Admin Support vs The Boss (Why can't we all just get along?)

Administrative Personnel in Design Firms

Office workers who provide administrative support to the professional design staff are in a precarious position.

One of the unfortunate traps many fall into is the slowly creeping transition from being supportive to being indignant. Why does this transformation happen and can it be avoided?

For this we must look at each of the opposing views.

Here’s what the boss is thinking about the Admin Staff:

1. Don’t give me that hurt-puppy look when I point out an error you have made. You said you wanted feedback and now that I’m giving it to you, you can’t take it.

2. Spare me the heavy sighs and the body language that screams indignation when I ask you to run more copies. I have a job to do and so do you, so just do it.

3. You know I have a meeting every Tuesday morning. Why do I have to ask you every week to reserve a conference room and make some coffee for us?

4. If you spent more time filing/typing/copying and less time on the phone/internet/email/text messaging, you’d get a lot more work done.

5. Where were you? I needed you and couldn’t find you anywhere. What? A trip to Starbucks???



Here’s what the Admin Staff is thinking about the boss:

1. Don’t refer to me as “overhead”. Instead of uniting us, it puts us at odds with each other. If you want me to be on your team, call me your co-worker.

2. Be careful with the banter and the “kidding”. After a while, it feels like you are making fun of me and the work I do for you. It doesn’t make me want to be more helpful.

3. Don’t limit my work to just grunt work and take all the glory work for yourself. It limits me on what I can learn plus the other managers in the firm never find out what kind of work I do. When you take those jobs for yourself and present them in a way where you get all the credit and I get none, I feel betrayed.

4. Clearly define what you expect from me. I’m not a mind reader. If I know you have organized a meeting for 60 people but you never tell me you need help with the prep work, don’t expect the chairs, projector, coffee and whiteboard to magically appear.

5. Don’t take credit for my work. I’m the one who stayed late when you had to leave for your soccer game. I’m the one who covered for you when you arrived late. I’m the one that anticipated what you needed. And even if all I did was the typing and formatting for the report, I did that work too and I want credit for it.

6. Stop reminding me that it's cheaper for the company for me to do the work than it is for you to do the work. I realize you are in a higher position of authority and have specialized skills. I actually do understand the profit side and why it makes sense for me to do the copying for you. I don't need the constant reminder that you make more money than me. I'm reminded of that every time I see your vehicle in the parking lot.


Notice what is missing from both sides? Respect. It may have been there in the beginning but it’s gone now. This situation can be resolved but it will take at least three things:

1. cooperation from both sides
2. both individuals must be able to listen to and accept criticism from the other
3. both individuals must recognize their areas of weakness and take responsibility for their actions

This resolution can be initiated by either party. The first step is to tell the other one how you feel and that you want things to change.