That's not my job!

I have noticed in my role as an assistant that I can be called upon to do a lot of things. Our job is not just one thing, but many different tasks and it changes every day. If a conference comes up and they are looking for someone to do the registration, we can step in and do that or we can organize it from start to finish.

If someone is needed at the Reception Desk to greet guests and take calls, we can easily step in. What about brainstorming to see what organizational tools would work best in the office? Who better than the admins to come up with something that works.

Sometimes scheduling meetings can be a headache with no end in sight trying to get all the parties together. Give the task to an assistant and we will work with everyone involved and not only set up the meeting date and time, but book the boardroom, photocopy and distribute the meeting materials and arrange the flight and hotel if necessary.

If your job changes, adapt to the new challenges. Be open to it as it not only makes the job more interesting, but more importantly, it makes you more valuable.

We are fortunate that our roles are so versatile and in these times of lay offs, that is a good thing. Someone who says, "That's not my job!" will not go far as we need to be available to fill in the gap wherever we can.