I'm crap at admin. Any advice from admin workers?

[crapatadmin]

My job was not advertised as admin, not interviewed as admin, but turns out it is admin. If I had know this I would never have applied, as I learnt decades ago that this is absolutely not my skill set and I am crap at it. I just don't have the attention and focus to administrative detail I need. No matter how hard I try, or how many times I check what I have done, I still make mistakes.

Have any skilled admin people got any advice for me?

I have no idea why the job title, advert and interview were based around a different job role and skill set, when the job is actually admin. But there we go it is. For various reasons I am not really able to move - took me years to get this job and it is higher pay and better terms and conditions than any other job I applied for, so I'm here now.

Has anyone got any tips to make me less shit at this?

What was the job advertised as? What is it you struggle with the most?
I have done every type of admin you can imagine and each one has needed different skills. The last one I did was very systematic so doing many different steps on each case, for this I made checklists for myself so no steps were missed out. The one before I had many different projects on the go, so I loosely set days and times of the weeks to work on each. I’m not a natural administrator I wouldn’t say but you can find a way to make it work. Oh and attention to detail can be learned - mine was great by the time I left!

Don't want to say what the job was advertised as but definitely not admin. I'm paid at the rate of the job title, which is well above what admin are paid at this organisation, so no idea why it wasn't advertised as that.

Its not even hard admin, its organising meetings, organising all the papers, writing minutes/ agendas etc. Passing on invites to events etc. But I just keep making mistakes, forgetting to change dates on papers, getting attachments wrong - there's always something!

Admin is often a series of process you go through. So once you have templates set up, you need a checklist that you tick off. My checklist is written in my diary for my roles at a lot of stiff I do is time sensitive. I go through my diary at the start of a time period and fill in ehst I need to do. Then I have a standing task list for things

So you might have
Room booked
Catering booked
Parking booked
Teams link sent
IT booked
Agenda dates, time, location changed on pro forma
Attatchements Added
Email sent

I'd also not actually sweat the small stuff, like no one dies if you send out an attachment late..

Thanks, I probably do need detailed lists for each process. I've developed a detailed timetabled project plan type list but I probably need more detailed lists of the tasks for all the sub tasks.

My uber manager does care about the small stuff though!

I agree that checklists are the only way to go, especially if you have a bad memory.

When you do a job, write a list of everything that needs to be done, and then use that to create templates for next time.

Have a list in excel or word if you must, if all the steps in the process and physically tick it off.

Committee papers etc are my worst nightmare and I quite like admin.

In outlook you can write a task list with reminders for dates etc. or put them in your calendar as chuck of times to "chase for papers", "final chase for papers", "circulate papers"

On your checklist - check all dates have been amended, check circulation list. And so on.

Sorry to hear your manager does care about the small stuff.

Have you thrown it back at them and said its something you need to improve could they offer training/support

Or are they likely to hold that against you.

The Notion app is good for when you need multiple lists that link to more lists. I use it as a second brain because my real one is a sieve.

As I learn to do a job I write down Guidance in a specific document for my own benefit and also for anyone who come after me, saves having to write handover notes for processes. I'm in an admin esque role now and none of the team have done my role before.

Learning to use One note for personal tasks or ToDo which links to Outlook and Planner for collaborative ones is a game changer.

From what you say about the job, it sounds as though you need to plan ahead for each element. So make yourself a working diary.

For instance, figure out how far ahead you need to book a meeting room, get agendas copied etc, then in your diary make daily "to do" lists based on that information. Build in extra time to allow for problems.

Make check lists of every action required for each element that you are responsible for, and double check everything against your check list.

Keep records of what actions you've taken, what was a success and what failed. These will show you what your weaknesses are, and how you can improve the protocols you create.

Use simple things like colour coding to help you at first. Find out if there are any courses on line that would help you.

Good luck!

In outlook you can write a task list with reminders for dates etc. or put them in your calendar as chuck of times to "chase for papers", "final chase for papers", "circulate papers

I am good at doing this. I don't really forget to do things - I just do them badly!

It sounds like checklists are the way to go - so I'll start writing these and hopefully that will sort it.

I imagine it was advertised as a governance role because that's what it sounds like. I'm a governance professional and while I now work at a senior level, I've done all of the organising meetings work (still do if needed) and it can be full on and it is important.

It's a definite skill set but you can develop it. I'm a big fan of lists. I make full use of Outlook for tracking deadlines etc. Get someone to proof things for you if you're prone to errors.

Build good relationships with colleagues because they will support you.

