PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

Hi all

I just took part in the Avery quiz which is linked from the UK DD front page.  Apparently, I'm a 'Fluffy Pup'!  

This was good fun!  And the description I received back seemed pretty accurate!  

All the best,
Nicola.

http://www.averyrefresh.co.uk/officeanimals/default.asp

Also a Fluffy Pup.  But this one is probably with a touch of Bloodhound and Rottweiler

woof-woof

Raindance

Thick skinned Armadillo here !!
Obviously a lot tougher than I thought

Helen

Not sure I was expecting to come out as a ..... Tortoise...

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If you're using dc please visit - potofgold.utb420.net:420

.... Tortoise .... mostly true, altho I get things done I wouldn't say I am slow about it, just precise.

G

Pup, but I am not convinced

They still haven't figured out a way to your email to my brain, use the CC field!

I'm a Long-Necked Giraffe.  I love it!!!  The description for the most part fit me to a "T."

(wonder if giraffes like peaches...)

JusPeachy

Fluffy Pup here too.  Not so sure I believe all of it though, but for the most part

Any other Gazelle's out there?

My test also came out Fluffy Pup and I feel it's pretty accurate but I'd love to read the other animal profiles.

Another Fluffy Pup!  The description does fit my personality.  Funny how those things can somethimes hit the nail on the head.

jak

I'm the tortoise... but it really didn't seem to fit me all that well.  I'll probably end up re-taking it later to see if I just didn't select some of the most fitting responses, which would skew the results.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

I believe it's just me & JusPeachy as Long-Necked Giraffes so far.  Fits me pretty much to a "T" as well!  Here is the description - I hope one person from each animal will post the description.  [Note:  I pasted this into a Word document and replaced the graphic section headers with typed words - verbatim, of course.  Also, converted from table to text...  a small bit of a process, but worth it to share, I hope.]



About the Long Necked Giraffe

You are like the Long Necked Giraffe. You use your long neck to great advantage as you have this fantastic ability to know what is going on all around you. You may find out that someone is unhappy at work and always looking for a new job or two people want the same time off work to go on holiday. This skill comes in useful because you always have solutions ready when an issue comes to a head e.g. who is the best person to do a particular job. This skill is regularly commented on by the boss and is one that will make you an ideal PA. That is if you are not one already.

When it comes to desks you have some very strong principals. This includes checking the waste paper basket each morning so you can see if the cleaners did their job properly last evening. You can’t stand working in a disorganised way and have to have a clear desk every evening so that you start off each morning, fresh and alert for the dramas of the day ahead.

How the Long Necked Giraffe can keep its nose out of trouble

The Long Necked Giraffe is a real asset to any business. Others may envy you but they don’t let this show because you ensure your halo is brightly polished and never allowed to slip. You are on hand to help when someone says “has anyone seen that file?” or “why don’t people put labels on their CDs so you don’t waste time looking for what’s on them”.

This means keeping up with new ideas in and around the office. You may find it useful to visit www.averyrefresh.co.uk because it has lots of ideas to give the office a make-over. Although you have suitable desk accessories to store everything there is one small area that can help you. That is ensuring all the files, CDs and storage systems are properly indexed throughout the office. You know this will save loads of time for both you and your colleagues.

Ideas to help the Long Necked Giraffe see themselves through a difficult working day

Long Necked Giraffes are very determined because they always want to get to the highest branch, the one at the top of the tree. They know that is where the best bits are usually found! To help you get there make sure all the office filing systems and storage boxes are properly indexed. Then next time someone says “Where is it”, your quick reply is “Section three in the blue file, third shelf down”.

Avery has two products that can help you. Firstly there is Index Maker ™; this gives you excellent quality dividers with a sheet of clear labels. These allow you to print your tab titles and apply to the dividers. They are as easy to use as other Avery labels because templates are readily available in Microsoft® Word. Secondly, Mylar dividers let you print out a table of contents. They also have multi-coloured tabs so you can colour index by subject. They are Europunched so they fit all file mechanisms.


