Administrative Professionals are the Jack/Jill of all trades

Adaptability Quotient seems to be the buzzword in the Business world now. According to the Ivey academy, AQ is the ability to determine what’s relevant, to forget obsolete knowledge, overcome challenges, and adjust to change in real-time. With the disruptions that the pandemic, technological advancements and the recent move back to the office have bought it is becoming obvious that it is not just the survival of the fittest but the survival of the quickest. 

If the last couple of years have shown us, it is that administrative professionals have been one of the quickest to adapt and change. As administrative professionals we have always been the Jack (or Jill) of all trades, we are good at a variety of things. This ability to be a generalist, adaptability, flexibility, and resourcefulness is what will help us hold our own now and in the future.

As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”  

Check out this article from Forbes that talks about the origin of the phrase “Jack of all trades and master of none” and how the original phrase was “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” I think this original phrase defines the role of an administrative professional, executive assistant or chief of staff precisely. 

A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.

So let us all administrative professionals be proud and accept the fact that we are a Jack/Jill of all trades as we bring in a diverse skill set, and are adaptable, flexible and lifelong learners.