Working for Multiple Bosses

by Alex A. Kecskes

In the old days, administrative assistants only had to support a single boss. Today, with cutbacks and shrinking corporate budgets, many assistants serve multiple executives, departments, or entire staffs of small businesses. Serving multiple masters can be trying and fraught with headaches. Some tips on how to cope:

Know Your Bosses and their Business. Educate yourself on the goals of each boss and department. Be familiar with their business sector and bottom-line needs. Learn the personalities and management styles of those you serve. Listen and observe their habits and inquire about preferences when first starting out.

Ask Your Bosses to Prioritize. Create Job Hot Sheets for each boss or department and ask each boss or department head to prioritize their jobs—from hottest to coolest. This not only reduces conflicts but provides a handy overview (and record) of the time you need to spend on each boss or manager's project.

Put Conflicts in Bosses' Court. Every boss or department thinks their job is the most important. When conflicts seem irreconcilable, detail the conflicts and let the bosses determine the order and priority.

Chill. Don't panic when bosses get too demanding or tasks seem insurmountable. Develop and keep a sense of humor.

Stay Late. It's surprising what you can do with just an extra half hour after quitting time. Phones stop ringing, people leave the office, and there are fewer people interruptions—all contribute to a "get it done" atmosphere. If bosses, see that you're the last one out the door, they may lighten your load a bit.

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