Question

Explain the features of a secretary.

Answer 1

The features of a secretary are explained as follows:
(1) An individual: The secretary is always an individual, Le. A living person. A firm or a body corporate like a company or any other institution cannot work as secretary. Only an individual can be appointed and can work as a secretary.
(2) Qualification: In order to perform the assigned duties more effectively, every secretary needs to possess sound educational qualifications and certain qualities. However, a person to be appointed as a secretary in any institution needs to possess some prescribed qualification according to the provisions made in the Act applicable to that institution.
(3) Appointment: As per the provisions of law, the appointment of a secretary may be compulsory or optional. He may work on a full time or a part time basis. He may be appointed by busy individuals, a company, a co-operative society, a government, public organisation, etc. He may be appointed as personal secretary or institutional secretary.
(4) Paid employee: The secretary is a paid employee of an organisation or a person. He is either paid salary or given honorarium. He is a senior executive official. He occupies a key position in the organisation. He carries out work according to the direction of his employer.
(5) Duties: A secretary performs routine and administrative duties such as conducting correspondence, maintaining accounts and records of business operations, assisting the chairman while conducting meetings, writing the minutes of the meetings, complying with the statutory requirements, if any. He has to fulfill routine duties related towards employer or organisation like fixing appointments, giving reminders, replying queries of employees, etc.
(6) Confidential officer: The secretary is a trusted servant of his employer or organisation. He is a custodian of secret, confidential and important information of his employer or organisation. As he is closely associated with the top management and also involved in execution of policy decision, he has to maintain utmost secrecy and is not expected to divulge secret information to others.
(7) Representative: A secretary represents his employer or organisation. He acts as a representative of the organisation. There are two types of secretaries, viz. (1) a personal secretary and (2) an institutional secretary. A person who is employed by busy person is called personal secretary. An individual appointed as secretary by an institution is called institutional secretary.
(8) Qualities: Every secretary must possess certain qualities of head and heart such as accuracy, tact, leadership, courtesy, good health, winsome personality, strong common sense, ability to judge people, etc, so as to perform numerous functions and duties more efficiently and effectively.