Asking for What You Need as an Administrative Assistant

Agenda

What Is Self-Advocating and Why Is It Important?

• Capacity to State What We and Others Need
• Asking Humbly and Being Willing to Admit Mistakes
• Even Best Supervisors Can't Read Minds
• When You Don't Advocate for Yourself, You Can Lose Productivity and Engagement

Laying the Groundwork

• Identify and Overcome Fears
• Know Your Value and Why It Matters
• Self-Assess Your Needs (and Own Them)
• Do Your Research Objectively
• Put in Effort to Build Relationships
• Regularly (and Sincerely) Seek Feedback
• Develop a Strategy That Makes Sense for the Situation and Personnel Involved (Get to Know Your Boss!)
• Plan and Rehearse

Multiple Approaches to Self-Advocating

• Passive Approach - Reliance on Unknown
• Strategic
• Try Other Options First ... Don't Just Complain or Give up
• Ask Questions
• Think of Potential Solutions to Present, Rather Than Merely a List of Demands
• Science-Backed Data
• Anchoring Effect
• Rule of Reciprocity
• Opportunity Cost (Establish Cooperative Vibe)

How You Say It Is Important Too

• Be Clear and Concise
• Prepare for Objections (Supervisor Is Just Doing His/Her Due Diligence for the Good of the Whole)
• Don't Ever Use Ultimatums (Just Builds Defensiveness ... and You'd Have to Be Willing to Follow Through Once It's out There!)
• Remove Emotion
• Be Persistent (but Not Annoying)

Identifying When to Ask for Help

• When You Don't Know What You Don't Know
• When You Are Overwhelmed
• When You Have Made a Mistake
• When You Need a Collaborator
• When You Have Added Significant Value

Final Thoughts

• Laying the Groundwork - Always Be Truthful (Not Doing so Reinforces Division and Dishonesty)
• Pick Your Approach
• Plan Your Message
• Questions?

Credits

Faculty

Patricia Simpson

Game Changing Etiquette

• Owner/consultant at Game Changing Etiquette
• Has worked in higher education for over 25 years; currently Director of Academic Advising and Career Services for the School of Chemical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Has presented etiquette dinners and workshops to corporations, universities, and civic groups for over 15 years including Dow, Shoals Chamber of Commerce, First Metro Bank, Alabama JLDC, Dominican University, and University of California Riverside
• Delivered and moderated webinars for groups of 1000+ for the American Chemical Society as well as a number of other professional organizations, multishow guest on "In the Know with the Shoals" and WCIA’s "Current"
• Certified etiquette consultant through The Etiquette Institute©
• Golden Shamrock Award, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Outstanding Service Award, University of North Alabama; Rotary International Group Studies Exchange; Outstanding Placement Professional of the Year, Alabama Association of Colleges and Employers
• M.Ed. degree, Azusa Pacific University, California; B.A. degree, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
• Can be contacted at 217-722-0286, [email protected] or www.gamechangingetiquette.com