TAP Forum: Supporting the Individuals Who Provide Support to the Firm

For over a decade, one Booz Allen forum has ensured that administrative professionals have the resources—and camaraderie—to excel.

When a recent count was taken, there were 286 administrative professionals at Booz Allen Hamilton’s McLean campus, and 720 firmwide. But when it comes to excelling in job performance and advancing their skills, almost all of them agreed: The key to success is getting involved.

“Because we have a network of outstanding resources, administrative professionals are probably the best source of information in the firm,” says executive assistant Cathy Hall.

The Administrative Professionals Forum

And one of their most useful resources is The Administrative Professionals (TAP) Forum. TAP provides dedicated committees, initiatives, outreach, and events to strengthen member skills and enhance their careers, and offers an environment to discuss common concerns. The forum also serves local communities through charitable work.

Executive assistant and forum chair Bernadette DaCruz worked hard to help establish the forum’s vision. “I can’t say enough about the relationships that are built through TAP,” she says. “As an administrative professional, there is so much you must know, and having a strong support group is the only way to survive. Through the forum, you have an opportunity to build relationships across the firm, which assist in gaining access to relevant information at headquarters or anywhere in the country.

“I’m most proud that we bring so much to our members,” DaCruz continues. “We’re a well-established organization with documented processes and carefully planned presentations. At the same time, we make sure this doesn’t feel like another ‘work thing’—our events are educational and enjoyable.”

Hall has been a forum member for nine years, chaired its Community Relations Committee for seven, serves on its Leadership Team, and handles forum finances. “I’ve worked in other large companies, and I can see how Booz Allen appreciates its administrative professionals and supports TAP,” she says.

But involvement is key. Executive assistant Adele Dillie is a member of the Leadership Team and Career Development Committee. “Through my involvement with TAP, I’ve broadened my contacts and made friends beyond my work location,” she says. “I’ve exercised skill sets that I’ve wanted to develop, such as public speaking and project and staff management. I’ve also learned new technical skills such as the use of SRC Forums for Web-based learning.”

An Array of Options for Professional Development

At Booz Allen, the term “administrative professional” includes executive assistants as well as a wide range of positions in finance, the mail room, and the GO Team. All administrative professionals are automatically included in TAP Forum when they join the firm, but anyone who is interested is welcome to attend events.

At least once a month, dozens of members and non-members alike attend TAP-sponsored events such as:

Instructional Brown Bag lunch programs
Leadership luncheons hosted by a partner or principal
Community relations projects, such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Walk to D’Feet ALS, and American Heart Association activities
Networking events, including quarterly breakfasts
New hire “Personal Best” lunch programs

Presentations focus on career development, internal resources, and work/life balance with topics such as leadership, organization, benefits, parenting, elder care, and Expense Online and E-travel tutorials. The group is developing a mentoring program with a searchable database.

“We do more activities with corporate Community Relations than most other forums,” says DaCruz. TAP members raised over $10,000 for charity in 2005, and representatives from organizations such as the Arthritis Foundation often visit Booz Allen at the forum’s invitation to speak about their work.

For Dillie, the Brown Bag lunches have been especially valuable, as well as the Personal Best presentations. “I’ve gotten to know some talented staff members that I wouldn’t have ordinarily had a chance to work with. We’ve also sponsored or created events or projects that help our peers in their day-to-day jobs.” Dillie used her instructional design skills to help develop a new training course that will roll out shortly.

“I believe that if you have concerns or need resources, you have to stand up and get involved,” says DaCruz, who also co-chairs the forum’s new Website Committee. Other new committees—Communications, E-Mail and Database Management, and Job Posting—were recently formed to address member interests.

Two Members, Two Experiences

As a TAP “charter member,” Dillie has watched the forum evolve since 1994. “I was in the forum’s predecessor organization, the Administrative Task Force,” she says. “When the forum’s initiatives were developed in the early 1990s, we became the Nonexempt Employee Forum, or NEEF.” About two years ago, TAP adopted its current title.

Dillie originally joined the group to learn more about Booz Allen events, process changes, software, and training that was being developed in advance of firmwide roll-outs. “I’ve provided input into the development of some of these elements, and I’m in a group that management consults for surveys and feedback on new ideas.”

“TAP is important to me because of the good things it does,” Hall says. The forum has provided opportunities for her to give back through fundraising activities. One of its most memorable fundraisers involved sponsoring a dunk tank at Six Flags to benefit ALS, and she recalls that she was able to dunk her then-boss in a single try.

Hall’s favorite events remain those related to charities. “Booz Allen believes in teamwork, and it’s also the most generous company I’ve ever been involved in,” she adds. Today, she is a mentor to several administrative professionals, and chairs an effort to put a comprehensive desk reference for new and current employees on the iShare portal. “I’m very proud to have my name associated with TAP,” she says.

TAP’s Leadership Team also includes Marcia Ambrose, Valerie Charter, Gail Harman, Liann Hill, Simone Holloway, Lori Jones, Mark Odell, Cathy Saunders, and Marlene Wilson.

story posted June 19, 2006