The week of April 23rd through April 27th is the time of year to stop and say, “Thank you” to all the men and women who bend over backwards every day to meet your needs at the office. They file insurance claims, balance your books and maybe even fetch your coffee. They are the glue that holds the office together. They are … your administrative professional.
The Administrative Professional
The job has been around for as long as there have been offices and people needed to make them run. In the US, the need for people to fill this position increased dramatically during WWII. In order to help attract even more individuals to the field and also to recognize the contributions to the economy of those who already performed the job, the National Secretaries Association was formed. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries International in 1981 and finally to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) in 1998.
The first National Secretaries week was formed in 1952 with the Wednesday of that week being known as National Secretaries Day. The titles eventually changed to Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day and are now known as Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day.
Celebrate with Flowers
Is there a better way to celebrate this week of thanks for some of your hardest workers than with a beautiful floral arrangement? Okay, maybe they’d say a raise first but then, definitely, flowers. Who wouldn’t want to come into the office every day this week to a new arrangement placed on the side of their desk with a card thanking them for their hard work?
And if you’re looking for a special gift for Administrative Professionals Day, a plant is also a great idea. They clean the air and give any work space a splash of nature.
Don’t be afraid to let the people who work so hard for you every day know how important they are to the business and to the success of your job. That’s why this day was created after all. But when you say it, make sure you say it with flowers!
