April 22 is Administrative Professionals' Day! While toasting colleagues is tough right now given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to show hard-working administrators just how much you appreciate them. Below are 5 ideas for thanking the administrative professionals in your life creatively and safely.
1. Throw a surprise party: Invite your team to a “meeting” that’s actually a surprise party for your admins. Low-tech games like charades, Pictionary, and trivia quizzes not only work well virtually or physically distanced, but are also easy to tailor to your administrators. Their favorite snacks and TV shows, their signature email greeting and hometown sports team—all are fair game for weaving into your party activities!
2. Send a local treat to their door: Does your admin tend to order the same sandwich for lunch from the deli around the corner? Or is there a bakery in your town that’s known for making out-of-this-world doughnuts? Then treat your administrators to a special food delivery. As the pandemic has continued, many small businesses have begun offering contact-free delivery, so it’s worth checking even if they didn’t in the past.
3. Level up their workspace: Whether your administrators have mainly worked on-site or at home this past year, chances are their office equipment could use a tune-up. Consider gifting them an ergonomic chair or keyboard, or even one of the many affordable standing desk converters on the market. Check out this New York Times article on essential ergonomic office gear for more ideas.
4. Give them a break—for real: It’s been a challenging year for all of us, and that likely goes double for your administrators. Offer them a free day or half-day off to enjoy some much-needed downtime. Encourage them to really step away—no peeking at that email inbox! But don’t stop there: let your other team members know your administrators aren’t to be disturbed during their time off unless absolutely necessary, and stick to it.
5. Create a highlights reel: Give your admins the star treatment with a celebratory slideshow. Include pictures from around the office, and ask team members to contribute brief notes (or video clips!) of their well wishes. If they’re stuck for ideas, here are some prompts to get them started:
Show Your Appreciation
What are your plans for celebrating the administrative professionals in your life? Will you toast their efforts in person or online? Let us know in the comments!
And to make your school administrative professional’s life easier all year long, look no further than jmc. With its robust functionality and intuitive interface, jmc software helps school admins save time, eliminate outdated processes and streamline workflows. Sign up today for a no-obligation demo.
