Involve them in decision making outside their direct areas of responsibility. Because they work with so many different people, they may be able to offer valuable insights. Have your assistant transfer to another department or supervisor to expand his or her skills. Often, one simple change can make a job more interesting. Consider moving your secretary into sales or management.
Administrative professionals are often good at juggling many things at once.
Keep your eyes open for the assistant who would be great at keeping many different clients happy. Finally, take out your calendar now and mark a date every three months when you will do something to appreciate your administrative assistant, when it will be a surprise. Few people are more valuable to keeping a company running smoothly than the secretaries who are on the front lines. Andrea Nierenberg is founder and principal of the Nierenberg Group, a business consulting firm in New York City. To read more of Andrea Nierenberg's columns, click here.