Administrative Professionals Week 2014

Weekly Newsletter ONE PROFESSION, ONE VOICE APRIL 22, 2014

Dear all And so to day two of of our Administrative Professionals week giveaway. If you missed our newsletter and all that we offered yesterday, you can still find it on the LinkedIn and Facebook groups. For those of you that aren't familiar with Administrative Professionals Week, it was originally organised in 1952 as "National Secretaries Week" by the National Secretaries Association (now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals) in conjunction with public relations executive Harry Klemfuss and a consortium of office product manufacturers. It was established as an effort to recognise secretaries for their contributions in the workplace, and to attract people to secretarial/administrative careers. Today, it is one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays in the States. Administrative Professionals Week is always held annually during the last full week in April. Administrative Professionals Day is always held the Wednesday of that week. According to IAAP members, administrative support personnel prefer observances that recognise and provide opportunities for learning and growth. Our website lists many of the events taking place in the US and Canada over the next few weeks in honour of APW. So for this week only, watch out for this - our special daily newsletter, packed with special offers and free educational resources. Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone else you think might benefit from this weekly newsletter or from the information we will be putting out over Administrative Professionals Week - we are always delighted to welcome new recipients. As usual, in this week's newsletters you will find below all sorts of resources as well as a list of our events and three of our favourite articles. SO HERE ARE TODAY'S RESOURCES WIN A 60 MINUTE COACHING SESSION WITH LINDA MCFARLAND (AUTHOR OF SITTING ON A FILE CABINET, NAKED WITH A GUN) Are you interested in taking your skills to the next level? Or maybe you need some advice or coaching in preparation for a crucial conversation with your leader or co-worker. Do you need more courage to speak up in group settings? With extensive hands-on experience supporting high level executives, Linda McFarland has mastered her “never-panic” demeanor. She is performance-driven, a strategic thinker, and intuitive problem solver and has held executive assistant positions with a variety of start-up and Fortune-listed companies. Linda is offering a 60 minute coaching session to two lucky winners. To enter the drawing, send an email to linda@ascend2success.com. In the subject line include: “Admins Make It Happen”. If your name is drawn, Linda will contact you regarding next steps. If you would also like to enter a drawing to receive a free hard cover book, send an email to Linda at linda@ascend2success.com and include these words in your subject line: “Sitting on a File Cabinet”. Good luck! FREE BOOKS FROM BUSINESS ENGLISH EXPERT, DALICE TROST Dalice has set up free book promotions on three books from 22 - 24 April 2014 on Amazon (Kindle store). The books are: Business Writing: A tip a Day for 30 Days Vol 1 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BH0CZMI) Business Writing: A Tip a Day for 30 Days Vol 2 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DK9WPRO) and The Busy Person's Guide to Networking (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008YGQEE8) The links are all to the US Kindle store, but the books are available in all the Kindle stores. FROM THE AAPNZ (NEW ZEALAND) Technology focused AAPNZ is really pleased to be associated with ShowGizmo, the smartphone app for events. They are currently trialing this app with one of their local Groups and then rolling it out to the other 10 Groups around the country. Local groups will be able to log-on to find out where their next monthly event is, who is speaking and who else is attending. There is also the option to survey members about anything to do with the event, what was the venue like, the food, the speakers; it’s all contained within the phone app and makes life so much simpler. They will be using it for their bigger events; 2014 AAPNZ AGM & Professional Development Forum on Saturday 9 August in Hamilton NZ will feature exhibitors, surveys for keynote speakers and of course delegate information and opportunity to chat with people via the app as well as face-to-face. Why don’t you log on to their website and check the app out. A discount of 10% is available this week only in support of AdministrativeProfessionals Day. Plus Time Management Robyn Pearce from GettingAGrip is offering a free e-book entitled“GettingaGrip on Time Management”, a must for every administrative professional; but you do need to sign up to be a member of AAPNZ in order to get one. See www.aapnz.org.nz THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT? Tawnya Sutherland is offering 25% OFF the exclusive VAinsiders.com Club, for those Virtual Assistants who want to kickstart their business (Coupon Code: lucy) AND OF COURSE, OUR TWO FANTASTIC APW OFFERS 1) A FREE PDF OF THE JANUARY ISSUE OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY MAGAZINE The IAAP, who have organised Administrative Professionals Week every year since 1952, say that administrative support personnel prefer observances that recognise and provide opportunities for learning and growth. So we'd like to give you a gift that will give you a unique opportunity to learn from the best of the best trainers from around the world. Our magazine normally costs £25/E31.50/$44 an issue but we would like to offer you a free PDF copy of our January issue as a gift for Administrative Professionals Week. Read articles that will make you more productive and create effective strategies so that your role works alongside your business's needs. Your boss will see the positive impact of your time-saving techniques that will reduce costs and improve performance across your company. Just email lbrazier@executivesecretary.com to receive your free PDF. 2) GET A FREE BROTHER P-TOUCH PT-H75 LABELMAKER WORTH £47/E58/$80 WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO EXECUTIVE SECRETARY MAGAZINE For this week only, for Administratibe Professionals Week we are not only offering you a year's learning at a 30% discount on a subscription to Executive Secretary Magazine, but we are also giving you the opportunity to receive something practical - a Brother P-Touch PT-H75 labelmaker free of charge when you subscribe. We have a letter that we can email you, which explains what the business can hope to get from you subscribing to the magazine, which has helped many of our subscribers to get their businesses to agree to subscribe on their behalf. If you would like me to email you a copy then just drop me an email at lbrazier@executivesecretary.com. Authors in the new issue include: Bonnie Low Kramen Julie Perrine Joan Burge Rhonda Scharf Marsha Egan Heather Baker Susie Kay Robert Hosking Richard Arnott Nicky Christmas and this is only a fraction of the contributors. You can subscribe either by clicking one of the links below, or by emailing me at lbrazier@executivesecretary.com. I can send you either a traditional invoice or a link to an electronic invoice where you can pay securely by card online. Costs (including postage) are: £150 - UK E189 - EUROPE $262 - REST OF WORLD For this, you get 48 pages of training, from the world's top trainers of Assistants, as recommended by your peers, in every issue. There are 6 issues a year, so that is a total of 288 pages of top quality training a year. UK Based Rest of the World Europe Based PLUS, DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN UPGRADE TO A PDF LICENCE AND SHARE You may be interested to know that we now have a new facility which allows you to download PDF versions of all the magazines (as well as of all the archive editions) directly from our website when you subscribe. You are also now able to search the website by author as well as by topic. To subscribe, visit www.executivesecretary.com You can also subscribe as a company to a PDF licence version, which allows you to share the magazine and all the training in it between all your administrative staff. Contact me if you would like details at lbrazier@executivesecretary.com

