Virtual PA... How did I ever manage without one? |
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Page 1 of 2  download article Once upon a time, every successful manager had a Personal Assistant, so it seemed to me. Back in the 1990s, when I worked for IBM, managers had an air of calm effectiveness about them – making important decisions, achieving goals and spending time with their staff – without breaking sweat. Nowadays, we all seem to be rushing around doing a-million-and-one things, and I’m not sure how much is achieved as a result. So, what’s changed? Sticking with the IBM story... By my recollection, the workplace started to change in the recession of the early ‘90s. IBM made the biggest corporate loss in history and started shedding staff for the first time. All of a sudden cherished PAs were replaced by Secretarial Groups providing support to 4-5 Managers. This was a big deal at the time, and it turned out to be the thin end of the wedge. Self-Sufficiency Rules, Okay?Now, with only a part-available Secretary, the effective manager couldn’t rely on getting the same service. He had to learn how to do many things that his secretary once did. Technology enabled that – and being an IBMer, there was no excuse not to get stuck-in – and the more you relied on yourself the less you relied on your Secretary.In the consultancy side of the business, we were full-on self-sufficient and working “in the field” meant we had to be – it wasdo or die. We even encouraged clients to follow our example, after all, this was modern management at work. There was a common belief that this was “more efficient”, but in reality the manager had less time for decision-making, achieving goals and tending to staff because they were doing more admin... is this ringing any bells yet? So, as time moved on, we became used to our new world. We prided ourselves on being self-sufficient, showed off our new found IT skills and believed we were part of a “new breed of effective professionals and managers”. We worked extra hard and put in long hours - the family inevitably suffered – but we soldiered-on, because there was light at the end of the tunnel... or so we thought. As it turned out, there was just more toil. We blamed the lack of time on technology – no quiet time, always available, too many interruptions. We went on time management courses to get a grip, learn how to cope with “information overload – the new skill for the Millennium – but the simple fact was, we just needed help. I see many small business owners running the same race today. They have the technology, the laptop and Blackberry, trying to do it all themselves. But, they just need some help too. |