DonnaP99

I am, did.  Kind of surprising.  I always thought I was more of a clydesdale than a gazelle, but it's pretty dead on.
:)

Potofgold - it was the tortoise that won the race!

Raindance

Here here Rain!

G

Another Thick Skinned Armadillo here.  Here's the description.


ABOUT THE THICK SKINNED ARMADILLO
You are like the Thick Skinned Armadillo. At first sight this may not be very glamorous but the good news is that your qualities are very important to the smooth running of every office. The reason is that you are so organised and efficient nobody can criticise you. If they dare to try you can roll yourself up into your desk area and any barbs or criticisms just bounce off you.

This attribute means you are a great friend but if a criticism catches you off guard and sticks, then you occasionally have an office enemy. When the colleague realises what they have done they are very quick to get on the right side of you again.


HOW THE THICK SKINNED ARMADILLO CAN USE ITS STRENGTHS AT WORK
You are a real organiser and someone that likes to work efficiently. This is not usually at top speed because you realise that when you are under a time constraint then small errors creep into your work. This is no big deal because your efficiency ensures everything is checked before it goes off and it is always right first time.

Your main gripe is that many colleagues send you work that you have to start correcting. This can become a real “niggle” as it encroaches on your time. You need to put your foot down to stop it happening. Now be careful where you put that foot and how you do it as other colleagues are not as thick skinned as you are. This means they can easily be upset. It is worth making the effort because you know you would like a little more time so you can put the finishing touches to your work.


IDEAS TO HELP THE THICK SKINNED ARMADILLO TOUGH IT OUT IN THE OFFICE
You work in a tidy environment and are well organised. If others aren’t as well prepared for work then don’t worry as it is not your problem. When it does effect you make sure you tell them because you are like Cinderella, keeping everywhere clean and tidy, eventually your boss will ensure you go to the ball as your reward, but keep a look out for midnight!

From time to time you will need to check that all files are stored, organised and labelled clearly. So make sure you visit www.averyrefresh.co.uk and check up on new products and ideas to keep your office running smoothly.

In recent months your boss is completing more design projects, proposals and other presentations on CD. This is great because they take so little storage space. However, you and your boss just write on them with a fibre tip pen. Now his writing is illegible at the best of times but on a bright, sparkling CD, is there any hope of deciphering it! And you could never send them to a client.

Never fear your fairy godmother is at hand to help you impress your colleagues. Not with your clothes or your silver slipper but with your style of CD label. Try the Avery CD labels as these are easily applied and there is a bonus. They come with a software CD that contains clip art that will let your creative side emerge. You could colour code the labels, personalise CDs by putting the client’s logo on it or create striking designs that are sure to get you noticed and complimented.








caroleanne

Oh yes - I'm one too!

http://www.averyrefresh.co.uk/officeanimals/emails/gazelle.htm



Pam
Peer Moderator

Another long necked giraffe here!!

I am a tortoise, have not read all of it, but most of it seems pretty true from what I've skim-read

Jackie, Peer Moderator
www.iqps.org

Amazing that we all seem to be from about only 3 or 4 categories .... mmmm!

G

Anyway .... I'm still a tortoise ....

You are like the Slow but Sure Tortoise. Remember it was the tortoise that won the race against the hare. You are a real Trojan in the office. You get things done and each day you can look back with a real sense of achievement. The jobs that you set out to achieve at 9am this morning have a line going through them and you have a new list of priorities written down to complete tomorrow.

Another word that describes you is meticulous. You are very careful and precise in everything you do. For example you will always use spell and grammar check before you send your work to someone else. You hate it when someone finds a mistake or typo in your work. If you have a problem you know you can ask someone else’s advice because you have helped them so many times before.

The sort of jobs you will be given are checking an important document before it goes to a client. You will pick up other people’s mistakes long before they become an issue with a client. They may appear small things to others but you realise the importance of spelling the client’s name correctly, what his wife’s name is and how many children they have. This is because you pay particular attention to these sorts of details and file them away in your brain, perhaps for a rainy day but definitely to identify a sales or business opportunity.