Newsletter #2 - Executive Secretary Live - IYOTSA 2014 - M.A.C. Manager Assistant Certificata: data esami

Gli argomenti di questa newsletter:

- Executive Secretary Live: perché è importante esserci

- IYOTSA: temi del mese

- Calendario formativo: ultimi appuntamenti

- Auguri di Buona Pasqua

Executive Secretary Live: perché è importante esserci

The importance of being there!

NETWORKING is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual or organization! –Adam Small

It is my second year of attendance and I can tell you that it is always exciting and inspiring.        I had the occasion to meet in person old pen-friends I was in touch only by email or through LinkedIn, Facebook and blogs and to have the pleasure to meet not only colleagues form many countries in the world but also great speakers and worldwide know personalities.

I was already sure that networking is about making connections and building enduring, mutually beneficial relationships, but I also know that it's not about who you know ... but WHO KNOWS YOU!!... Read the article

IYOTSA: temi del mese

Marzo: Il ruolo della formazione nello sviluppo di carriera Citazione The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team. Benjamin Franklin

Focus e finalità Le Manager Assistant devono cercare di essere sempre migliori e aggiornate, al passo con le nuove teconolgie e pronte ad affrontare e risolvere ogni richiesta. La crescita professionale delle Manager Assistant è un punto di forza anche del loro Manager. La sfida  Per essere sempre efficienti, preparate e in grado di offrire il miglior supporto possibile, dobbiamo essere disposte a imparare sempre qualcosa di nuovo, ma significa anche che le nostre aziende devono offrirci facilitazioni e aiuto in questo percorso

Aprile: Il valore del lavoro di squadra  Citazione The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team. Phil Jackson Focus e finalità È necessario che creiamo una cultura del lavoro in team, che ancora non esiste.

La capacità di lavorare in team porterebbe sicuramente un grande valore aggiunto anche alle nostre aziende, oltre a facilitare molti nostri compiti quotidiani. La sfida Non è sempre facile lavorare con successo in team. Mettere insieme diverse persone con differenti personalità può minare il successo di un progetto se non sono gestite correttamente. Sapere lavorare in modo produttivo con tipologie diverse di colleghi è un capacità fondamentale e che non può mancare a una Manager Assistant.

Calendario formativo: ultimi appuntamenti

Se non diversamente specificato, la sede dei corsi è presso SpaziPer – via Antonello da Messina 5, Milano. Per informazioni e iscrizioni: formazione@macse.it

08-Mag-2014 Serata in Form-Azione – Galateo aziendale 1– programma Dalle 19.30 alle 22.00 Iscrizioni e pagamento per le 2 sessioni entro il 15 aprile Relatrice Donna Flavia Fassati – www.my-fair-lady.it Per informazioni e iscrizioni:formazione@macse.it

10-Mag-2014 Finance 2a parte – programma Dalle 9.30 alle 18.00

11-Giu-2014 Serata in Form-Azione – Galateo aziendale 2 Dalle 19.30 alle 22.00

14-Giu-2014 Sessione di esame programma M.A.C. - Manager Assistant Certificata - info Per informazioni e iscrizioni:formazione@macse.it

21-Giu-2014 PNL/AT Dalle 9.30 alle 18.00 Iscrizioni e pagamento entro il 9 Giugno Per informazioni e iscrizioni:formazione@macse.it

Auguri di Buona Pasqua

Se non vuoi più ricevere questa newsletter, invia una mail con oggetto "cancellami" a newsletter@macseitalia.it

The key attributes of an effective Executive Personal Assistant

Richard Arnott, co-author of the highly popular and unique Advanced Certificate for the Executive Personal Assistant (ACEPAtm) looks at what makes an Executive Personal Assistant effective in the eyes of their Executive. 

ARNOTT

The role of the Executive Personal Assistant is growing exponentially. From humble beginnings the Executive Personal Assistant is now normally university qualified and required to perform demanding roles on behalf of their boss such as preparing executive reports, making presentations, attending and even making strategic contributions during executive board meetings etc. Executive Personal Assistants have a highly visible and demanding role in blue chip corporations and government organisations. So what makes an Executive Personal Assistant effective in the eyes of their Boss?

