Personal assistants can make or break the boss

1: Remember that the role of a personal assistant is to work in partnership with an executive, says Kerry Kirwan, managing director of Kirwan Consulting.

And one of the main reasons PAs often leave jobs, she adds, is because they're not delegated to.

"They are not treated like they have any initiative.

"Do involve them in what you're doing - don't assume they won't understand.

"Treat them like a senior staff member. Respect them as a professional."

Which means introducing them to senior visitors or clients.

2: If you're hiring a new PA or being promoted to a position where you gain one, negotiate boundaries, says Kirwan.

Some PAs may object to making you cups of coffee every five minutes and collecting your drycleaning - even if they get to drive your new Jag.

"Most PAs seem to have clear ideas about what they will or won't do these days," says Kirwan.

3: Common gripes from PAs that have reached Kirwan's ears: perfectionist bosses looking over PAs' shoulders as they work; bosses who can't type but are experts on letter layout and format; bosses who go out without saying where they are going and when they will be back ("this makes the PA look inefficient," says Kirwan); bosses who throw last-minute work to their PA as they leave for home, expecting her to stay and finish it; bosses who swear; bosses who expect PAs to lie to wives/girlfriends/mistresses/toy boys; bosses who don't treat them with respect.

Add to that, says one Aucklander, bosses who expect their PAs to be de facto babysitters, and who take their bad day out on you.

"This is," she says, "when you learn not to take things to heart or personally."

4: Remember: thank your PA occasionally, especially if special effort has been made.

Remember: their birthday (a bunch of flowers is a good idea); their partner's name and occupation; children's names and ages.

5: Don't blame your PA for your mistake. Hugely unprofessional.

"You spend more conscious hours with your PA than with your partner," says Kirwan.

"And a good PA will make you."