As the nature of work continues to evolve, so do the needs of employees and employers. With changes coming at in warp speed, it’s important to have your arsenal of skills at the ready. In addition to hard skills (specific tasks and processes and the use of tools, equipment, and software), soft skills (behavior skills and interactions with others), there is the overlooked category of administration skills.
Most of us often think about administrative skills as something specific to an administrative assistant or an office manager, but these skills are critical to everyone. A recent article from The Muse pointed out that administrative skills are the foundational tasks that keep a business running, something no company can do without.
The administrative skills of writing/responding to emails, scheduling meetings, project management and maintaining supplies within the office are critical to getting work done and ensuring your contribution to the overall success of the organization.
The most common administrative skills include communication, organization, time-management, technical and problem-solving skills.
Communication Skills
These varied skills are applicable in verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual forms for internal and external communication. You might use communication skills when cold calling, taking notes, writing, and editing documents, emailing and in persuasive exchanges.
Organizational Skills
Good organization of your mental and physical spaces can help you make the most of your resources. This might manifest in the way you organize your calendar and your day, project management and creating efficiencies for filing, travel, meetings, and events.
Time-Management Skills
There are limited hours in every day, so it’s important to make the most of each hour and every day. Time management can include setting deadlines, delegating tasks, planning, scheduling, and estimating the time needed to spend on a specific task.
Technical Skills
Tech skills involve the ability to use a variety of tools to accomplish specific tasks. These often require the use of computers, software, and video conferencing tools. Tech skills could include anything from typing and printing to using scheduling and accounting software, Google Suite and Microsoft (Office) 365.
Problem-Solving Skills
This past year has been one example after another of needing to be adaptable and think on your feet. Problem solving skills requiring attention to detail, brainstorming, conflict resolution, research, curiosity, and prioritization will always be needed and highly sought after.