Did you know that 80% of office animals only skim through documents to pick up the gist of something? They miss so many key points in a letter and then the reply misses the point. This is why, when a letter arrives, you highlight the most important points for your boss so he concentrates on the main issues. You probably use different coloured highlighter pens, such as red for complaints and a yellowy gold for compliments. Then your boss can continue to skim the words but slow down when they reach some highlighted text.  

The Slow but Sure Tortoise is the person that would go the extra mile for someone, without being asked. They know they will get their reward when it comes round to an informal job chat, a more formal job appraisal or a rewarding pay review. You will never let anyone down because it is people like you that are the bed rock of any business. This is why it is nice to receive some recognition of your worth every now and again.

Occasionally you get behind with some of your work. This is usually because someone needs a special favour and asks you to look at something before it goes out. As a result you need to have some ways of catching up within work time. Visit www.averyrefresh.co.uk and look at the QuickPEEL™ labels. It has been estimated that these labels will help save up to 25% of your time on a mail shot or just doing the afternoon post. The label backing just peels away and the labels are quickly applied to your envelopes, packages and files. You will be back on track in no time at all.

Another Long Necked Giraffe here.

I am a fluffy pup as well. It was right on for me. :)

Another gazelle here

About the Graceful Gazelle

You are like a Graceful Gazelle. Someone that always knows what is going on in and out of the office, whether it is the latest gossip, where everyone is going on holiday or what happens next in the soaps. You move around the office with graceful elegance and all-seeing eyes. You can be out of the office with an amazing turn of speed, especially if your favourite client is visiting a colleague.

Occasionally you leave something to the last minute such as a telephone call that had to be made by lunch time because the person was out this afternoon. This is not the norm for you because the Graceful Gazelle likes everything done well before time. You know that when it is necessary you can rely on a graceful flicker of your eye lashes to gain a little bit more time from the male of the species.

How the Graceful Gazelle can improve at work

The Graceful Gazelle knows how to react in a crisis. Such as when to offer a shoulder to cry on or when the boss needs his coffee black because he was out with a client last night. This knowing, caring attitude is much admired but it sometimes brings out a jealous streak in colleagues.

You keep your files in order and your desk is always left neat and tidy at the end of the day. There is one area you can improve on and that is the way you prioritise the work that has to be done. Sometimes you just miss a time deadline because you complete a piece of work you like doing instead of something you don’t.

Ideas to help the Graceful Gazelle glide through her work

Don’t have any more close shaves at work and save up those favours with your boss for when you want to go home early on a Friday. To make sure everything is completed in priority order try using the Avery Part Files. These help you sort out and prioritise your work at the start of the day with one section for each job. They have an elasticated fastener so that nothing is lost but it is still easy enough to add in extra information as it arrives. These files have other uses such as keeping agendas and supporting documents together so your boss only has one file for all their meetings this week.

I am a long necked giraffe!  Hmmmmm it sounds about right too - not sure if that is good or bad!!

Coz

Thick skinned Armadillos unite!

That definitely describes me to a T.

semaxwell1

Gee's right, there don't seem to be any Colourful Cats or Cheeky Monkeys out there.  Or are you?

caroleanne

Yes - we're just thick-skinned, long-necked, fluffy, graceful and slow at our work!  Wonder what animal that looks like?

G

Sounds like an Outstanding Ostrich to me.    (Okay, I know they aren't "slow," but that's all I could come up with.)

JusPeachy

I'm an Armadillo!

Incredibly Sexist?

"Do you have trouble concentrating when a handsome man is around?"  Puh-leeze!

"What do you do when the computers go down:  scream, run in circles, call the nearest man for help?"  Um, I usually fix them myself, or at least diagnose the problem before calling for outside help.

I am a Tortoise, by the way!

SG

No SG - not at all - jusk took it as a quiz!

G

PS.  I too am a tortoise.

