Assistants could run the world...

Tomorrow I leave for a 9-day trip to Bosnia & Croatia with 2 friends. We will visit 5 cities (Sarajevo, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Trogir, & Zagreb) during this time. The very impressive part... total costs are less than a weekend trip to Vegas from SD (so I could actually afford to go). This includes nice places to stay at and good transportation to/from and around the countries.

Our friend, IM, bascially did all of the planning. The interesting part... IM is a Team Assistant. This probably doesn't mean anything to most Americans who know that it's the Assistants who run companies. We've heard stories of Executive Assistants taking over companies when the original CEO retires (ex: Southwest). We also have a philosophy that a person is not defined by their background or education, but instead by what they can do.

In Germany, this is completely the opposite (at least at my company). Everything is about what college you went to and how high of a degree you have (it's almost like they're handed out to everyone). Here, team assistants are often considered less capable/smart than other employees. The assistants are often excluded from company benefits, like a company car which all other employees can get after 3 years of service with the company. In addition, they are not allowed to be hired for "higher level" jobs, like as a Consulting, HR or Marketing team member. They are often considered just another pretty face*.

It is my opinion that assistants could run the world. They tend to be very smart, well-coordinated and tough individuals. In addition, they can work well with most personality types. The upcoming trip is an example of how they can run the world. IM should start her own trip planning or event planning company. She could make a lot of money and would be great at it.

As as FYI - I won't be posting any updates for the next 9 days. I've been putting in extremely long hours at work for the last month and need a break from my computer. :)

*Seriously, almost all of the Assistants at my company are attractive, young females. The guys love working on projects with Team Assistants and HR colleagues for this reason.