Secretaries accomplish near-to-impossible feats such as juggling our schedules, keeping track of all the work we need to do, and generally making sure that our lives run as smooth as possible. All secretaries who do their job well are invaluable assets to any company, and yet they are probably some of the most under-appreciated professionals around. It might be because their work does not produce obvious successes like winning a major contract for the company or having the most number of sales in the last quarter. They say that behind every great man is a woman ? well, they forgot to specify that behind every successful businessman is a good secretary.



It was Harry F. Klemfuss of Young & Rubicam (a marketing agency) who realized the tremendous importance of secretaries. Together with the National Secretaries Association (now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals or IAAP), Klemfuss created Secretaries Day in 1952. The first period of the secular unofficial holiday was first proclaimed by the U.S. Secretaty of Commerce, Charles Sawyer, and named it "National Secretaries Week." It was held on June 1-7 in 1952, with Wednesday, June 4, appointed as National Secretaries Day.

In 1955 however, the date of National Secretaries Week was changed to the last full week of April, Wednesday being Secretaries Day. Eventually, the name of the event was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981. In 2001, Administrative Professionals Week because its new name in order to cover the wider responsibilities and job-descriptions of administrative support staff, widely acknowledged as ?secretaries?. This year (2008), the Administrative Professionals' Day will be celebrated on April 23.

How does one celebrate Secretaries Day or Administrative Professional's Day though? Here are some helpful tips.

1. Buy your secretary flowers. There are many males currently in the profession, but more often than not, women are the ones taking up secretarial posts. If your secretary is female, giving her roses is foolproof. But don't get your signals wrong! Give her light pink roses, which say that you admire her, or deep pink roses, which say ?Thank You!? Peach roses, on the other hand, convey admiration and appreciation. Have your roses delivered straight to the office or to your secretary's house. Delivery is stress-free so you don't have to worry. The roses will be delivered fresh too, especially if you order from Island Rose, so your secretary will get only the best to show how much you value her.

2. Write a card! The card may come with the flowers or not, but make sure to pick a unique one and to personalize it by writing a heartfelt message inside.

3. Take your secretary out to lunch. Make this an opportunity not only to bond, but to talk about problems at work or with each other. This will definitely improve your communication which will in turn make your secretary understand your needs and be more efficient in his or her duties. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone!

4. Get a small gift. An elegant planner, pen, or notebook is the perfect gifts to give your secretary on this non-official holiday. But don't limit yourself to these things ? be creative. Think about what your employee needs and appreciates. Make that a guide in giving gifts.

So, don't forget Secretaries Day or Administrative Professional's Day! This is the perfect excuse to thank your hard-working secretary, so don't let it pass.