1 Understanding the business strategy

Fundamental to the role of senior executives in any organisation is the formation and delivery of the business strategy. These senior executives need the support of a high quality team around them if success is to come. The Executive Personal Assistant is at the core of this team and needs to be able to speak the language of the senior management team or Board. The old adage “Once you know why, you’ll figure out how” applies to the role of the Executive Personal Assistant. Executives and Senior Managers who enable their Executive Personal Assistant to gain this understanding get the significantly enhanced performance.

2 Understanding the wider business issues

The Executive Personal Assistant is the eyes and ears of their boss. The ability to listen and to communicate across the organization is a key skill that should be encouraged and learned. It is not so much as having the ear to the ground but it is more about being able to separate the wheat from the chaff. A clear understanding of the priorities, motivations and issues of others across the organization is invaluable to the Executive Personal Assistant in the daily tasks.

3 Operating efficiently and effectively

Senior Executives are busy people and need to rely on the Executive Personal Assistant to provide support not only efficiently but also effectively. Efficiently in terms of the Executive Personal Assistant’s time and effort but also ensuring that their Boss is operating efficiently. They say that efficiency is about getting the job done on time and effectiveness is about getting the job done correctly. Some would say that it’s not “what you do” but “how you do” it but I tend to disagree. It’s about both. There is no point hammering out a 20-page report for your boss in 30 minutes if it is full of errors. Conversely there is little point issuing the same report three days late with no errors. The Executive Personal Assistant should aim to deliver the report on time with no errors. That is being both effective and efficient.

4 Being a natural problem solver 

I may challenge the use of the word “natural” as problem solving is a skill that can be learnt. Some people do have a natural tendency in this regard but if they do not the effective Executive Personal Assistant can benefit significantly by attending Problem Solving training and applying these tips and tricks in their daily routine. It can be as simple as asking Why? Enough times to get to the real root cause of an issue. However, fundamentally it is realizing that finding the solution does not have to come from yourself but will come more easily from involving others that differentiates a great problem solver from a good problem solver.

5 Being a Rigorous Planner 

“People don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan.” This applies not only to the Effective Personal Assistant’s role of course but is one of its most critical aspects. The Executive Personal Assistant is not just planning their own work but is to all extents and purposes planning their boss’s. Efficient planning is not normally a solitary task. The effective project manager does not plan in isolation – they include their team. The Executive Personal Assistant does not normally have this luxury. The Boss is always too busy to sit down and get involved in the planning but still naturally expects it to go smoothly. Therefore rigorous planning is essential – but so is insisting that the boss does at least review his plans with you.

6 Being a Strong influencer

Not all Executive Personal Assistants work for the top person in the organization. The majorities operates at executive or senior management level and have to influence not only downwards but across and upwards. Being enable to recognize when to use some or all of the seven key influencing tactics of Consultation, Rational Persuasion, Exchange, Ingratiation, Coalition, Upward Appeals and last but not least Pressure is a skill that can be learned and one that delivers excellent results. The Executive Personal Assistant who tries to influence using the Boss’s position of power (the pressure tactic) may find it difficult to get an effective response and is more than likely to experience passive resistance. Whilst the pressure tactic has its place the effective influencer uses all the tools available to them. 

www.executivesecretary.com 

Executive Secreaty Magazine: Weekly Newsletter - IYOTSA 2014

Dear all
This year is off to a flying start, full of opportunity and promise. Can you believe that January is gone already? That has to be the fastest 31 days so far.

That leaves us with just 11 months to put into place the game-changing initiatives we promised ourselves for the International Year of the Secretary & Assistant. The world has changed for Assistants in the last five years and every Assistant on the planet should be aware of IYOTSA and its key message, that Assistants are no longer just ‘assisting’. They are actively ‘doing’ as business people in their own right.

We promised you that in 2014, we would help you to correct some of the stereotypes that exist around you as Assistants in your businesses, help you work towards recognition of your role, get training and encourage your businesses to get you out into the community & networking with your peers.

All this is happening, but we need your help. Our cover story in the new issue of the magazine is an in-depth guide to IYOTSA and we have decided to make the link public so you are able to share it with as many as possible in your businesses and networks. It is one of our three "Articles of the Week" at the bottom of this newsletter.

In addition, I was invited by new community website, Officepal.com to give a webinar interview on the subject of IYOTSA. They have kindly shared the video recording of the webinar with me and you can see the interview in full by clicking here. Officepal is a big supporter of IYOTSA 2014 initiative and they have planned several webinars/trainings around various themes of IYOTSA charter. Stay tuned to for more information. We believe that the IYOTSA initiative can help change the face of administration profession and we would like your help in getting the message across to every admin on this planet. Please share this link/video (https://officepal.com/pd?discussionId=1258) with every admin you know - so they can learn more, participate and benefit from IYOTSA initiative.

A reminder that I am happy to attend any event, anywhere in the world in 2014 and speak or Chair for free, as long as my travel and accommodation are covered. We have a very small window of opportunity to make a difference and I want to grab it with both hands. Whether you are running an internal company networking meeting, a conference or an Association meeting, whatever the event and however many people you have in attendance, I would be delighted to come and speak to them.

