A New Year...A New You

Another year is upon us, and we've had many emails from Assistants who are welcoming the fresh changes of 2011. The end of the year always brings plenty of internal 'To Do' lists and wishes for the coming year, and our professional lives are rarely any exception to showing up on that list.

Throughout the year, we've received plenty of communication from people looking for new jobs due to lay-offs, position changes and more. If your situation sounds like this, then make 2011 your time. Likely, you're already in the game, applying to positions, possibly interviewing and more. So put it in your mind that you will find the position you've been dreaming of. 

If you haven't already, make sure you get the word out to old colleagues, associates, friends and even family. You never know where a lead will come from. Obviously, if you are searching for a position while still currently working for another company, you will want to do this very carefully; but nonetheless, do not skip this step out of fear. Just be sure to choose your messengers wisely. At the end of the day, word of mouth is far too powerful a tool to not utilize.

And for those of you who are fabulously happy in your positions, congratulations! Likewise, make this year the year that you hone in on all of the skills and projects you've always dreamed of. The next twelve months hold endless possibilities: promotions, title changes, raises, bonuses and more (maybe TAL's Agency will call you to recruit you, anything is possible!). Stay positive and remember: in an office, everyone looks at the Boss's Assistant for signs of what's to come. So keep smiling, stay pulled together and reflect all that you are, and keep reminding yourselves: 2011 will be the best year yet.

And of course, be sure to come visit TAL often for laughs, tips, tricks and generally hilarious tales of Assistants just like yourself from all over the nation. 

Happy New Years and may sunshine, health, wealth, love and happiness surround you in the coming year.

The Politics of Temperature: IWT

We know it's been a while. But don't worry, we haven't left for good. In fact, we've been working on some new and wonderful ways to expand the great work we are doing here, so that we can be of assistance to more than just Assistants (did you see the pun intended there?) 

In the meantime, another blustery winter is upon us, and I have been getting countless emails (hilarious ones, might I add) about the politics of temperature in corporate America. In NYC especially, working in high rise buildings means more than a long elevator ride to work. It also likely means windows that are for show and do not open for safety reasons. Enter: the temperature wars.

Everyone has a different gage as to what temperature is comfortable for them, and furthermore, which is most optimal for working. Personally, I need cool air, specifically, an open window cracked enough so I can breathe. Often in the wintertime, I would dress in layers for the office, sometimes wearing a sleeveless blouse on a day when the outside temperature was a mere 22 degrees. But, that's because I literally couldn't stand the heat. It was stuffy and I found it made it hard for me to concentrate. Not to mention, my job as an Assistant and Manager of a rather large office meant constant running around. The depth of our office was an entire city block, so I certainly got in my workouts in heels everyday. But it also meant that I was always warmer than my colleagues, and I cannot tell a fib: I was known for cranking up the A/C in the depths of winter. GUILTY!

With some time and finesse (and countless arguments between office departments who argued over the IWT: 'Ideal Working Temperature') I figured out a way to appease all 107 employees on an (almost) daily basis. Although the A/C was in zones, certain areas of the office had access to windows while others did not. I learned that the departments that were mostly 'freezing' were those who didn't move much, like Accounting. Whereas IT, those poor souls who were constantly running around like myself, were always complaining of the Sauna-like conditions in their office. I purchased a few space heaters for Accounting, kept one window open at each end of the office, and ensured the key locks on every temperature gage in the office was secure. And what do you know? The arguments ceased.

J.CrewTemperature truly can become a political issue in an office, laugh about it if you may, but it is true. Usually it's dictated by the higher ups and how they feel. But, with some great trial and error, you (or your office manager, or whomever is in charge of the temperature dilemma) can figure out how to appease everyone. And also don't forget that you can do little things yourself, like keep a cute extra cardi or chic capelet (like the one shown to the right from J.Crew Girls) at work to warm up, or you can even get a mini fan at your desk (I used mine throughout the entire winter, of course). 

So I ask you to raise your glasses everywhere, for an end to the temperature wars in our offices. Cheers!

There's No Crying in Baseball

I heard quite a story last week, about a wonderful Executive Assistant at a publishing company in midtown. She assist(ed) the head honcho of the department, and was his go-to gal for 3 years and running. Apparently, there were some major changes going on at the company, and one of these changes resulted in said Assistant needing to take a salary cut.

Apparently, when she was called in to her boss's office and informed of this news, she broke down crying and proceeded to leave his office after the discussion and sit at her desk and...cry? Now, I know that people have all sorts of things going on in their personal lives and surely, anything could have been going on in that realm. But crying in the office for everyone to see? And making no attempt to hide it? Well, if there is one way to ensure that she wasn't going to negotiate the proposed salary cut, this was surely it.

Rather than make her case on how solid her work was, her time spent with the company and other reasonings that would showcase her worth to her boss and the company, she did the opposite. She showed them that she was not solid; that she was not strong and that she buckles under pressure. She didn't get laid off, and in this economy, that's a major plus. If they still weren't able to avoid her salary cut, she should have politely thanked them for listening and continued to do a bang-up job for her boss until she found another position that would pay her the salary she felt she deserved. 

Moral of the story? Save the tears for truly unavoidable and depressing situations, like George Clooney getting married. Otherwise, fight them back, and if you really must purge some tears, do it in the confines of your own home, and put on a tough face for your colleagues. After all, 'There's no crying in baseball!'