Administrative Professionals Day: Last Minute Gift Ideas

Administrative Professionals Week is the last full week of April. Administrative Professionals Day, formerly known as Secretary's Day, falls on the Wednesday of that week. If you are the boss of an administrative professional, chances are she knows when this day is and will be hoping for a little acknowledgement. It doesn't have to be extravagant, but it should be sincere. After all, where would your office be without your administrative help? Here are some last minute ideas that may be suitable.

Pen Set

By this I mean a nice pen set. Don't go cheap. They'll know. This is their job. They deal with pens on a daily basis. They know the quality stuff when they see it. If it says Bic, don't expect anything for Boss's day.

Flowers

If your office is held together by the work of a woman, consider sending her flowers. Any women who scoffs at the idea of receiving flowers is probably a woman who never gets any sent to her. However, it's best to make sure she's not allergic first. If she's allergic, don't send them. If she has to go home due to an allergic reaction, you'll be running the office yourself and realizing just how valuable she really is.

Desk Plant

If you're not sure if she's allergic, consider sending a green plant to break up the monotony of the work space. It may even improve production. This is not a proven fact, but it's worth a shot.

Gift Certificate

Ahh, yes, perhaps the perfect gift for an administrative professional. Giving a gift certificate to an administrative professional does not fall under the "it's too impersonal" rule. It will be appreciated, as long as it's one they'll actually use. If you have a feminine woman on your hands, a gift certificate to Home Depot may not be met with much enthusiasm. Consider a manicure, pedicure or a restaurant gift certificate to show your appreciation.

A Free Lunch

Yes, there is such a thing, and you can provide it. You'll get bonus points if you don't make her eat it at her desk. You can take your administrative professional out to a nice sit down restaurant, preferably a place where they bring the food to you...on plates, not trays. Extra bonus points are awarded to the boss who lets her have a paid lunch hour.

These are just a few ideas to earn you that "World's Best Boss" coffee mug in the coming year. Your administrative professional will feel appreciated. As a side benefit, since you appeared to be such a considerate boss, they may feel too guilty to slack off while on the clock. This is not guaranteed, but it is a possibility. So in the end, everyone wins and that is what team work is all about.