Please contact me if you would like me to come and speak at an event that you are hosting.

Speaking testimonials are available at my LinkedIn profile
www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=25058950&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the next 12 months.

Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone else you think might benefit - we are always delighted to welcome new recipients.

SO HERE IS THIS WEEK'S FREE RESOURCE

This newsletter is always packed with free resources. On the LinkedIn group, we often ask you to recommend your favourites and one that comes up, time and again is www.gcflearnfree.org.

GCFLearnFree.org creates and provides quality, innovative online learning opportunities to anyone who wants to improve their skills in a variety of areas needed to be successful in both work and life. By delivering over 750 different lessons to millions of people in over 200 countries and territories ABSOLUTELY FREE, GCFLearnFree.org is a worldwide leader in online education.

View one tutorial. Complete a whole class. They believe there's freedom in the ability to learn what you want, when you want, regardless of income or circumstances.
AND HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S AWESOME SPECIAL OFFERS

ASAP WEBINARS

We would recommend that all our readers join the ASAP as a member. Registering for membership is easy and FREE and they have many excellent free resources. Click here to join.

Our friends at ASAP have put together a very special webinar offer for all Executive Secretary Newsletter subscribers:

Take un-limited live or on-demand webinars at any time in 2014 and get $25 off each webinar! (ASAP webinars are $99) Please use coupon code EXECSEC25OFF to get your discount

ASAP also produces the annual Administrative Professionals Conference (APC) - see http://www.apcevent.com

ASAP members receive a $200 discount on their APC and EAS registration fee.

IF YOU’RE BASED IN THE MIDDLE EAST...

Marcus Evans’s ‘World Class PA Forum’ will be gathering the region’s PAs, for an interactive, inspirational two days in Dubai this February. Highlights of the conference includes a half day workshop on communication with bosses, a role play session on scenario management , an exclusive demonstration lab to boost your professional image and a mini think tank session to present solutions and not problems to your bosses. You would be sure to take home the lessons in the presentations available on multi-tasking, stress management and time management.

Marcus Evans have very kindly offered readers of this newsletter a 10% discount off a ticket to this prestigious conference.

For more details please click here and to claim your discount, just put ‘Executive Secretary Newsletter’ in the comments box.

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY LIVE, LONDON

We know that some of you can’t make the whole weekend in March, so we have put an offer in place for the next week only on the two half-day Friday workshops. Book both workshops and get a £100 discount, taking the cost from £199 each to £298 for the two.

Here are the speakers & topics:

Shirley Taylor
Supercharge Your Business Writing With the WOW Factor!
Half-day masterclass

Do you realise that what you write and how you write is very often the first impression of you that people receive? Do your business writing skills create a WOW or a WHOA?

The typical executive today spends approximately 20-25 per cent of their time writing. Yet, writing is a skill that few people seek to improve. With so many emails, letters and other documents to write, and time being an issue, writing effectively can be very demanding. However, the truth is that your writing skills can have a significant impact on your effiiency, productivity and business success.

We now communicate with people from all over the world, and much of the time the only way those people can form an opinion of us is by looking at the way we write. Shirley will show you how to create a WOW with your writing!

Best-selling author and communication expert Shirley Taylor will show you how to create a WOW with your writing!

Highlights:

• Why you must build a WOW into all your communications
• Common errors that make readers go WHOA!
• Are you writing for yesterday or today?
• 5 simple steps that will supercharge your business writing
• WOW your readers with the WOW Factor
• Questions to ask before you click send

Vickie Sokol Evans
Simplify Your Life Using Office Themes
Half-day masterclass

Time-saving Secrets to Transforming Your Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations into Professional-Looking Masterpieces

Whether you’re a graphic designer or you are like me — seriously lacking any design skills — the last thing you want to do is spend unnecessary time getting your documents to look GREAT! Introduced in Microsoft Office 2007, Office Themes are available across all Microsoft Office applications and allow you to create professional-looking and branded documents with ease. In this session, understand what makes up a Theme and best practices for automating your work so that you can work less.

• Leverage existing themes across all applications
• Customize an existing theme
• Create a new theme to match your company
• Save your custom themes and share them with others
• Discover the #1 mistake people make when changing fonts in their document that costs them valuable time

For full speaker biographies, more information or to book, please visit www.executivesecretary.com/live. To claim your discount simply type ESNEWS in the ‘Where did you hear about us?’ box

THE NEW ISSUE OF THE MAGAZINE IS OUT NOW - LAST FEW DAYS TO CLAIM 30% OFF!

The January issue came out on Friday and is packed full of training and inspiration from the world's best trainers of administrators. We have been offering a 30% discount on an annual subscription throughout January, so click here to buy now and take advantage of the discount before the offer runs out on Friday.

The website prices are preset with the 30% discounted special offer until then.

Articles include:

Leadership and Strategic Process - Doug Van Dyke
Get Connected: Seven Reasons Why all Admins Need Social Media - Julie Perrine
Work 24/7 - Just because we can, should we? Marsha Egan
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants - Bonnie Low Kramen
The Changing Face of Education - E-Learning - Natalie Lloyd
Be Results Drive - Joan Burge
Profile: Deborah Shaw, Kelly Engstrom & Kimberly McFarland, the three Presidents of the Associations for Celebrity Assistants in London, New York & LA

And this is only a tiny selection of the full content available.

