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Q&A with Debbie Peat: PA of the Year Finalist

Published on: 15 Jul 2022
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Last year, we caught up with Network Rail High Speed's Office Manager, Debbie Peat, one of the PA of the Year finalists in 2021. In this Q&A you can find out about Debbie’s journey to becoming an Office Manager, why she believes Office Managers are so essential to any organisation, and her experience of being a finalist at the SecsintheCity PA of the Year Awards.

PAOTY Debbie Peat Headshot

How did you become an Office Manager?

Having been a PA for many years I joined Network Rail High Speed Ltd 4 years ago as one of two new Business Support Administrators. I was assigned to specifically support the Operations team and to assist more generally across the whole business. After a year I was promoted into the Team Organiser role, supporting the Director of Delivery, the Delivery Managers and their teams and providing support to the rest of the business as required.

What can you tell us about your role at Network Rail High Speed?

It is a very busy role, juggling tasks and prioritising work in an ever-changing environment. Every day is different, you never know what will crop up and therefore this requires flexibility and methodical working practices.  The tasks include arranging high profile and important visits for stakeholders and external visitors which showcase High Speed as an efficient and well organised operation, managing complicated and conflicting diaries, taking minutes of board and confidential HR meetings, and covering Reception when required to name a few. I really can be asked to help with anything.

I have autonomy to work independently and make decisions but equally there is good teamwork and a high level of support. It is great to feel we are all working together to achieve a common goal.

What do you love about being an Office Manager?

The team!  I’m proud to work for the country’s first High Speed railway and to work with a great and hardworking team, who are passionate about the railway and putting passengers first.

I also love the variety and being busy with no two days the same. It is never boring, and I learn something new every single day.

Your nomination says ‘She’s friendly, caring and fiercely organised. We would be lost without her!’ How does it feel to hear such high praise?

It gave me a real confidence boost. I don’t do the job for recognition or praise, although it is nice to be appreciated. I get my job satisfaction and motivation from working hard and doing the best I can each day and therefore I find it amazing and humbling to have these words said about me.

How did you find the PA of the Year Awards interview process?

I was nervous having an interview for such a prestigious award. However, I was quickly put at my ease by Sarah and Susanna. I felt I was able to tell the story of my career and soon it was more of a chat than anything too formal.  It went so quickly and on reflection, it really wasn’t as daunting as I had imagined.

Do you have any interesting or funny stories from your time as an Office Manager?

As health and safety is paramount in our industry, the company regularly organise scenario training for teams to practice for all eventualities and to continually improve safety procedures.  A request went out for volunteers to act as members of the public travelling on a high-speed train that gets stranded in a tunnel to practice tunnel evacuation. I ‘press ganged’ my family members to support me and take part in the role play with the promise of a goody bag of treats! We were asked to assemble on the platform at Ebbsfleet International Station at midnight, after the last service. We set off and sometime later the train ground to a halt in the tunnel. There was a feeling of anticipation until the announcements were made, we then had to act as distressed and disgruntled customers before being organised and escorted from the train into the tunnel and to the point of safety, in the early hours of the morning before returning to the train and making our way back to the station. We had a starring role in the training video as our reward!

It would be amazing if you could tell us in your own words why Office Managers are so essential to the organisations and individuals they work for.

The role is to take the day-to-day pressures off the senior management to allow them to concentrate on strategic priorities. Office Managers provide support behind the scenes that make the business work smoothly.

Office Managers provide the outstanding customer service to all levels of the organisation to make it as efficient and effective as possible. The role demands the ability to be able to adapt to fast paced demands and changing priorities, to be resilient, maintain calmness, be respectful and treat people how you would like to be treated.

What advice would you give to other Personal Assistants hoping to enter the 2022 PA of the Year Awards?

I feel privileged to have been nominated and I knew nothing about it until I received the email and at first, I thought it was a phishing email!  It is such an honour to be put forward for this award, so be confident and proud of your abilities, achievements and what you contribute behind the scenes as it makes a significant difference to your organisation.

If you are an Executive Assistant who deserves recognition, or if you know someone who is exceptional, please submit a nomination for this year's awards here.

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