Monday, October 02, 2006

Problems, problems ...

We've all seen the Secretary's Prayer:

"Dear Lord, help me to do my work well, to have the memory of an elephant and by some miracle to be able to do five things at once - answer two telephone calls, greet a guest, find a file, all while typing a letter that "must go out today." When that letter doesn't get signed until tomorrow, please give me the strength to keep my mouth shut.

Dear Lord, never let me lose my patience, even when the boss has me searching files for hours for a report that is later discovered on his desk.

Give me the intelligence of a university professor, although my education is limited to only a diploma or a university degree lower than my boss's, and even if I have not had any formal secretarial training.

Help me to read his mind, to decipher his handwriting, and to carry out all his instructions which are often given without any explanation.

Let me always know exactly where my boss is and when he'll be back, even though he may never tell me where he is going.

And Lord, when the year ends, please give me the foresight not to throw out records that will be asked for in a couple of days, even though I was told emphatically, "destroy these - they are cluttering up the place."

At first glance this is quite funny. But there's a lot of truth in there. It really sums up what a secretary's strengths are.

What is the toughest challenge you've had to face at work?