Meet Kelsie – How do I make our feral managing director function?

Well, this all started last September when I joined The Inclusivity Group as Holly, our Office manager PA. This role included being part of the recruitment team to shortlist new recruits, booking interviews and managing Holly’s diary. As well as this, I would carry out day-to-day administrative support and support our clients directly. When I first started, I was surprised at how welcoming the environment was; it was my first contracted job and first being in an office, so I expected formality, but after my first week, I was genuinely so surprised by everything.

From things like the atmosphere to how tranquil and content everyone was. Daryl got the wrong idea by making new staff members feel as welcome as I did on my second day. He was reading out a card from a game called ‘Would you rather’ and I probably should not mention the choices here, but I can tell you they were surprising coming from your new boss! I guess you could say this gave me the knowledge for being Daryl’s PA and an insight into the open environment we work in, but I don’t think any experience/skill could have prepared me for this role!

What is a PA anyway?

Now you may be wondering what I actually do. Well, in basic terms, I annoy him into doing things and ensure those plates keep spinning. This varies from reminding Daryl of the, somewhat endless list of tasks, projects and spinning plates, ensuring he attends meetings (even if that means standing at his door until he does it) to reminding him to eat. And yes, I am serious; he seems to run on air, ensuring others are supported above his own needs. When your life is as busy as Daryl’s, you need someone as annoying as me to tell him what to do, and I take great pleasure in ‘kicking his butt!’.

Not to mention, Daryl was recently diagnosed with ADHD, which, if you are not knowledgeable about, I recommend checking out our online short course. Nonetheless, he is always doing a million things and finishing them all, so my job is to ensure that he is supported at times when he finds focusing challenging or, as he would put it, the ‘unhinged Daryl’ that appears anytime past 3 o’clock.

I vividly remember when Daryl had to complete a very long and even more boring task one afternoon. So, when he got up from his desk, I knew he had no intention of completing it. He went on to reorganise half the office and move a whole cabinet and our bookshelf before he said, “Kelsie, I can feel her eyes burning in the back of my head; I know I have to do it and know that this is my thinking time” as he continued to make our office even more of an enjoyable space to be in.

You may be thinking, how does he get things done? What’s the purpose of this alternative task? Well, what’s essential is that Daryl knows what he needs best; he knows that a task needs to be completed but also knows he needs time to think, process or even work through a challenge before taking it on. To others, he is procrastinating, but those who know anything about neurodivergence will know that people need to do things at their own pace when they are ready, and that’s where I come in.

Finding my feet.

So yes, that is my job! I will admit parts of my job are challenging, mostly keeping up with him juggling the four businesses, knowing every detail of the businesses he runs and the people we support and keeping up to speed when he switches topics mid-sentence or starts telling a random funny story. Nevertheless, I can say there is never a boring day in the office, and I’m constantly kept busy and challenged, which I LOVE.

All jokes aside, I really enjoy my job. It has its perks, such as managing all of our theatre and events, seeing the difference we make in our client’s lives, and seeing the company’s visions come alive. I get to know things before others, work at the origin of projects and services, and work with a team of genuine and honest people.

In my short time here, I have realised that work does not have to be boring; it’s all about who you surround yourself with, who you can trust and how you can support each other to be the best versions of yourself.

To find out more about us and The Inclusivity Group, check out our website or get in touch with us contactus@paulb496.sg-host.com.