From the course: Administrative Professional Tips

Keeping the gate

From the course: Administrative Professional Tips

Keeping the gate

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- Do you feel like staying in control of your communication flow is sometimes impossible? One of the most important activities that I engage in is being the ultimate gatekeeper for our office. The main focus here is on managing the types of communication that come in and go out. This includes ascertaining people's needs, directing them to the appropriate person, and keeping my executive in the loop. Here are a few of the things that I do on a daily basis in my role as gatekeeper. First, I route numerous inquiries that come into our office. Often the individual is requesting to speak to the person in charge because they are frustrated with an answer they have received or they don't know who the right person is to talk to regarding their situation. Second, I dissect what the true issue is. The most common scenario is that they want access to my boss only. I let them know that I am her assistant and I always provide them my first name. I begin to ask a series of questions and listen intently to find out what is exactly happening. Nine times out of 10 it is not my boss the person needs to speak to. Third, it is important to gain the trust of the person who is requesting assistance. I let them know that my executive expects me to gain the key points of every situation that I handle for her. I also let them know that any information going in and out of our office is handled with sensitivity and confidentiality. Also, I do not cold transfer this type of individual to another person, ever. If there is someone outside of my office that they need to talk to, I always have that person reach out to the caller immediately and directly. I give the person a chance to calm down if they were agitated. More than likely this person has been transferred around several times before they reach my office. Next, at the conclusion of the exchange, I let them know what my next steps are. You must be a person of your word. If you agree to get back to them by a certain time, you must honor that. Whenever possible, utilize email. This allows for a paper trail of the issue and its conclusion. Oftentimes the caller asks initially to be put in touch directly with my executive. I don't allow that as an option. I avoid it because that is just one more thing to do on my executive's task list. Also, it bypasses me out of the situation and I'm not able to prioritize the issue. Lastly, I make the determination as to what to update my executive on regarding inquiries into our office. I want to ensure she is properly informed of the issues. I provide her with the person's information, the nature of their situation, how I handled it, and the current status. Depending on the issue I may provide this verbally to my executive or via paper or phone message. In either case, I always keep documentation for the files. Gatekeeping is an essential part of every administrative support professional's day if they directly support people. Knowing how to confidently assist people is a skill that will serve you well throughout your career.

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