April 1, 2008

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, it was nice to enjoy the first long

weekend of the year. This was an unusually early Easter, and it will be
another 277 years before we get another Easter this early in March.

This Easter, my family went on our usual skiing trip. I was busy brushing up
on my skiing skills. I am pleased to say that I am beginning to move
onto the blue runs, though screaming all the way down.

Back home in Singapore, my family associates skiing with fractures and other
serious injuries. Needless to say, they think that I should not be
skiing and worry incessantly over me. Because I started skiing at an
older age, I find the sport especially challenging. Often, I too worry
about the possibility of injuries. But life is to be lived, and I
believe it is all about being open to new experiences.

With April upon us now, it means Spring is in full force. I look forward to
experiencing the rebirth of nature and spending more time outdoors.
This month, don’t forget to show your appreciation for your secretary,
assistant, or other administrative colleagues during Administrative
Professionals Week (April 21 – 25). Below we have some suggestions as
to how you can mark this Week in a special way.

As always, give us a call if we can help you in any way with gifting
suggestions. Whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or
simply to show you care. We have wonderful gift ideas and special
packages that we know you’ll love. Just visit our website at www.greenNgreen.com, or call us at Tel: 604-689-5027. We’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Celebrating Administrative Professionals Week

Administrative Professionals Week (April 21 – 25) is now the most widely observed
workplace recognition event. The International Association of
Administrative Professionals organized the first Secretaries’ Week in
1952 to recognize secretaries for their contribution in the workplace.

Where would we be without our administrative professionals? Personal
assistants, office managers, secretaries and clerical supervisors, free
up our time, leaving us to do what we do best. Why not show how much
you appreciate them this time of the year.

Here are some suggestions as to how you can show your appreciation:

1. How about a bottle of your assistant’s favorite wine, or a food hamper that he or she can enjoy with family or friends?Nothing is easier to give than the gift of food.

2. Is your assistant a big sports fan? Perhaps he or she loves watching concerts and musicals? Give him or her two tickets to the next game, concert or musical. Just make sure you check on the team or group that he or she is supporting.

3. Is budget a problem for you? Then how about giving your assistant a surprise day off? While it may cost you nothing except for some inconvenience that day, it will mean a whole lot to him or her.

4. Another way to show your appreciation is to provide opportunities for learning and growth. Support your assistant in his or her application to attend college classes, membership towards professional organizations, or online training programs. Or what about helping to pay towards the registration fees for appropriate conferences, seminars or workshops?

5. Be creative. Personalize a gift item that your assistant would be happy to receive, like monogrammed soaps, picture frames, paperweights or beautiful writing accessories. If he or she appreciates art, consider getting a piece of local sculpture or artwork. There are many types of gifts that you can get for your assistant. But do be mindful and careful of company policies on gifting and rewarding. Your gift should be appropriate and based on the number of years of employment and the professional relationship you have with your assistant. Whatever you finally decide to do, just keep in mind that your gift should show your thoughtfulness and gratitude towards an indispensable member of your team.