PDF VERSIONS OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY MAGAZINE TO SHARE

You may be interested to know that we now have a new facility which allows you to download PDF versions of all the magazines (as well as of all the archive editions) directly from our website when you subscribe. You are also now able to search the website by author as well as by topic. To subscribe, visit www.executivesecretary.com

You can also subscribe as a company to a PDF licence version, which allows you to share the magazine and all the training in it between all your administrative staff. Contact me if you would like details at lbrazier@executivesecretary.com

 

To stay up to date on a daily basis with what's going on, you can join the LinkedIn group by clicking here or follow us on Twitter at @lucybrazier, and join in the conversation. We are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/executivesecretary. Feel free to share anything you feel we, and the rest of the community should know about with us.

Shout loudly if you need any further information on any of the above or if you have information that you would like us to share with our community of over 18,500 Assistants from all over the world.

 

Lucy Brazier

CEO, Executive Secreatry Magazine

Executive Secretary Magazien - Weekly Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter JANUARY 13th, 2014 Dear all, Welcome to a New Year and to a whole heap of new opportunities to expand your knowledge and resources. The great thing about the start of a new year is the chance to wipe the slate clean and re-evaluate what you are trying to achieve. I don't know about you, but I always feel hugely inspired for the first couple of weeks to set and stick to my New Year's resolutions but after that, they slip somewhat. Our fabulous article, below, about setting goals rather than resolutions, makes enormous sense to me and I can't wait to share it with you. And after months of preparation, it's finally here! The International Year of the Secretary and Administrative Assistant kicked off on 1st January and we have a whole raft of things happening in 2014 to increase the awareness of your role and the perception of what you do, in countries all over the world. Please see below for details of the webinar that takes place tomorrow, which you will be able to follow free of charge to find out exactly what is going on and how you can get involved. Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone else you think might benefit - we are always delighted to welcome new recipients. WOULD YOU LIKE LOTS OF FREE BOOKS? In the next few months (starting Jan 2014), UoLearn are running a promotion in association with Amazon. Their titles will be available as free kindle books for 5 days each. UoLearn are a small publishing company based in Lancashire specialising in skill based books like influencing skills, business writing, coaching skills, minute taking etc. To sign up, please visit http://www.uolearn.com/. ONE PROFESSION, ONE VOICE - FREE IYOTSA WEBINAR TOMORROW Every admin on this planet should be participating in IYOTSA 2014. We are campaigning on your behalf to get you the recognition that you deserve. Please share details of this webinar with your networks. We want as many to attend as possible. Officepal Webinar: IYOTSA 2014: What's In It For Admins?: A Conversation with Lucy Brazier on Jan 14, 2014 at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern, 6pm GMT, 7pm CET. Register Now. Here is the registration link: http://bit.ly/1ifCqr4. START THE NEW YEAR WITH A CLEAN INBOX The 7th International Clean Out Your Inbox Week takes place between 20 to 24 January 2014. This year’s promises to be one of the most exciting with new materials, daily challenges and incentives to take control of your inbox. And the Email (Winter) Olympics. Here is the plan for the week to help you reduce email overload and go for an empty inbox each day. Day 1 Monday 20 January – Why bother to keep the inbox clean Day 2 Tuesday 21 January – Start cleaning the Inbox Day 3 Wednesday 22 January – How to keep the inbox clean – downsize the number of emails you receive Day 4 Thursday 23 January – Brilliant email etiquette to keep the inbox clean Day 5 Friday 24 January – Pulling it together and moving forward Blogs will be posted each morning with an action plan for the day. There are free copies of Brilliant Email as prizes for the person either making the most progress each day or who has the best way of keeping the inbox clean. For more resource each day: Follow the initiative on Twitter using #cleaninbox. Join the Facebook page. PDF VERSIONS OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY MAGAZINE TO SHARE You may be interested to know that we now have a new facility which allows you to download PDF versions of all the magazines (as well as of all the archive editions) directly from our website when you subscribe. You are also now able to search the website by author as well as by topic. To subscribe, visit www.executivesecretary.com You can also subscribe as a company to a PDF licence version, which allows you to share the magazine and all the training in it between all your administrative staff. Contact me if you would like details at lbrazier@executivesecretary.com EXECUTIVE SECRETARY LIVE - DON'T MISS OUT, BOOK NOW- £100 DISCOUNT FOR SUBSCRIBERS UNTIL THE END OF JANUARY! Our vision was always that if a speaker is invited to speak at Executive Secretary LIVE, then they have made it to the top of their tree, as one of the world’s top trainers for EAs. Our world class speakers are not just flying in to motivate and inspire you, but to provide essential training that will boost your knowledge, skills and productivity. We guarantee that you will leave the event with a plethora of practical tips, as well as immediately actionable ideas to increase productivity and impress. But above all, we want to inspire you to go back to your businesses and use what you have learned to add new dimensions to your role. We hope you will agree that we have put together a programme that is a mixture of both the inspirational and practical. This is a truly International conference. Last year, Assistants attended from 14 different countries, from as far afield as New Zealand, the US, Russia, Turkey, Europe and of course the UK. For full details of our exceptional programme, please visit www.executivesecretary.com/LIVE and quote ESSUB to claim your £100 discount.

