Which organisational skills would best help an administrative assistant support coworkers effectively on the job?

Introduction / Context:
Organisational skills are at the heart of an administrative assistant role. Good organisation allows an admin professional to track commitments, avoid missed deadlines and provide reliable support to managers and colleagues. Employers often ask interview questions about organisational skills to see whether candidates understand what these skills look like in daily work. This question invites you to select the description that best captures helpful organisational abilities for supporting fellow employees.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The focus is on organisational skills in an administrative role. - Options describe different behaviours, such as prioritising, relying on memory, avoiding team work and changing systems too often. - We assume the administrative assistant is responsible for schedules, documents and communication. - The question asks which skills help support coworkers effectively.

Concept / Approach:
Effective organisational skills combine tools and habits. They include prioritising tasks so that urgent and important work is finished first, maintaining accurate records for quick reference and managing calendars, email and files in a consistent way. These practices make it easier for coworkers to rely on the administrative assistant for up to date information and smooth coordination. In contrast, relying solely on memory increases the risk of errors, avoiding team projects undermines collaboration and constantly changing systems can confuse others and reduce efficiency.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify which option involves concrete organisational practices that benefit the whole team. Step 2: Option A mentions prioritising tasks, keeping accurate records and managing calendars and files systematically, which are core organisational skills. Step 3: Option B relies only on memory and avoids tools, which is risky and not considered professional organisation. Step 4: Option C focuses solely on personal tasks and rejects team support, contradicting the purpose of an administrative role. Step 5: Option D suggests frequent changes to systems, which usually creates confusion rather than clarity.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you look at competency lists for administrative assistants, you will see repeated emphasis on managing diaries, filing documents correctly, maintaining databases and using task lists or project management tools. Training courses teach methods such as creating priority lists, colour coding calendars and setting reminders. These practices match the actions described in option A. In contrast, no reputable source recommends relying entirely on memory or changing processes constantly, because such behaviours tend to create mistakes and stress. This comparison confirms that option A is the best description of helpful organisational skills.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Relying on memory: Human memory is limited and prone to error, especially in busy offices; written or digital systems are essential. Avoiding team projects: Administrative assistants are expected to support teams, not avoid involvement. Changing systems frequently: While improvement is important, constant change without reason makes it hard for coworkers to follow procedures.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to think that being busy automatically means being organised. Busy people who fail to prioritise and record tasks may actually be less effective. Another pitfall is focusing on one tool, like email, while neglecting other parts of the system such as document naming conventions or shared calendars. For exam purposes, try to visualise what would help a real team: clear priorities, reliable records and consistent filing and scheduling practices. These are the skills captured in the correct answer option.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Prioritising tasks, maintaining accurate records and managing calendars and files systematically, because these organisational skills directly help an administrative assistant support coworkers and keep work flowing smoothly.