Yes SG, I did too.  Especially made it difficult to pick the "best" answer to some of the questions, as none of the answers were necessarily anywhere close to what I actually do.  But since it was a quiz for fun, I just did the best I could and ignored the other aspects of it.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

Us gazelles seem to be rare, huh?!

I'm a Fluffy Puppy - yes, I want people to like me so sometimes I have to hide my SuperWoman cape so they don't think I'm a know-it-all.  But I think every admin has a SW cape!  Able to leap tall projects in a single bound, faster than the courier and stronger than the toxic smell of White Out!

I finally got a chance to re-take that quiz... and came up with the one that actually fits me.  Don't know what world I was in previously when answering.  I'm a Colorful Cat...  the description is pasted below.

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You are like a colourful cat. You have a real twinkle in your eyes and are sure to spot something special or strikingly different. This skill means you have an excellent way of co-ordinating colours, style and garments into a stunning look.  

A good looking man or those designer labels in your favourite shops are nearly impossible to pass you by. The clothes seem to jump off the shelves into your hands and as you walk out of the shop you purr with satisfaction.

You may not be a countryside or outdoor type but you don’t stay indoors. The attractions of shopping, the theatre and cinema, and doing lunch or dinner are always too tempting to miss.



The Colourful Cat is a joy to have in any office. They are outgoing but keen and quick to make new friends. They love bright or metallic colours and if affordable would select a metallic finish, baby blue or classy cream Volkswagen Beetle. You might have guessed by now that you are a colourful character who will stand out in any crowd.

You take your cat like skills to work every day. Your desk is well organised and you like to personalise your own space. You will put out pictures of your last holiday, the latest boyfriend or a recent wedding outfit worn. Even the filing system is likely to be colour co-ordinated.  

When you start chatting to a Colourful Cat you will soon find they have lots of ambition with a list of things to do before they reach a certain age. The list is likely to include locations of where they want to go such as an African Safari or how much they aim to be earning. If you recognise another Colourful Cat in your office, never get under their skin because like you they can have some really sharp claws.  



You like all your files and labels colour co-ordinated. You have certain ways of doing things such as putting clear labels on coloured envelopes one time and next time sticking on labels you have designed on white envelopes. It depends on the mood you are in – playful and creative or bold and seeking attention.  

Make sure you visit www.averyrefresh.co.uk and look at the metallic files and desktop accessories. They come in different finishes such as metallic blue, silver and purple. These are very stylish and different and enable you to stamp your mark on your desk. You know that cats preen themselves to get attention and you are similar in the way you pay attention to the layout of your desk and organise your files.



CountriGal
Peer Moderator

Tortoise here..... for the most part true for me. I'm definitely meticulous and detail-oriented. isn't everyone? (actually, why isn't everyone? !)

Took it again - this time came out as a giraffe.  don't know how I got that one...I think I'll stick to tortoise. Except the slow part, tortoise matched me better.

I'm with SuperGirl - sharing her opinion, that is!

I know it's only tongue in cheek, but there is an assumption that the quizzee is female ... and for that matter, straight!  It would have been easy to say "someone attractive" instead of "attractive man".

I also know this PC crap can go a bit far.  However, as a MALE SECRETARY that stood years of sexist discrimination (and not fun poking, nasty horrid stuff, like throwing away messages, editing mistakes INTO my work and deliberately giving wrong information) it's still a bit of a raw nerve.  When I worked for an agency, clients assumed I wouldn't be able to do the job until they discovered I could type, by which time they assumed I was gay - personally, I don't see the link.

OK, this probably isn't the best place to have said it, but it's off my chest now!  Seems I'm a slow tortoise btw.  Came as a complete surprise, although the description is fairly accurate!

I am also a male secretary and I have experienced sexual harrasment as well. I once had a female boss who always flirted with me. I really didn't give it much thought, other than flirting back, until one day she cornered me and told me she wanted to take me back to her house for "you know what" and that I had to comply since she was the boss! I was too embarrassed to speak up, figuring guys should not complain about these things. Nonetheless, I was still uncomfortable and wound up quitting.  :o(