If I ever have my own assistant, I pledge never to condescend to him. I will never make him bring me coffee. I will realize that he is most likely grossly overqualified and underpaid to be doing what he is doing, that I would be utterly lost without him, and I will worship him for the administrative god that he is.

I will realize that checking up on him and/or asking him to update me on a task every few minutes will only slow him down and get in his way. I will trust him to know how to do his job without my constant input, and to ask me questions if he does need my input. I will realize that if he weren't competent enough to do his job without my constantly looking over his shoulder, I would never have hired him in the first place.

I will not assume that his job is his career. I will neither expect nor force him to treat it as such. I will remember that he has a life outside of work, and I will not "strongly urge" him to attend after-hours employee functions. I will realize that he is not required to be a "team player" on his own time, and I will not think any less of him or his capabilities if he wants to keep his personal time personal.

If I ever have my own assistant, I will print this off and hang it in a prominent spot to remind me how not to be a prick.