Secretary

Title: Secretary (WORD version ) (Customer diagram)

Industry: Utilities

Function: Administration

Value-Added Results Performance Standards

Typed documents • 4–10 times/month document comes back for changes due to secretary error.
• No more than 2–5 times/month document not completed within agreed-upon deadline.

• Supervisor surveys typing customers and hears that they received:

• Typed material with no typos, no incorrect data, correct page formatting and few or no grammatical errors.

• Documents within the agreed-upon deadlines.

• Exceeds = Supervisor says that edited copy was improved by the Secretary. Document’s usefulness as a communication tool was enhanced by secretary-initiated formatting, bolding, indenting, etc., of key information.

Drafted notes, memos and letters and routine requests for information • Supervisor says that the drafted/composed documents can be sent with only minor changes.
• Exceeds = Drafts and composed documents are produced with few or no up-front instructions and can be sent with only minor or no changes. Routine requests are handled correctly without any supervisor involvement.

Prepared reports
• Monthly Visa

• Quarterly board reports

• Annual budget

• Weekly calendar
• Budget submitted by due date.
• 1 time/month weekly calendar not prepared and distributed prior to Wed. of week.

• Boss okays budget numbers by due date.

• Visa processed on time.

Copies and faxes • No complaints concerning timeliness of photocopying.
• Fax sent before end of day (or sooner if required).

Sorted, prioritized, logged, routed and referred mail • Supervisor is satisfied that important mail is highlighted and mail is correctly grouped by importance.
• Exceeds = Supervisor never receives mail that could have been handled by someone else.

• Processed follow-up file • No more than 1 incident/month where follow-up is not received on time.
• No more than 3-5 times/month mail is not processed immediately after each mail delivery.

Travel arrangements and itineraries • Supervisor surveys travelers and judges the following:
• Arrangements match what was requested (seating, tickets, etc.).

• Reservations exist for hotels, cars, etc.

• Itineraries are complete.

• Expense reports are completed and audited.

Meetings ready to run
• Prepared materials

• Scheduled conference rooms

• Arranged refreshments

• Obtained equipment
• Participants say everything was available for the meeting.
• Meetings run smoothly without the participants having to leave the meeting to solve problems.

• Supervisor says that:

• Meetings were set up in a timely manner, considering the availability and necessity of participants.

• Participants received the necessary background material for the meeting in a timely manner.

• A meeting room, audio-visual (AV) equipment and refreshments were provided as requested (and canceled, if the meeting was canceled).

• Exceeds = Meeting materials and arrangements were provided with no supervision.

Up-to-date calendar • Supervisor says:
• The Secretary can locate managers/staff when needed.

• All meetings are logged with minimal supervisor involvement.

• No meetings were missed by the supervisor because they weren’t on the calendar.

• Calendar is always up-to-date.

• Critical meetings are highlighted.

• Necessary information for the meeting is obtained from others.

• Meeting schedulers say the supervisor is available for meetings.

Screened phone calls • Supervisor surveys callers and hears that:
• Secretary gives the caller what was asked for instead of just taking a message.

• Secretary is helpful and courteous in handling the calls.

• Phone is always answered within three rings and is never left unattended within the department’s definition of "business hours."

• Supervisor receives few calls/messages that someone else could have handled.

• Supervisor surveys recipients of messages and hears that detailed messages are always received promptly, including date, name, phone number of caller and reason for call.

• Exceeds = Callers receive more useful information than they asked for and were offered alternatives for satisfying their requests.

Presentation materials • Supervisor satisfied that:
• No typos in materials.

• Appearance is good (handout copies are clean, tabs are correct and neat, overheads or slides have consistent design).

• Supervisor instructions were required only at the start of the job.

• Exceeds = Secretary selects appropriate format and collects data as needed without supervisor involvement.

Responses to e-mail and voice mail messages • Supervisor surveys customers and hears that messages are responded to promptly and correct information is provided.
• Exceeds = Customers receive more useful information than they asked for and were offered alternatives for satisfying their requests.

Completed and signed payroll ; • Payroll department has sheets by 10:30 a.m. on required day.

Arranged conference calls • Participants have not missed any calls because they were not notified.

Organized files • No more than 2–5 times/month someone goes to the files and can’t find what they’re looking for.
• Supervisor surveys file customers who say that they can find what they’re looking for and that the file index is up-to-date.

• Supervisor is satisfied that the Secretary can retrieve information quickly from the files.

• Supervisor is satisfied that only necessary information is in the department files (other information is in Stored Records, other departments’ files, or is discarded).

