TIPS ON SECRETARIAL SKILLS

Secretaries/Personal Assistants In The House - Our Forum

I work as a Personal Assistant to the CEO of my company. I quite know that CONFIDENTIALITY is one of the challenges in Secretarial and Office professional careers. I feel i should share this GOLDEN RULE OF CONFIDENTIALITY to my colleagues. I will also like us to make this a forum for Secretaries/PA, where we ask questions on the challenges of the job and get help from the more experienced ones.


Confidentiality Maintenance

Prying questions from employees. Immediately start communicating your rules regarding confidential information. “When people ask about my boss’ travel schedule or things I don’t feel are appropriate for them to know, I ask them ‘Why do you ask?’” “This politely diffuses them and allows them to think about their need to know. Maybe there is a legitimate reason, which you both can then determine.”

I have always believed the reply “I don’t know” reflects poorly on your professional status because you’re implying you do not have a position of confidence, and this diminishes you. Besides, is anyone really fooled? The questioner knows you know the information, and you know he knows that you know. Burdening yourself with a lie sends the wrong message also—namely, that you will lie under some circumstances. Suddenly, your integrity seems negotiable.

You can, instead, establish the reputation of saying “no” politely, firmly, professionally and consistently. A reliable response is always: “I hope you can understand I’m not able to share any information about that.” If they still persist, try this show-stopper: “Please don’t take this personally, but as a professional, I can’t tell you that.” Most of the time, they will know better than to pursue the issue. Granted, you will always run the risk of some people feeling you are a bit standoffish; but you will have earned their respect and trust.

Securing your work station. “Take a good look at the physical area of responsibility (your office) and rearrange your furniture so you have visual and verbal control of the traffic flow. Because you are the gatekeeper; it is appropriate your desk or office be positioned in such a way that you can control who has access to your boss. You also will be able to minimize needless interruptions because you can handle many matters on your own.

Protecting written documents. “Don’t lead others into temptation” is your best guide to protecting written documents. It’s only natural for people to be tempted to at least glace at papers if you leave them in plain view. Your job is to protect the value of all information in your office.

A few suggestions:

Keep your desk clear of any papers you consider confidential. Flip your papers over even if you are just leaving your desk for coffee. Remember, snoops and thieves can be clever and persistent.

If you’re going to be away from your desk even for a short time, be sure all important documents are either placed inside your desk or locked in a file cabinet.


If you’re working on a confidential document that requires you to have a lot of sensitive materials on your desk for several hours at a time, you can avoid any curious traffic around your desk by scheduling to work on the project during off-peak times, or by setting up camp at another work station.


Always clear your desk before you leave at the end of the day and lock up anything you don’t want others to see. This includes check/deposit books, plans, schedules, correspondence, and even your manual note-taking books. It is always prudent to err on the safe side.

Neutralize or sanitize documents when you remove them from your office. Conceal them inside a folder or envelope, even if you are just hand delivering them to someone on the next floor. Someone standing behind you in the elevator may be able to see just enough to get the rumor mill cranked up.

If you carry confidential documents to and from work, or on business trips, keep them in a locked briefcase; and, never leave the briefcase unattended in public places.

Again, when attending meetings or conferences, don’t leave papers exposed where people nearby can see them. Make sure they are face down or in a protective folder.

When mailing confidential documents, seal them in an envelope marked “confidential.” Then, seal that envelope inside another envelope and mark that “confidential,” too.


Shred confidential documents, rough drafts, photocopies, and notes. Never dispose of these papers in a wastebasket or recycling box from which they can be recovered by the curious or dishonest.

Protecting electronic documents. Deleted files can be recovered, network security is never perfect, and automatic backups may put a complete copy of your work for the day within easy reach of the wrong people. To avoid getting the “byte” put on you, learn the security limitations of your system.

A few suggestions:

Position your terminal screen in a way that prevents anyone from reading it. Be prepared for a quick sign-off, or use a hot key to engage your screen saver if potentially prying eyes approach your desk.

Know the limitations of your system. The computer is just another tool, not a black box that assures secrecy. Lean who in your company knows how to use your computer better than you do and use them as a resource. It is your responsibility to understand the realistic limitations of your system.


Develop a sound system of backing up and archiving files, and then stick with it. You may be your own worst enemy if you do not follow consistent procedures. You should be able to retrieve important files quickly, ensure they will be safe, and remove files you no longer want in ways that render them unrecoverable.


Store floppy disks in a locked area.


Use a password sign-on procedure to prevent anyone from accessing your hard drive without your permission. This is not unbeatable, but it slows down the casual interloper. Best system: use two passwords known only to you and your boss.


Sign off whenever you leave your terminal if working on confidential information—even if for just a short break.


Remove your printouts as quickly as possible from the printer.


Put your original program disks under lock and key. Remember, these are rarely used after the software is loaded onto your hard drive; so they may be borrowed and you wouldn’t miss them for months.


A few other security risks. Don’t ever send anything confidential via the fax machine. Send the document by courier or overnight delivery if you have to or, if you absolutely must transmit something confidential on the fax, call ahead to let the receiver know the exact moment to retrieve it. Even though reading someone else’s fax is like reading someone else’s mail, not everyone treats faxes with this same respect.

Never leave a confidential (or serious personal) message on voice mail, because it won’t be confidential. Anyone can access one’s voicemail in a minute and the results could be devastating. Likewise, don’t say anything confidential on a cellular phone or speaker phone. Most cellular phones can be easily pirated. And, although a speaker phone may be convenient, it can also compromise privacy.

Follow the Golden Rule

That protecting confidentiality is on the short list of professional job skills presumed to be simply understood by bosses everywhere is a compliment to our profession. Our bosses assume we will always recognize confidential information whenever we see it, and then take whatever action is appropriate to protect it.

Because the confidentiality aspect of the job of the administrative professional defies prediction and standardization, it would be prudent to always adhere to my Golden Rule of Confidentiality: Unless otherwise instructed by your boss, treat all information received, written or spoken, as strictly confidential. You will never regret it.

Because you are a professional committed to upholding high standards of behavior, your company’s security will always be a part of your job description. But, it’s an ongoing challenge because you will be relied upon more than ever to “bar the door” against all types of threats to compromise the company’s information and property. It isn’t simple anymore, either—it requires technical expertise and a lot of psychological moxie. The challenge is to do your job with a healthy skepticism of others, while still expecting others to trust you.

Good Luck!