Posted by : Parminder Chhatwal, Emmanuel Murray How Caspian Admin works behind the scenes to deliver excellence
FROM THE BACK OF THE ROOM…
With remote and hybrid teams becoming part of the new normal, the role of support staff has become more crucial than before. At most companies, administrative professionals have been supporting various teams, tackling new challenges and exhibiting grace under pressure while helping employees stay connected, engaged and productive during the pandemic. We would like to thank and honour all Admin Professionals for their good work through a story about one such behind the scenes professional here at Caspian.
I am Hari. I joined Caspian 15 years back as an office errands boy. Here I have learnt all the skills required to be a good and reliable admin support and have risen to the position of the receptionist. You may not know me, but I know you, as I work to make your relationship with Caspian smooth and seamless. All your communication is directed through me – whether it is physical mail, phone call, an enquiry or email. I have been updating my knowledge of what my company does, what is the progress of my company, etc, so that when I receive calls/emails I am aware of its context and relevance. Since I handle the reception, I am your first point of contact. And it is my duty to ensure that Caspian’s friendly yet professional culture is portrayed.
Everyone at Caspian shares the mission and vision of the company, which is highlighted through their conduct, starting from our receptionist. Over the years here at Caspian, I have imbibed most of my work place values. Sharing a few of the important behavioural skills that I have learnt on the job.
1. Adaptability – Everybody in the world thinks that they can control change. In these COVID times, where “Work from Home” is the new norm, our team, like admin teams in various organizations, has quickly adapted to doing work differently to ensure continuity. Our team has been at office, to ensure that couriers are not missed, phone calls received, important documents filed correctly, periodic maintenance of machinery being conducted, etc. We adapted to this change cheerfully as we own our work, and understand the importance of front-line workers.
2. Inclusiveness – For us admins, all employees are equal and we support each and every one of them, irrespective of their positions. Our admin team at Caspian includes outsourced employees such as the Security guard, and the housekeeping staff. During the pandemic, despite the risk, our security guard and housekeeping staff have been constantly at the fore-front, going to office and ensuring that office is well guarded; the couriers are not missed; the office is cleaned, etc. During complete lockdown also, Caspian has ensured through the vendor companies that outsourced staff receive their full pay. Inclusivity is deeply embedded in our company culture and the outsourced staff is part of all our celebrations as well.
3. Courteousness – Asking for help often doesn’t come easily to people. When anyone approaches us for something, being polite, friendly and yet professional is key to achieving credibility and their trust. By being courteous, we build confidence in them that no task is trivial for us and we shall do our best to deliver.
4. Positive attitude – Whether it be a simple printing or filing of documents, or receiving guests – our task is to deliver without hiccups or fault. The famous quote, “The answer is Yes. What is your question?” is the attitude that is reflected in the output of tasks assigned to us.
5. Resilience – For the admin, “who did the task, who caused an issue” are things that don’t matter. The word “Blame” doesn’t exist for us. What needs to be done to sort things out is all that is required. Our resilience helps us take everyday workplace challenges in our stride. And to this end, we approach management for a problem with possible solutions in hand.
6. Own our job (Accountability) – Like anyone else, we do make mistakes. But we have the confidence to promptly admit them and apologize, find ways to fix them, and make note of why the lapse occurred to ensure about them not recurring.
We make our own systems for task completion with the confidence that the management would support and not be averse to our processes. It helps that Caspian is open to listening to each employee at their level. This is possible in organizations where there is autonomy, and I’m proud to say that Caspian provides ample opportunity for the same. Given this freedom, we admins at Caspian ensure our process will facilitate work, not hinder it. And we consistently follow-through for work completion.
We are persistent, we are diligent, and we love the sweet taste of success, however small the task or the outcome. You are not required to know us – as my team and I provide support from behind the scenes so that the work is smooth and your relationship with Caspian is strengthened.
How is the Admin role in your organisation? We think many of our clients have very hardworking administrative teams who are going the extra mile during the pandemic. We would love to talk to them so that we can learn from each other.