By Susan Amat
I always told my students that after the CEO, the most powerful person in many companies is the CEO’s assistant. I found this over many years of not knowing I was supposed to act superior to everyone except people in power. My ignorance of this practice led to many dear relationships with staff, cleaning people, and servers who have enriched my life in addition to giving me access and information I was sometimes shocked to hear.
Good “support staff” creates bonds with customers that usually can’t be measured and aren’t part of any loyalty program. Having a “usual” that is brought to you without ordering, that assistant who will rearrange a schedule to accommodate you or will reschedule if her boss is in a bad mood, the staffer in accounting who can actually tell you when a check will be cut when his supervisors cannot: Support staff keeps things moving and creates organizational loyalty and trust that managers may overlook.