A manager came out of her office with some papers in her hand and walked over to her assistant's desk. "Do you have some Scotch tape?" Without a word, the assistant extended a hand that held a piece of already cut tape. After a moment of shocked surprise, the manager said, "Wow! I knew you were good, but this is ridiculous!" There's an explanation for this seemingly telepathic exchange, of course; the assistant also was in the middle of a taping project at the time the manager approached But this (actual)

incident reflected a relationship that was almost mutually clairvoyant, one in which both "partners" worked as a team.! To be successful, a manager/ assistant partnership requires a lot of planning, hard work, and practice. It also takes a manager who is willing to share information and responsibility and an assistant willing to demonstrate a real concern for the necessary work process. Most of all, it requires mutual respect, understanding, cooperation, and effective

We're definitely on the side of delegation, but even the most dedicated assistant has to draw a line somewhere. Some assistants we've observed, however, seemed to feel that going to work was an experience similar to going to the dentist. Managers often are so unclear on there concept of manager/assistant relationships that they defeat the entire purpose of having an assistant. Conversely, Some assistants have no real idea of how they should be fulfilling their roles of support providers.

First perhaps, we should define our terms. Since every situation is different and each job description differs by definition and in reality from others, we use the word "assistant" in a general sense. An assistant could very well be a secretary or an administrative aide. In large corporations, an assistant to a top executive could have one or more assistants or secretaries of his or her own. And a "manager" could be in charge of a small section in a small business or the CEO of a multinational organization.: For this discussion, we refer to a general assistant (GA)-an individual whose primary responsibility is to provide support to a generic manager (GM) for the purpose of improving work flow, efficiency, and productivity. The GM is an individual who has direct reports and is responsible for planning projects at help to achieve the goals of the organization. We'll start with the GA/GM working relationship in general, moving on to The Flip Side for specifics of how the work process should function.

Not every manager knows how to manage. Some never learn; some become true leaders. The most essential characteristics of a good GM are the ability to communicate clearly and to have a true respect for the capabilities and sensibilities of co-workers. These traits are innate in some, which makes the path to management easier for them. For those not so naturally inclined, it is possible to acquire such capabilities-yet it's a continual improvement process. No GM/GA interaction can be truly successful without these-and other-important managerial qualities.

The role of a GA when performed correctly almost defies description. "Minesweeper" comes to mind because one of the most important functions a GA can serve is to remove obstacles from the path of the GM before they become a threat. A GA must sweep the waters at all times, but also needs to maintain all the ship's functions when the waters are calm. As with managers, not everyone is cut out to be an assistant. A good GA needs tact, flexibility, unflappability; dedication, and the assertiveness needed to apply pressure, when necessary, to get things done.