31 Days: Thanks

It’s a simple little word, “thanks.”

It’s not said enough in our society – often due to simply being busy, sometimes because it’s routine things that seem so routine that they defy appreciation, and sometimes because the person who should have said it doesn’t care to do so.

It’s become so rare in some circles that when a thank you is said, it’s noticed – strongly.  It’s also something that can make an absolute hellish day a lot better, just by being acknowledged as having done something to contribute.

Today, despite being one of those hellishly overworked, oh-my-god-what-else-can-get-thrown-at-me days, my manager stopped by my cubicle on her way running out of the office to thank me and my coworker who sits next door.

A simple thank you, but it really does make a difference in the day, and in my case, makes me feel like I actually am part of the team.

As my long-time readers know, I’ve worked in administrative assistant positions for a long time… two decades now.  I’ve seen quite a bit and experienced all types of managers and coworkers.  One thing tends to be pretty common among them – the admin is the one least appreciated, and usually kept away from everything else going on within a team, unless you have a good manager.  Good managers and good coworkers understand that administrative assistants are part of the team, and often an integral part of a team.

The junk of office work tends to roll downhill onto the admin.  That’s just the nature of the role.  I’ll grumble a bit, but I get it… it comes with the territory. Roll up the sleeves, get to work, get it done with as little audible grumbling as possible. When someone, like my manager today, stops and actually thanks me for getting it done?

No problem.  Bring on the junk work.

A little appreciation does go a long way, especially for those of us who tend to work in the background to make others look good.  🙂

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This post is part of my annual participation in the Write 31 Days Challenge. This year I am joining a group of writers on a Five Minute Free Write journey throughout the month.