• Every 10–14 months files are cleaned out and critical information is sent to Stored Records. Stored Records files are cleaned out and only critical information is kept.

• Stored Records journal is up-to-date and accurate.

• Accurate tickler file • No more than 1–2 times/quarter that some follow-up item "falls through the cracks."

Completed special projects • To be agreed upon when project is assigned.

Department supplies • Users of supplies say that the supplies are:
• Available when needed (except for last-minute large orders).

• Arranged in an orderly manner and easy to find.

Up-to-date spreadsheets and databases
• Entered data

• Printed reports

• Spreadsheet and database designs
• 5–10 entry errors/year.
• Users satisfied that the spreadsheet or database does what they want it to do.

• Exceeds = Secretary suggests spreadsheet/database applications to department employees before they are requested and employees use the suggested spreadsheet/database.

Backup support
• Desk reference manual updates

• Organized workstation

• Trained backup person

• Supervisor satisfied with backup secretarial support.

• Backup Secretary familiar with your job responsibilities and where things are located.

Comfortable visitors • Supervisor satisfied with what the visitor says about how the Secretary handled them.
• Supervisor surveys a sample of visitors and is satisfied that the visitors were greeted in a timely and courteous manner and requests for help were satisfied.

• Exceeds = Many visitors offer unsolicited compliments to the supervisor on the secretary’s helpfulness.

Answers to customer questions and requests
• Product information

• Product literature

• Pricing information

• Answers to questions
• No more than 2–4 justified complaints/year from customers.
• Supervisor surveys customers and hears that:

• They received what they asked for, even when the request changed.

• They were helped immediately and were not referred to someone else unnecessarily. The Secretary then followed up with the customers to make sure their customers’ requests were satisfied.

• If a referral was necessary, customers were introduced to the appropriate person and not just directed there; and the request was communicated to the appropriate person by the Secretary.

• No complaints of poor service were received.

• Exceeds = Customers received more than they asked for and were offered viable alternatives for satisfying their requests.

Co-workers informed of information they need to know • Supervisor surveys co-workers and hears that the secretary:
• Communicates up, down and across to keep them informed of the departmental/company information that they need to conduct their work.

• Recognizes sensitive information and maintains confidentiality.

• Exceeds = Secretary correctly decides with minimal supervision who needs to receive which information and how the information should be distributed (e.g. ,hand-carries critical information).

