Written by our Founder and CEO, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
Today marks the start of Administrative Professionals Week, a seven-day celebration of, well, administrative professionals. At offices, factories, and other places of business, these employees will hopefully be showered with cards, chocolates, and flowers.
But who exactly are “administrative professionals”?
It’s a question that’s asked a lot these days because the name, to be honest, isn’t very clear. Every job involves some degree of administrative and professional work. Everyone is greeting visitors, answering phones, and writing memos. These days, admin professionals coordinate projects, build and deliver presentations, engage customers, and provide tech support, among many other jobs.
In other words, admin professionals are the ones who make work work, often without any fanfare or a flashy title. This week is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes and the critical role they play in our businesses. Let’s show them our appreciation!
Lobbying for a name change
Is it time to change the name of Administrative Professionals Week? Such a move isn’t without precedent. In fact, the occasion originated in the early 1950s, when U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer proclaimed the first week of June to be the first National Secretaries Week.
In 1981, the name changed to “Professional Secretaries Week.” And, by 2000, the name changed again, this time to “Administrative Professionals Week.” It was meant to reflect the changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of the administrative workforce.
It’s again time to rethink that name. In last year’s Celebrations Pulse, I asked community members to share their ideas, which ranged from “National Support Professionals Week” to “Office Superstars Week.” One community member tossed up her hands and suggested we just return to “Secretaries Week”!
The benefits of showing appreciation
Regardless of the name of an occasion or titles, our relationships in the office deserve celebration. On average, we spend a third of our life – 90,000 hours – at work. It’s more time than we spend with our friends or families, experts say.
Earning a paycheck is great, but our time at work isn’t just about that. It’s also about building connections and friendships that enrich our lives. Like tending to a garden, cultivating friendships at the office requires work to improve communication and provide mutual support. And that includes celebrating successes together, offering a helping hand during challenging times, and creating a positive and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated.
Bosses also should take note: Employees who have friends at work tend to be happier, more creative, and better team players. Friend-filled offices also feature higher employee engagement and retention, and better customer service outcomes.
Administrative Professionals Week – or whatever you want to call it – presents an opportunity for all of us to express our appreciation to the unsung heroes of the workplace. Do your part and use your power with a thoughtful handwritten note, email, text, or phone call.
Let’s leverage our ability to positively impact our coworkers’ lives and go out of our way this week to show our appreciation to all those who keep us happy, together, and moving in the right direction.
All the best,
Jim