I could go on but I won’t bore you. Governance has given me a great career and lots of transferable skills so it's worth persevering with.

Oooh thanks - I'll look into this.

Thanks, I'll look into those things. I've actually developed a guidance thing on all the timetabling of tasks - I just think I have not gone detailed enough on having processes for simple things I thought I would not keep messing up, but do. That's what I need to work on now.

Thanks @AdaColeman This is particularly helpful

Keep records of what actions you've taken, what was a success and what failed. These will show you what your weaknesses are, and how you can improve the protocols you create

Thanks @Athena51 Its not governance. Its the same job title as others in the team, and thinking about it, I suspect what happened is this used to be a full time post, but has had the hours reduced to save money and the job has reduced to just the admin stuff, which was previously just one bit of a wider job. But no-one has ever bothered to change the the job role and grading to reflect that its really just admin now.

Sounds like governance to me. The kind of thing where it all goes well, nobody says a word, but as soon as you make a typo the micro managers jump on you

Then you're sitting in a meeting and some tosser hasn't had their papers like it's a personal afront and everybody turns and looks at you like you killed somebody.

Stressy. Been there. Feel the pain.

I am suddenly doing a load of boring admin and I am soooo bad at it but paid well so just suck it up.

My top tip is to check your diary every morning first thing so things don't catch you out.

If you want to make a difference then take short notes in meetings then turn into an action list and note who has the action - send to the team. Then turn the list into the next meeting's agenda. Can get insane amount of stuff done is no one else does this

I would hand write my checklist every morning with the date at the top and then highlight the most important any I didn't do I'd move to the following day.

I found writing the list down by hand made me recall it easier so less time to keep going back to it - if that make sense. I found if I did the list on my computer it would 'get lost' but having a notepad actually on my desk meant I could keep referring to it and make notes along side each of the 'to do' points.

That worked for me but everyone works differently and I'm sure you'll soon find the ways that work best for you.

Also a good big diary I found so useful.

Good luck!

I've broken out in to a cold sweat from just the description of your work. Despite being crap at admin i have often found myself having to do a lot of it. My big mistakes are not thinking ahead - it's too far away for me to think about so i don't bother. Also not taking the time to triple check what i'm sending out - because it's boring and i can't be arsed.

I have found making friends with people who love this sort of organisation useful - they'll be horrified at the thought of you sending out a doc in the wrong format and do it for you.

Senior people turn in to big babies at Board-type meetings and expect you to be able to control the temperature, the crappy IT, the cleanliness of the toilets, the weather, the transport system and carry around a huge supply of post-its, white boards and markers that you'd asked in advance if they needed them and they'd said no.

Thanks for the sympathy! And this really made me laugh!

I've started. Monthly desk planner with a to do section at the side and top.

I put the events on and the to do's associated with them to the side. Extra notes I put at the top.

As I do step one, I add step 2 to the column.
So draft agenda- as I check it off I add send out agenda (waiting for approval to come in).
As I send it out I add draft minutes and so on.

Also not taking the time to triple check what i'm sending out - because it's boring and i can't be arsed

@JollyJanuary This made me laugh too. There might sometimes have been some truth in this - and I am somewhat resentful as I feel a bit tricked that I now have a job I don't feel I applied or interviewed for - but even when I try very hard to triple check I still manage to get it wrong.

Checklists I think are definitely the way to go for me. SO thanks Mumsnetters for the tips. I actually feel a lot better now I have a plan. And I can tell my manager that I know I have a problem (when she has a go at me) and I've done some research and this is my plan for improving my performance. So thanks so much everyone!

My job is a huge mixed back of things but I do a lot of admin as part of it. This is what I do when I have a big meeting I need to organise, make a list. I then block out time periods in my outlook calendar for each task, well in advance of the deadlines. I make a daily to do list in the first few mins of each working day as well and keep referring back to it to tick things off throughout the day. I think you will get into ways of working that work for you with time. I also double check everything before I send large emails out with lots of attachments etc and have picked up mistakes like that so then I can remove the attachment and fix it and re-attach again etc.

Handle it once.
Say an invoice arrives, recycle the envelope immediately, process the invoice and file it. Takes less time overall than putting it on a pile on your desk where you cannot find it when you need it.

Plan Plan Plan
Allow half an hour at the end of each day to compile or add to a To Do list in order of importance for the next day/ later in the week. As tasks come in schedule them in your diary, and allocate time to do them, say you have to prep for a meeting, don't assume you can do it all in the hour before the meeting, schedule time the day(s) before to prep.