Seceratary's Day - How important is it?

I know of a secretary who started seeking new employment after her boss failed to acknowledge the celebrations of Secretary's Day.
She says, "One year he completely forgot, the next year he promised to do lunch and I waited all day. Then, one Secretary's Day, he brought me the most disgusting bunch of flowers which he had bought at the Superette down the road from the office. The flowers were drooping and the leaves were brown. I felt terribly demeaned when he gave it to me. I thought, "Is this what he thinks of me?" And this after I had bought my boss gifts for Christmas every year, and organised Bosses Day lunches and gifts. After the rotting flowers incident, I decided to resign. The same day I started contacting employment agencies and handed in my resignation three weeks later."

The question I was left with was, "How important is Secretary's Day, really?"

Do you have a comment or story regarding?

Do you think that Secretary's Day is simply a commercialised fad?
Or is it a day on which to recognise the efforts of hardworking assistants?

I would like to hear your views.

Please e-mail me at: officeshana@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you! :-)

Shana

A CUTE Year-End Event | Part 2 of 2

This is the second part of the ‘CUTE’ article. Part one was published on 12 September 2008.

Unusual
The year end function is usually the highlight of the year at the office. I try to make the event memorable and enjoyable for everyone, and I do this by making it a little unusual. The best way to do this is to work with a theme. The theme can range from anything – from formal to funny. I once organised a belly-dancer for an “Arabian Nights” themed party where everyone came in fancy-dress to suit the occasion. All food served matched the theme as did the décor on the tables. Unusual? Check. Fun? Check. Memorable? Double check! :-)

Thoughtful
When arranging the year end function, I try my utmost to be as thoughtful as possible. I always enquire who will require a shuttle or cab home, and I arrange these beforehand. That way they can indulge in as much champagne without worrying about driving.
I make a point of asking those who are attending if they (or their partners) have any special dietary requirements and I arrange with the venue to cater accordingly.
I once attended a function where the only beverages available were alcoholic ones - no soft drinks or juices, only liquor and water. I drank water the entire evening, as did the manager’s pregnant wife who was sitting next to me.
Being thoughtful is extremely important when arranging a successful event.

Extraordinary
When I arrange the year end function, I try to think of ways to make it extraordinary. I ask myself, “what will my colleagues enjoy?” and “what will make this occasion successful?” “how can I make it extraordinary” “how can I improve on last year’s function”
I also ask my colleagues what they would like, what suggestions they have and I let them know that their input is welcome and highly valued. By listening to my colleagues and taking note of what it is that they want, I find that I am able to arrange a year end function that everyone will enjoy.

Good luck with planning your year end function, may it be very

C - U - T - E ! :-)

A CUTE Year-End Event | Part 1 of 2

This is the first of the two-part 'CUTE' article. Enjoy!

I enjoy planning a year-end function that is CUTE...

It’s that time of the year again – time to plan the company’s year end function.
Each year, I plan at least 4 functions, but the year end function is always my favourite. I get to be creative and I have loads of fun planning everything. Budgets and RSVP’s aside, it’s the planning and run-up to the ‘big event’ that I most enjoy working on. When approaching the planning of the year end function, I try to make the function CUTE:

C - Creative
U - Unusual
T - Thoughtful
E – Extraordinary

(This need not apply to only the year end function, I use it on lots of projects where I need to use a little flair.)

Creative
I try to be creative with the invitations, décor, and everything else that can possibly benefit from a little creative injection.
One year, I put the printed event invites into a glass bottle filled with sand and pebbles and closed it with a beaded cork. The function was to take place near a river, and so the invite presentation suited well with the theme.

Look out for Part 2 of this series, to follow on 19 September 2008

Happy Secretary's Day 2008

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