by Helen Monument – Interim Chair WA-Alliance
Networks have become my lifeline for the past few months. Not being able to get out and meet up with my tribe was a challenge at the beginning of lock-down, but I quickly came to appreciate the value of connecting on line to like-minded people. It’s how I have been catching up with my professional contacts, getting training, meeting new people and keeping up to date with what’s going on in the Administrative profession. I have joined new networks and formed new connections and relationships with some amazing people I otherwise wouldn’t have come across in a face-to-face world.
One thing I noticed is that the same people often pop up in different networks, which I love, as it gives me the chance to get to know them better, and to have very diverse conversations with them.
Today’s Administrative Professionals realise the value of an open professional attitude. They appreciate that when we help someone else, we are helping ourselves. Knowledge and information have become the currency of an effective network and are there to be freely shared.
The important aspect of all these networks and connections is that they are not in competition with each other. In our virtual world, we are much more ready and able to blur the lines between our networks in order to expand them. Sadly, that’s not always the case in the face-to-face environment.
In my long career, I have come across high level administrative professionals who clung to the thought that ‘knowledge is power’ and if they kept their expertise and skills to themselves, they would somehow become the ‘Queen Bee’ of the office. They were afraid that if they shared their knowledge with colleagues and peers, then someone else could threaten their position.
Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
Dalai Lama
Sharing your knowledge and skills with others will benefit your organization or business. Increasing the competencies of your fellow administrative professionals shows that you are collaborative, unselfish and fully engaged to give your executives the support they badly need.
The Queen Bees out there can become role models for less experienced peers, leading the way and showing by example what excellence means. By teaching others and sharing knowledge, we also learn.
The same applies to our Administrative community across the globe. Some countries have several associations or networks and some have none at all. The important thing to remember is that we are all in this together. We find the tribe that suits us best, for whatever reason we decide. We’re attracted to the network or association that speaks to us personally and we make a commitment as a member, but that does not mean shutting ourselves off from other peer groups in our country. Associations should never be in competition with each other and the WA-Alliance is in the business of bringing people together. I am sure that most associations mission and vision statements include the words ‘professional’ ‘development’ and ‘learning’. So let’s be part of that rising tide that lifts all our boats. Reach out to other associations and networks in your country and work together on the common themes that bind us together. The World Administrators Alliance aims to create a global community of administrative professionals, associations and networks to come together to guide, influence, positively develop and elevate the profession. Let’s do this together.