Efficiency

The job forum had a discussion about how British companies sometimes did things in what could be considered an inefficient manner, having one person dictate a letter and then a second person type the letter, when in the US the same person who thought of the letter would be typing the letter.

I'm curious if people have found this difference in other aspects of life, and if it has to do with different ways that British and Americans are taught.

My fiance and I co-administer a website. He does all the technical stuff, and I do all the content. The website has news stories posted on it. My fiance discovered a way to add a picture to a story, which involves adding a long string of code to the story. The code is always the same, except for a certain place where you insert the url of the picture, and another place where you insert a caption.  So for me to insert a picture in a story, my fiance read me the code out loud and had me type it into the story.  I asked him why he didn't just put the code in a Word document, email it to me, and then I would just change the url and the caption each time I used it, so he didn't have to dictate to me everytime I wanted to add a picture, which wastes time.  His response was:

"But then you'd never learn how to do it yourself."

Has anyone else encountered anything similar--not necessarily in computering, but in life in general?

I think that's a male thing! At my work we used to have a guy who was mad on spreadsheets. He made a spreadsheet for everything.  He spent so much time on his spreadsheets he didn't get his actual job done.

I worked in Legal and the solicitors dictated all their correspondence.  They came up on our screens and we typed them up.  Most of us typed 70+wpm, WAY faster than many solicitors. 

I worked in Legal and the solicitors dictated all their correspondence.  They came up on our screens and we typed them up.  Most of us typed 70+wpm, WAY faster than many solicitors. 

Seems to me that's the way it used to be in the US, too. The last place I worked in the US, though, everyone handled their own correspondence and, aside from a receptionist at the front desk, there was no admin support to speak of. I think that's the modern trend in American firms -- cut down on employee costs, etc.

At my job in the US, administrative support did things like research, answering clients' questions, helping to solve problems, etc.

I left the US in August of 2002 - I doubt things have changed much in the past 2-1/2 years at the firm I left, because I just can't see my former boss EVER typing his own letters.  Or the younger attorney I worked for as well, either.  I was a secretary - and I think in the legal field, secretaries will always be around because no one is going to pay their attorney hundreds of dollars an hour to type letters...

I left the US in August of 2002 - I doubt things have changed much in the past 2-1/2 years at the firm I left, because I just can't see my former boss EVER typing his own letters. Or the younger attorney I worked for as well, either. I was a secretary - and I think in the legal field, secretaries will always be around because no one is going to pay their attorney hundreds of dollars an hour to type letters...

Well, that is true. Lawyers and doctors are always going to have to have secretaries.

I think that is because being a lawyer or a doctor requires a special education.   A secretary in a doctor or lawyers office isn't going to be promoted to doctor or lawyer.  So the secretary and the doctor/lawyer are in separate "classes".

In some industries such as marketing, advertising, publishing, and probably others that I can't think of, a secretary or administrative assistant is an entry-level position.   Secretaries routinely get promoted into management positions. (I started out as a secretary and worked my way up into management.) So a secretary is supposed to be learning about how the business works, and getting as much experience as possible.  The secretary's supervisor is supposed to act as the secretary's mentor. The secretary does whatever clerical work has to be done, but isn't supposed to be wasting time doing unnecessary work when he or she could be learning more industry-related tasks.

On my annual reviews, which determined my salary, I got graded on how well I taught assistants.  If I kept my assistants typing and filing all day, I would have lost money.,

In some industries such as marketing, advertising, publishing, and probably others that I can't think of, a secretary or administrative assistant is an entry-level position.   Secretaries routinely get promoted into management positions. (I started out as a secretary and worked my way up into management.) So a secretary is supposed to be learning about how the business works, and getting as much experience as possible.  The secretary's supervisor is supposed to act as the secretary's mentor. The secretary does whatever clerical work has to be done, but isn't supposed to be wasting time doing unnecessary work when he or she could be learning more industry-related tasks.

That's interesting, but not my experience at all. I worked in advertising, marketing and publishing, and we didn't have secretaries at all -- just a receptionist. The CEO had an assistant, but that was it. And the receptionist and assistant were hired to be just that. There wasn't any room for growth -- because they didn't have the necessary formal training to be a journalist, designer, rep, etc. Sometimes they were given additional responsibilities, but it wouild never have resulted in a promotion to a non-admin position. I guess all firms are different.

That's interesting, but not my experience at all. I worked in advertising, marketing and publishing, and we didn't have secretaries at all -- just a receptionist. The CEO had an assistant, but that was it. And the receptionist and assistant were hired to be just that. There wasn't any room for growth -- because they didn't have the necessary formal training to be a journalist, designer, rep, etc. Sometimes they were given additional responsibilities, but it wouild never have resulted in a promotion to a non-admin position. I guess all firms are different.

You're right. I guess all firms are different.  My company also paid for tuition for people who wanted to attend school or take classes to further their careers.

Sweetpeach, I think you are describing a more NYC phenomenon. I was always under the impression that in advertising and publishing and those sorts of places, jobs were so competitive that if you wanted to get into the field, a good way to 'break in' was to take an admin type job at that sort of organization  - and then you made yourself indispensible!! 

I've seen that a bit at some of the larger ad agencies in Baltimore and DC but it's not what happens at most other places. Everyplace I ever worked wanted education and experience in the position you wanted. I think I knew one of the last graphic designers to have a really cool job without a degree in design. He was in his 40s and was probably going to have to work there forever b/c most other places wouldn't even put you in a short list without a degree. It was sad because he was very good and cool as his job was, the rest of the staff were a bunch of idiots! 

I left the US in August of 2002 - I doubt things have changed much in the past 2-1/2 years at the firm I left, because I just can't see my former boss EVER typing his own letters.  Or the younger attorney I worked for as well, either.  I was a secretary - and I think in the legal field, secretaries will always be around because no one is going to pay their attorney hundreds of dollars an hour to type letters...

Same here, peedal.