Customer Diagram: Secretary

Value-Added Results	Performance Standards
Typed documents	• 4–10 times/month document comes back for changes due to secretary error. • No more than 2–5 times/month document not completed within agreed-upon deadline. • Supervisor surveys typing customers and hears that they received: • Typed material with no typos, no incorrect data, correct page formatting and few or no grammatical errors. • Documents within the agreed-upon deadlines. • Exceeds = Supervisor says that edited copy was improved by the Secretary. Document’s usefulness as a communication tool was enhanced by secretary-initiated formatting, bolding, indenting, etc., of key information.
Drafted notes, memos and letters and routine requests for information	• Supervisor says that the drafted/composed documents can be sent with only minor changes. • Exceeds = Drafts and composed documents are produced with few or no up-front instructions and can be sent with only minor or no changes. Routine requests are handled correctly without any supervisor involvement.
Prepared reports • Monthly Visa • Quarterly board reports • Annual budget • Weekly calendar	• Budget submitted by due date. • 1 time/month weekly calendar not prepared and distributed prior to Wed. of week. • Boss okays budget numbers by due date. • Visa processed on time.
Copies and faxes	• No complaints concerning timeliness of photocopying. • Fax sent before end of day (or sooner if required).
Sorted, prioritized, logged, routed and referred mail	• Supervisor is satisfied that important mail is highlighted and mail is correctly grouped by importance. • Exceeds = Supervisor never receives mail that could have been handled by someone else.
• Processed follow-up file	• No more than 1 incident/month where follow-up is not received on time. • No more than 3-5 times/month mail is not processed immediately after each mail delivery.
Travel arrangements and itineraries	• Supervisor surveys travelers and judges the following: • Arrangements match what was requested (seating, tickets, etc.). • Reservations exist for hotels, cars, etc. • Itineraries are complete. • Expense reports are completed and audited.
Meetings ready to run • Prepared materials • Scheduled conference rooms • Arranged refreshments • Obtained equipment	• Participants say everything was available for the meeting. • Meetings run smoothly without the participants having to leave the meeting to solve problems. • Supervisor says that: • Meetings were set up in a timely manner, considering the availability and necessity of participants. • Participants received the necessary background material for the meeting in a timely manner. • A meeting room, audio-visual (AV) equipment and refreshments were provided as requested (and canceled, if the meeting was canceled). • Exceeds = Meeting materials and arrangements were provided with no supervision.
Up-to-date calendar	• Supervisor says: • The Secretary can locate managers/staff when needed. • All meetings are logged with minimal supervisor involvement. • No meetings were missed by the supervisor because they weren’t on the calendar. • Calendar is always up-to-date. • Critical meetings are highlighted. • Necessary information for the meeting is obtained from others. • Meeting schedulers say the supervisor is available for meetings.
Screened phone calls	• Supervisor surveys callers and hears that: • Secretary gives the caller what was asked for instead of just taking a message. • Secretary is helpful and courteous in handling the calls. • Phone is always answered within three rings and is never left unattended within the department’s definition of "business hours." • Supervisor receives few calls/messages that someone else could have handled. • Supervisor surveys recipients of messages and hears that detailed messages are always received promptly, including date, name, phone number of caller and reason for call. • Exceeds = Callers receive more useful information than they asked for and were offered alternatives for satisfying their requests.
Presentation materials	• Supervisor satisfied that: • No typos in materials. • Appearance is good (handout copies are clean, tabs are correct and neat, overheads or slides have consistent design). • Supervisor instructions were required only at the start of the job. • Exceeds = Secretary selects appropriate format and collects data as needed without supervisor involvement.
Responses to e-mail and voice mail messages	• Supervisor surveys customers and hears that messages are responded to promptly and correct information is provided. • Exceeds = Customers receive more useful information than they asked for and were offered alternatives for satisfying their requests.
Completed and signed payroll ;	• Payroll department has sheets by 10:30 a.m. on required day.
Arranged conference calls	• Participants have not missed any calls because they were not notified.
Organized files	• No more than 2–5 times/month someone goes to the files and can’t find what they’re looking for. • Supervisor surveys file customers who say that they can find what they’re looking for and that the file index is up-to-date. • Supervisor is satisfied that the Secretary can retrieve information quickly from the files. • Supervisor is satisfied that only necessary information is in the department files (other information is in Stored Records, other departments’ files, or is discarded). • Every 10–14 months files are cleaned out and critical information is sent to Stored Records. Stored Records files are cleaned out and only critical information is kept. • Stored Records journal is up-to-date and accurate.
• Accurate tickler file	• No more than 1–2 times/quarter that some follow-up item "falls through the cracks."
Completed special projects	• To be agreed upon when project is assigned.
Department supplies	• Users of supplies say that the supplies are: • Available when needed (except for last-minute large orders). • Arranged in an orderly manner and easy to find.
Up-to-date spreadsheets and databases • Entered data • Printed reports • Spreadsheet and database designs	• 5–10 entry errors/year. • Users satisfied that the spreadsheet or database does what they want it to do. • Exceeds = Secretary suggests spreadsheet/database applications to department employees before they are requested and employees use the suggested spreadsheet/database.
Backup support • Desk reference manual updates • Organized workstation • Trained backup person	• Supervisor satisfied with backup secretarial support. • Backup Secretary familiar with your job responsibilities and where things are located.
Comfortable visitors	• Supervisor satisfied with what the visitor says about how the Secretary handled them. • Supervisor surveys a sample of visitors and is satisfied that the visitors were greeted in a timely and courteous manner and requests for help were satisfied. • Exceeds = Many visitors offer unsolicited compliments to the supervisor on the secretary’s helpfulness.
Answers to customer questions and requests • Product information • Product literature • Pricing information • Answers to questions	• No more than 2–4 justified complaints/year from customers. • Supervisor surveys customers and hears that: • They received what they asked for, even when the request changed. • They were helped immediately and were not referred to someone else unnecessarily. The Secretary then followed up with the customers to make sure their customers’ requests were satisfied. • If a referral was necessary, customers were introduced to the appropriate person and not just directed there; and the request was communicated to the appropriate person by the Secretary. • No complaints of poor service were received. • Exceeds = Customers received more than they asked for and were offered viable alternatives for satisfying their requests.
Co-workers informed of information they need to know	• Supervisor surveys co-workers and hears that the secretary: • Communicates up, down and across to keep them informed of the departmental/company information that they need to conduct their work. • Recognizes sensitive information and maintains confidentiality. • Exceeds = Secretary correctly decides with minimal supervision who needs to receive which information and how the information should be distributed (e.g. ,hand-carries critical information).