What can assistants expect in 2014? - Practically Perfect PA

I know I always say I can’t believe how the time flies but I seriously can’t believe how quickly 2013 past us by! It was quick wasn’t it!? I’m not just getting old! Anyway here we are in 2014 and I hope that everyone is settling back into work after the Christmas and New Year break. I think assistants will have an interesting 2014, particularly as it is the International Year of the Secretary and Administrative Assistant with lots planned for our professional development. Practically Perfect PA has lots and lots planned for 2014 which I will share with you over the next few weeks but in the mean time let’s have a look at what our industry can expect this year.

1. Employment opportunities and salary

It would seem that organisations are remaining cautious when it comes to increasing their head count this year. In fact in the US a recent report found that only 24% of employers planned to increase their staff numbers. A reliance on part time and temporary staff looks set to continue in 2014 which means that most assistants will stay in their current role rather than seek new employment opportunities. On the whole pay freezes have come to an end so assistants should expect financial rewards for their hard work this year. As ever it depends on your location with most pay increases expected in London and the surrounding area. For those looking to move to a different role this year make sure your CV reflects your reputation and ensure you emphasise your proven track record, this is what recruiters will be looking for in 2014 – a safe, risk free placement.

2. PA Networking

Throughout 2013 we noticed a huge increase in PA networking with a number of local networking groups springing up across the UK. Niche networking is a big trend for 2014 so it would seem assistants are ahead of the curve on this one! Joining a local networking group is a fantastic opportunity for assistants to meet other assistants in their area, receive training and support from the local community. Assistants will no longer have to get their manager’s permission to travel to London or other major cities for networking opportunities which can be a major hurdle. Do support your local networking group if you have one, if you don’t… well you should think about starting your own!

3. Professional Development

In 2013 we saw a massive rise in the number of conferences, events, exhibitions and seminars for assistants and this will increase even more so in 2014. It is hard to know which conferences to attend and where to best spend our employer’s money but we came across this short video which will help you and your executive choose the right event to attend this year. We must be fussy when it comes to our training and pick events that not just tackle the same old issues but instead really cater for our needs. The conference organisers must understand the profession, understand the pressures and the difficulties of the role and most importantly understand the diversity of the role and how it has changed over recent years. Our training should inspire us through a really creative atmosphere. No one should be attending boring old events with the same old presentations and speakers. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again assistants deserve top quality training just like any other profession.

4. Technology

Assistants should truly embrace new technology in 2014 because our executives certainly will. Most executives have a smart phone and tablet these days so assistants should already be aware of how they work, suitable apps and how to maximise their efficiency. Understanding technology can lead to assistants taking on projects outside of our mainstream role so I think embracing new technology should be a key focus for us this year. Remember it isn’t just our executives that are consuming new technology it is the entire organisation so stand out in this area and you’ll be recognised as someone worth knowing. Oh and don’t worry I can’t see technology taking jobs away from us any time soon!

5. Social Media

87% of companies now have a social media presence so it is becoming increasingly important for assistants to understand social media and in 2014 to go one step further and have a social media presences themselves. This is particularly important if job hunting, as most recruiters will now look for an active engagement in your chosen profession. Most organisations now understand the importance of social media and allow (within reason) staff to use their working hours to look at Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Assistants in 2014 know that having a social media presence is invaluable to their role but they must understand that confidentiality and professionalism is still fundamental and must be displayed when using social media.

6. Information Security and confidentiality

Confidentiality is still a fundamental aspect of our role but overall in 2014 we will see an increase in the importance of information security across most organisations. Businesses will look at who has access to what and which levels of security staff are granted. There will be an additional emphasis placed on trust within our profession particularly as so many people now understand how much access we have to our employees confidential documents and personal life following the Nigella Lawson/Charles Saatchi case.

7. Travel

Technology really does touch every part of our role in 2014, particularly when it comes to arranging travel for our assistants. Internet access is on the increase so expect to hear from your boss on the flight, in the car and anywhere else that you can pick up wifi these days! The amount of down time we enjoy while our boss travels is certainly decreasing if it is not already non-existent. Hotels and airlines are increasing their use of technology with smart phone check in and front desks replaced with iPads and avitars. This will mean that assistants will again have to understand how this technology works and be able to help their executives download the appropriate apps for boarding passes and hotel reservations.

8. Client entertainment

As the economy slowly picks up over 2014 I think we will see a return to lavish client entertainment (did it ever really go away?) Assistants will have to keep a close eye on the restaurant scene as 2014 will see a continued growth in the pop up culture made fashionable in 2013. The best restaurants may only be in town for a short period of time so assistants will have to stay on the ball to get table reservations. Again technology comes into play with corporate entertainment and the growing number of iPad magicians and tablet caricaturists.

9. Role diversification

In 2013 we saw the role really diversifying with lots of assistants taking on additional work outside of the usual tasks we are assigned. Our professional development plan for 2014 should reflect this diversification and our managers should be aware that with extra responsibility comes extra support and training. Our role is changing and will continue to change throughout 2014.

10. Working Relationships

Unfortunately 2014 is not going to be the year we are suddenly appreciated for the work that we do. Assistants will continue to feel undervalued and the industry will not be seen as a profession in its own right. Nevertheless we are on the right track. Our managers appreciate us and we feel appreciated by them. The relationship between assistant and executive will become even stronger in 2014. With the likes of Richard Branson singing the praises of his PA last year I think we will see more public figures extolling the virtues of their assistants. This can only help us become more valued within our organisations and we should welcome the media coverage.

