3.13. What’s my Role?

During the Initiation and Planning phases of a project, the administrative professional plays a key role in helping the team get organized and ready to begin. You may be asked to help set up early meetings, gather background information, or prepare documents that help the team define the project’s goals. By keeping track of details and making sure information is easy to access, you help the team start strong and stay focused.

In the Planning phase, your support becomes even more important. You might assist in creating timelines, building contact lists, or organizing shared folders. You could also be responsible for keeping early drafts of the project plan organized and updated. By staying alert to changes and being clear in your communication, you help the project stay on schedule and aligned with its goals.

Your strong organizational and communication skills make you a valuable part of the team during these early stages. By helping the team set a clear path forward, you lay the groundwork for a successful project.

Practical Tips

• Engage all stakeholders: Your goal is to keep people meaningfully engaged in your project. You don’t want stakeholders showing up for ceremonial appearances at project meetings. Instead, you want them seriously focused on the prospects for project success.
• Create a glossary of terms: Consider creating a glossary of terms on projects with a lot of complex jargon. Then, publish it in a way that makes it accessible to all stakeholders, updating it as needed.
• Post the project documents prominently: Putting important documents front and centre helps a team stay focused, especially if you have everyone sign them first. It also encourages the team to update them when necessary.
• Plan for errors: You and your team will almost certainly make mistakes, especially in the early stages of a project. Therefore, you should plan for that. Keep thinking ahead to what might go wrong, and how you could correct course.