in trying to thrive with a difficult boss is that she likely won’t like that you want to change the situation. Be ready in case your position is at risk.

For more ways to deal with a difficult boss or other difficult people, check out “Dealing with Difficult People” at Psychology Today.

Dealing With A Difficult Boss (Part 1 of 2)

Let’s face it; we’ve all had our share of difficult bosses. I learned early on in my career that as much as my employer chooses me for the job, I should be choosing my employer for the job as well.

As an executive assistant, I work intensely and directly with my employer, so I must select a boss who is easy to work with. Sometimes, though, the situation doesn’t work out that way. Sometimes, you have to find ways just to survive.

One of the most important things you can do is recognize, first, that you can’t change your manager. He or she may just be a difficult person. That’s just part of personality, and you’re not going to change it.

Instead, change the way you view behavior. Don’t view her as difficult; view her as your boss, nothing more or less. Avoid derogatory labels, and you’ll find you become less stressed and angry at your boss.

Leave emotion at the door as much as you can! You also need to learn how to react to harsh criticism or verbal abuse. Never react with emotion. This only leads to a battle of wills, which your boss is likely to win.

Whether he’s a control freak, an intimidator or just has a huge ego, react with calm and never be defensive. Reply with a simple, “Thank you for sharing that. I’m sorry.” If his actions violate a company policy, make sure to report them to your HR department.

Next time, we’ll take a look at a number of positive ways you can survive and even thrive while working with a difficult boss.