What is in a Name?

I remember growing up that being a “secretary” was a little known job. Most people look at the secretary as “That Gal Friday”. The one person that helps maintain the operation of the office as well as the executive personnel that holds the position.  They would be the person who answers phones, check mail, make copies, create filing systems, establish the executive calendars and the list goes on.  I thought at my young age that this would be a good stable job to go into. However, as time progresses that job description and name changed with the growing technology trends and times.

Now we don’t look at a secretary as having a wonderful job, but it is looked at as mundane work.  Most secretaries are so much more now. As the growing needs of the office operations has changed, so has the responsibilities of a “secretary”.  We now are perceived as Executive Assistants, Administrative Assistants and/or even an Executive Administrative Assistant. Executive officers are demanding more from their secretaries, thus you see the name change. They are demanding more of their time, skills and abilities to meet up with their growing needs.

Therefore, as the name change to Executive Administrative; it is used more often as a job name with a growing description.  I recently looked up this word and come to find out that, there is not a definition that pertains to Executive Administrative as a whole word.  You literally have to break the word down into two separate definitions and then piece it together to understand it. However, if you look up “Executive Secretary, ” you find its definition as a complete word. Interesting, isn’t it?

So I decide to do the breakdown and guess what? I have come to find out that I am a “person who furnish benefits that when allocated with authority, will deliver results according to the authority that is given to them.” I bet you are wondering; where in the world did you get that from?

Okay, let’s do the breakdown…

The word administration is derived from the word “administer” which means to furnish a benefit; to manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of; to manage affairs.

Origin of Administer: Middle English administren, from Anglo-French administrer, from Latin administrare, from ad- + ministrare to serve, from minister servant

The word executive is designed for or relating to the execution or carrying into effect; directing or controlling officer of an organization; one that exercises administrative or managerial control.

So let’s go back to my phrase “a person (administrative) who furnish benefits that when allocated with authority (executive), will deliver results according to the authority that is given to them.”  When I operate as an Executive Administrative, I function in the capacity of the need of the organization according to my job responsibilities.  I make sure that I know the organization's vision/mission statement so that I can be able to administer my abilities; skills and time towards making these statements come to pass. My executive (upper management) depends upon me to serve in the capacity of these skills to help furnish them with the benefits of my hands.

Question: How do you relate to your job name and description? Do you truly understand the benefits of your skills, abilities and time towards helping your organization function properly?