11. Talent

Talent will out in 2014 and organisations will try to recruit the most talented individuals and they will try to hold on to the talent that they already have. Assistants must see themselves as specialists because there are not many people that can do what we do. We have buckets full of talent and if we do not see ourselves this way then the 2014 ‘talent’ trend will pass us by. As our organisations seek to secure top talent they will be investing in their personal development programmes in 2014. Assistants can really benefit from jumping on the in-house training band wagon. Got a graduate scheme? in 2014 ask to attend a few of their training sessions so that you increase your business acumen. It’s free so what does your company have to lose?

12. Work life balance and working remotely

2013 saw many assistants trying to achieve a good work life balance by incorporating flexible working hours and working remotely into their average week. Many assistants took their first steps into the world of the Virtual Assistants and haven’t looked back since. In 2014 their will be an overall employment trend for remote working to increase and many organisations employing contractors to save money. I think many small business and entrepreneurs will employ VAs for the first time this year as a means of outsourcing administrative tasks. I also think more assistants will get the chance to work from home because their managers will allow other members of staff to do the same.

13. The changing face of the personal assistant

Our industry is so far removed from the stereotypical image of the ‘secretary’. However in 2014 we will see many younger faces entering the profession. The boomers are starting to retire (in fact 18% will retire in the next 5 years) which means there will be more opportuinites for Gen X and Y to take on board level assistant roles and move up the career ladder. The younger assistants will bring a strong understanding of technology, social media and how it can be used in a business context. We don’t want to lose the established skills that older generations of assistants have so in 2014 organisations should ensure the transfer of skills takes place before the boomers leave for their well deserved retirement!

14. The International Year of the Secretary and Administrative Assistant

2014 is the year of the secretary and administrative assistant which means not only do we have a whole year dedicated to our profession but we will also have a lot of wonderful networking events and media attention. This really is the year that our industry can take a giant leap forward and I think that in itself will be a big trend for 2014. We will be stepping out from behind our desks and showing the world how great we really are… oh and that most organisations can not function without us!

 

http://www.practicallyperfectpa.com/2014/can-assistants-expect-2014/01/09/#!

Collaboriamo per un eccezionale 2014 – IYOTSA, International Year Of The Secretary and Administrative Assistant

Il 2013 è quasi terminato e siamo pronte per affrontare il nuovo anno e tutte le sfide che ci aspettano.

Qualunque sia il tuo luogo di lavoro, c’è sempre una preparatissima assistente che si occupa di gestire dettagli organizzativi, progetti, ogni sorta di problema che nessun altro sarebbe in grado di risolvere.

La frase che mi segue dappertutto, in qualsiasi contesto lavorativo da ormai 20 anni a questa parte è: “tu che sai tutto”...

Quindi mentre ci godiamo le meritate vacanze dopo la follia pre-natalizia che si ripete con le stesse consuetudini ogni anno, è importante che riflettiamo su che cosa vogliamo ottenere nel 2014.

Se siete persone che sono abituate a lavorare in team con altre o se non vi è mai capitato di farlo ma è una cosa che vorreste sperimentare una volta nella vostra vita professionale, sarete sicuramente interessate a unirvi a noi di IYOTSA.

Sono venuta a conoscenza di questa iniziativa all’inizio del 2013 quando dal Sud Africa sono stata contattata da Ana-Maria Valente (http://whoswho.co.za/ana-maria-valente-8408) che mi ha scritto per illustrarmi l’iniziativa.

Ana-Maria Valente

 

Lucy Brazier

In seguito sia tramite LinkedIn che Facebook la notizia è stata comunicata a livello mondiale e nello scorso ottobre MACSE Italia è stata designata “Ambasciatrice per l’Italia” da Lucy Brazier che tramite la rivista Executive Secretary Magazine (www.executivesecretary.com) sta contribuendo in modo importante a far conoscere IYOTSA 2014 utilizzando la rivista come Global Brand Ambassador.

 

 

Advice for Manager Assistants to Get What They Deserve

 

 

Advice for Manager Assistants often sounds contradictory: State your position, but not too strongly… Be assertive, but be sure not to offend others… It's good to be proactive, but not too much… Do this, but do not overstate… Just be perfect, all right? This is the biggest challenge we have to face in our profession - a Manager Assistant must demonstrate strong leadership characteristics to be a good one, but behaviors usually accepted for other roles are often negatively perceived in ours. Hence the daunting advice of "do a bit of this, but not too much."
Colleagues of my association frequently complain to me about this double standard. "My manager told me I needed to be more proactive, but then he told me I'd better stay in my place." "If another colleague had done what I did, he wouldn't have been criticized for it." "I asked for a raise, and they said I was being too aggressive." Others, afraid, say to me, "I can't ask anything for me," and I say back, "And you should, if you think you deserve it."

The stereotypical Manager Assistant is still considered as an out-of-fashion secretary who makes photocopies and serves coffee: this is not acceptable anymore. In my observation, successful Manager Assistants in the workplace are usually using behaviors that are self-confident and assertive; they are not overly feminine, nor do they demonstrate overtly masculine or offensive behaviors, but they do not give way if they think they are right. At the end of the day, if we like our jobs and don't want to quit, what can we do?

First, let's listen to the criticisms of my colleagues made by co-workers and bosses: "She's too stiff. She doesn't hang out with us. She says she has too much to do. She's too emotional." And the kicker: "She lacks self-confidence."

