A tip for workplace Execs: Listen to your secretaries

By Caroline Fox

My mom always taught me to make friends with secretaries. When I went to college, her advice was to make friends with all of the secretaries in any important administrative office: the Bursar’s office, the Office of the President, the campus police department, etc. She also believes in making friends with food service workers, janitors, maintenance workers, customer service reps—but secretaries are her favorite.

Why? Because secretaries hold the key to the organization. They have the inside scoop; they make valuable observations, and can provide information aggregated from all other aspects of an organization. They are usually located in a central location where they can connect the outside world to the world inside of the organization. They know everything about everyone, and can usually make extremely accurate judgments about anyone who walks through the organization’s door. If you offend the secretary, watch out—you might be sitting and waiting in the lobby for a long, long time.


So what does this have to do with leadership?

Leaders need to act more like secretaries. They need to be able to stay in-touch with the overall attitude and culture of the organization. They need to be in the middle of things, fully aware of any successes or issues that may occur involving the organization. They should be able to sense internal unrest or agitation, or should be the first to know if there is a problem with shipments, technology, clients, etc. Instead of a collective huddle of fear when something goes wrong, employees should be able to notify their superiors without anxiety. This means leaders should not be locked away in a private office with a closed door; this disconnects them from the culture they lead. Instead, they should be present in the day-to-day activities of their workplace so they can monitor the internal culture of their organization. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh believes in this theory so much that he does not have an office or suite; instead, he works from a cubicle with his employees.

Leaders should be able to make accurate observations about people and situations involving their organization. My friend worked in an office where the secretary (a saucy individual) could analyze a person from their walk, introduction, and reaction to being told to “Wait a moment” for their appointment. She would also “overhear” their cell phone conversations and interactions with others. The secretary would then give mini-synopses to her superiors to give them a better idea of what they were dealing with. Leaders should be able to make the same observations. When a client enters the office or when a potential new hire arrives, the leader should be able to judge the best way to address and assess the person. They should take a moment to just observe—body language can portray a lot about a person and their intentions. Then, they should listen to the visitor’s tone, concerns, questions, statements, and any other remarks. Consciously listening will provide valuable information that might have been overlooked otherwise.

If you are a leader in an organization and haven’t talked to your secretary lately, maybe its time you should start to cultivate a trusting relationship. Observe what they do and how they handle different people and situations. Ask about the way a potential new hire treated them. Inquire about what he or she has heard about your employees’ feelings on the new lunch policy or the loss of an important client. Believe me, they will know. These multitaskers are clearly an invaluable resource to determining the current state of your organization’s culture, and can be powerful allies and sources of information. So remember: Secretary’s Day is the Wednesday of the last full week of April every year. Don’t mess that one up.