An effective administrator needs excellent communication and coordination skills when working with colleagues. He needs to be able to both communicate well, which will make his directives clear and also keep morale high, and be organized so that he can coordinate efforts smoothly. These skills are also important in addressing problems that may arise in order to ensure that necessary tasks are completed in an efficient manner.

An Active Listener

Some general communication skills that an effective administrator needs include listening and conversation skills. An effective administrator must be a good listener and must demonstrate that she is listening by making eye contact and also by encouraging the speaker to continue talking or elaborate on certain points. An administrator should also be willing to acknowledge differences of opinion and assess topics of conversation with others without being judgmental.

Dealing with Emotion

Administrators must be able to deal with conflicts or other issues that arise without taking things too personally or being unduly harsh. For instance, an effective administrator should be able to convey a message to others without dictating terms or being commanding, and he should also be able to monitor his own emotional reactions and filter out any irrational thoughts or inappropriate displays of emotions. It is important for an administrator to remain calm and genial, even in times of difficulty or conflict, so as to retain the respect of those around him and to lead by example.

Juggling Multiple Balls

An effective administrator must also be able to coordinate projects or events, and for this she will need excellent organizational skills. She should be able to prioritize, combine and link activities to multi-task if needed and have the ability to switch and refocus attention on occasion. An administrator should also be able to interlink her activities with those of colleagues and follow up on her plans in an efficient manner.

Dealing with Obstacles

Good coordination skills are also needed when dealing with obstacles to completing tasks, especially if those obstacles are unexpected. He will need to keep records or otherwise devise an organizational system to make sure that the correct steps are being followed in addressing the obstacle, and he will also need to think ahead and plan for situations that may arise in case his initial solution does not work out. His communication skills will especially come in handy when facing obstacles and organizing strategic approaches, since he will need to keep a clear head and calm demeanor when delegating and coordinating efforts.