Ah, ah, I can't imagine why! But these are important insights. Some Manager Assistants are so uncomfortable at work that they treat colleagues as the enemy and are unfriendly, even hostile. They hide behind formal emails and only interact with their colleagues when necessary, because, they say, they do not want any extra workload.

Now, let's look at some alternatives. I recommend building informal collegial relationships with your colleagues, but always keeping in mind that there is a subtle line not to be crossed; it is what I call the "line of respect". You may be the first Manager Assistant they've had that kind of relationship with, so proceed thoughtfully. It takes time and effort, but it is usually possible and almost always worthwhile. I suggest spending time with them: drop by their offices, call them on the phone, engage in information exchange, and be helpful when you can; in other words, build a professional relationship. You may have to make the first move, but if you keep your interactions professional, your colleagues will not misinterpret your friendliness as a suggestion for a date.
If you work in a male environment, try to become part of informal conversations in the hallway, before and after meetings, or at lunch. You may need to learn a bit about football or cars, but you don't have to become an expert to participate. With your female colleagues it should be easier to find common conversational subjects. Observe your specific colleagues and look for positive ways to interact with them. Then you won't feel like an alien, and your co-workers won't treat you like one. Consider participating in their activities outside of work too, but be careful to keep your behavior businesslike (eg you're not obliged to close down the pub!).

As they get to know you, your relationship can become more easygoing, natural and genuine. You will be more confident, and also your managers will feel more comfortable providing useful feedback that will help you improve. Work becomes more rewarding, not to mention more fun.

Being part of the network also positions you for information, potential assignments and sponsorships. We know perfectly well that very often our bosses don't promote us or give us salary increases, simply because they don't know what we really do. Make sure they know all about you. There's a tangible payoff in terms of rewards and compensation but, importantly, it also builds trust.

Relationships built on trust are sturdy and can endure a blow or two. Trust provides flexibility because your boss will give you the benefit of the doubt if your behavior surprises him. That can be extraordinarily beneficial when you want to take on more responsibilities and challenges.
Learn to appreciate the opportunity you have been given, open yourself up to the moment. Open your eyes and ears. Slow down. Make silent observations about what is around you. Listen. Concentrate on the moment. Focus on conversations. Set yourself the practical challenge of learning important details and you will see that things, even slowly, will change and, in the end, you will get what you deserve.

 

 

by Mariachiara Novati on 2 December,2013

www.executivesecretary.com

Executive Secretary Magazine: Editor's letter - Changing Perceptions

Here at Executive Secretary, we are gearing up for a year that could change the world for Assistants.
Did you know that 2014 is the International Year of the Secretary and that we have just been appointed as Global Brand Ambassador for this extraordinary event? It's 30 years since the last one and it couldn't have come at a better time for Administrative Professionals.

Associations from all over the world will be using 2014 as an opportunity to voice what we all already know; that the role has changed totally in the last five years.

With the onset of the recession and the redundancies of thousands of middle management, Assistants suddenly found themselves taking on many of the roles previously carried out by the Middle Managers for no more money and often with no training - PR, Marketing, Accounting, Events Management, Knowledge Management and, scariest of all, HR.

It was only ever meant to be a temporary arrangement but there is nothing more permanent than temporary and, five years later, the majority of Assistants are still juggling at least one additional role alongside their original job and still haven't had a pay rise, proper training or a change of job description.

Why is a job description that recognises what you actually do so important? Because otherwise you are not being measured properly against what you actually do, so in an annual appraisal situation you will never get the pay rise or the recognition that you deserve. And, equally, the skills gaps will never be brought to the fore, because it will not be clear exactly what it is that you do and therefore where you need help.

The truth is that Assistants are no longer a stereotypical subservient support network. More often than not they are responsible for several key areas of the business as well as a strategic business partner to their manager - admittedly with different skill sets to their Executive but those skill sets are no less valid.

Belbin, a psychometric testing system, looks at how team members work best together. It concludes that each team works best with eight different types of person in it. Indeed, some companies take Belbin so seriously that when hiring a replacement, they will only hire someone that matches the eighth of the team that is missing.

Most Executives sit either in the "Shaper" or the "Plant" categories. Shapers tend to be either entrepreneurial and great leaders, but couldn't finish anything if their lives depended on it, or arrogant with few communication skills.

Assistants on the other hand tend to sit either in the "Teamworker" or "Completer Finisher" categories. In other words, you complement the skill sets of your Executive totally and neither one of you could operate without the other.

The International Year of the Secretary is a great opportunity to shout about what you actually do and to change the perception of the role not only in your own company but across the world. It is a very short window of time in which we can all do our bit to fight for a better understanding and recognition of Assistants as professional business people - not just a support mechanism.

There is a role to play whether you just want to take and share details with your company, or attend one of our events (our Executive Secretary LIVE event this year will come under the banner of International Year of the Secretary) or if you wanted to put your organisation forward as an ambassador in your country. If you would like to get involved, please email me and we'll get details right out to you.

In addition, I am happy to come and speak at or Chair events anywhere in the world for the next 12 months for no fee, as long as my travel and accommodation is paid for. In 2013, I have had the honour of visiting 21 different countries. I hope to beat this in 2014 in my quest to spread the word. Just email my Assistant Matthew if you have an event that you would like me to attend.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the next year.

by Lucy Brazier on 20 December,2013
www.executivesecretary.com