AdminSecret

Does anyone feel like they are constantly making minor or major mistakes? I'm always doing a lot and I find that I'm always forgetting something, the subject line in a email or an attachment, the fact that apparently I should have known we were out of paper. My boss then makes me resend or redo the task and then gives me a lecture about why that task was important. She told me to priotize and that I don't have to take on more than I can handle but that really backfires. Every time I've talked to her about something, I've ended up doing the task anyway and having to deal with interoffice drama. No thanks.

I received a talking to about answering the phone in a timely manner. The thing is that I'm working with a lot of departments and I often have to go to their offices to help them. This is further exasperated by the fact that no one in the office has anything beyond basic computer skills and I often have to go and help them figure out how to send an email or why their screen suddenly went black (they had turned the computer off).

So now I feel kind of chained to my desk and I'm starting to feel awful that I can't get this basic admin stuff. I do marketing and a lot of software stuff for the company but I can't seem to remember to follow up with my boss about every task she sends me or to double check her calendar every day.

Am I crazy? I'm honestly starting to resent things here. Which is insane because I like my coworkers and this company.

My suggestion would be to slow down a bit and double check everything before it leaves your hands. I tend to work quickly and like to beat my deadlines. But I have made mistakes because I did ot double check or proofread my work. During my last review that was the only complaint that I need to improve on my proofreading. Trust me I have learned it takes less time to slow down and double check then it does to have it come back from someone with a mistake that I made and should have caught.

Good luck I knwo it is frustrating.

Mandy

I started a new job 6 weeks ago, and after building myself up at my interview, I feel I goof up something everyday and wonder if they think they hired an unexperienced idiot.  I think the previous post was right - I am so worried about making a mistake, and rush to get things done, that I trip up now and then.  But truth be told I bet everybody, even your boss, feels the same way.  You only get experience from learning from your mistakes.

I am finding it helpful to constantly keep a "to do" list  and I set alarms for myself in Outlook with reminders.  Even if a new task is so easy I write out a step by step instruction.  I look back on it whenever I perform the task to make sure I didn't leave out any steps.  If you leave your desk to help someone else out just help fix the problem and don't spend time chatting with them.  This way you will get a reputation for being "professional".  If they can come to your desk for help even better.

We all make mistakes, but we should learn from them.  The original poster sounds like they are making mistakes because they have too much to do or perhaps are a little out of control and need to step back and take time to organize their workstation and prioritize their workload.

I love checklists and to-do lists.  You will avoid mistakes if you have a checklist and go through it to make sure you are doing everything that you need to do in a particular situation.  For instance, my boss travels a lot and I have a checklist of things I need to do each time he travels.  I would never remember all the little details if I didn't have it written down.  On my checklist for his travel I have things like the following:

Date of trip:

Reason for trip:

Travel arrangements (Air/train/car):

Hotel required:

Purchase Order number:

Passport/Visa required?

Etc.

To-do lists are great when you are planning something and need to follow certain steps.  It is a good way to think through what you need to do for a project.

For instance, I am planning a Board meeting and need to follow certain steps so my to-do list would be something like this:

Function:  Board meeting, July 25, 2009

TASK                                                                                  DUE DATE                                     STATUS

Send out email notice of meeting.                               June 5, 2009                                  DONE

Book hotel boardroom                                                   June 8, 2009

Book a/v equipment                                                        June 8, 2009

Prepare agenda                                                              June 15, 2009

Prepare meeting package                                            July 10, 2009

Courier meeting package to board members          July 19, 2009

Etc.

Another way to avoid mistakes is getting in the habit of asking yourself questions to double check your work.  Am I sending to the right person?  If I say there is an attachment, have I attached it?  Read the email over before pressing Send to proofread what you have written for spelling and grammar.  It may seem extra work in your already busy day, but take the time and it will pay off in the end and it will become second nature over time.

I wrote an article in my blog that might be helpful:

http://secretaryhelpline.blogspot.com/2008/07/mistakes-we-all-make-...