Tips for Administrative Professionals: How to Work Independently
These tips can help administrative professionals and others adapt and thrive when working independently.
Administrative professionals are vital in any workplace, and being the backbone of an operation affords them rare opportunities to work alone. It can be challenging for some employees to work without supervision, but the best administrative professionals can manage their own tasks without constant guidance. If you struggle to work effectively without direct supervision or hands-on management, you’re not alone. Many professionals must adjust to an independent work schedule, especially when they start working from home. These tips can help administrative professionals and others adapt and thrive when working independently.
Administrative Professionals Must Be Organized and Proactive — Especially When Working Independently
Many administrative professionals are accustomed to being reactive; they perform tasks when their team members ask, structuring their workflow around what others need. While this works in some situations, working with a hands-off team means that administrative professionals must control their own schedules and assignments. It can be easy to rely on others to keep you on task, but effective employees are able to manage their own workload and priorities without needing outside guidance.
Take Initiative and Reach Out to Your Team
Teams working remotely may incur an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. Although some companies encourage socially-distanced interaction and digital communication, it is easy for many professionals to not communicate with their coworkers for long periods. When working without direct supervision, administrative professionals should regularly engage management and other coworkers to offer assistance and seek clarification or guidance. Maintaining open lines of communication is an excellent way to stay involved while working independently. However, employees should avoid adding to their management team’s stress unnecessarily. Solve problems on your own when you can, but do not be afraid to reach out if necessary.
Trust (or Build Upon) Your Critical Thinking Skills
One of the essential qualities of capable administrative professionals is their ability to think critically and make reasonable decisions. This is particularly vital when working without constant supervision. Administrative professionals must be able to make rational choices without prompting or advice. While critical thinking skills can be honed, common sense is a quality that is invaluable, difficult to teach, and often taken for granted. Creative and quick problem-solving skills are essential in the workplace, and their absence is often much more noticeable than their presence. If you are working independently for the first time, trust yourself to use and strengthen your critical thinking skills. By proving that you can make good decisions without hand-holding, you can cement your position as an integral and valued part of your team.
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