Executive Secretary Magazine and MACSE Italia

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Weekly Newsletter OCTOBER 24th, 2013 Dear all, This week's activities have been led predominantly with conversations around next year's International Year of the Secretary. We are going to work really hard next year to change the world of the Assistant across the world but we need your help. We had a flood of offers to get involved from individuals, businesses, associations and trainers following our request for volunteers last week. So this week has seen exciting meetings with the hub in South Africa, with associations all over the world and with some of the world's top trainers and training companies. Watch this space for announcements that will shortly be coming thick and fast! We want as many of you involved as possible so if you haven't contacted me yet, please shout loudly! My email address is lbrazier@executivesecretary.com. WHEN IN ROME Well not Rome actually - Milan, but you get the idea. It was a privilege to spend time with the MACSE Assistants in Milan last weekend. As part of their annual congress, I was there to present those that have invested in their own personal development and completed their qualifications, with their well deserved diplomas. Photos are on the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/executivesecretary. Italy is one of many countries that I work with where the Assistants need to work really hard for investment in their training and for recognition. With a statistic of only 48% of women working in Italy, the battle to change the perception of the role is more difficult for our Italian colleagues than many of the rest of us. I applaud the Association members' commitment to their own development. When I see Assistants in countries with the tide against them, fighting so hard to get the education and recognition they deserve it serves as a reminder to those of us that get it offered to us on a plate that it is not something to be taken for granted. Grab the opportunity with both hands! When was the last time you asked for training or personal development? THIS WEEK'S FREE RESOURCES A slightly different slant this week for you. Here are four websites, all with amazing free resources for Assistants. The first is from the wonderful Chrissy Scivicque (pronounced “Civic”) is an award-winning writer, certified career coach and experienced corporate trainer. I met Chrissy in the States recently and was hugely impressed with not only her breadth of knowledge but with her passion for what she does. Her website - Eat Your Career is full of exceptional content. Grab free worksheets, audio sessions, video trainings and more for the sweet price of zip, zero, zilch. No catch. Free. Really. Just visit http://www.eatyourcareer.com/free-stuff/free-downloads.   Our second resource this week is www.allthingsadmin.com. If you follow our weekly Twitter chat, #adminchat on a weekly basis, or are a subscriber to the magazine, you will already know and love our Queen of Procedures, Julie Perrine. Her website is a mine of information and her templates for everything from an administrative procedures binder to travel procedures to a job responsibilities template are absolutely second to none. Thirdly, we'd like to introduce you to www.bookboon.com where you can download FREE eBooks and textbooks. In 2004, while studying for their B.Sc. and M.Sc. at Copenhagen Business School, Kristian Buus Madsen and his brother Thomas came up with the idea of free textbooks. They are second generation publishers and were convinced it should be possible to offer free education material to both students and business professionals. This is where bookboon.com came into being: the concept was launched in Denmark in 2005 and the global website was launched in 2008. Bookboon's eBooks help the reader become more efficient in his or her workplace. The books cover business relevant themes like persuasive communication, time management, project management, and many other areas within personal development, as well as practical books on Microsoft Office, social media. Adobe and similar. The books are about 50 pages long and they are tailored to be read in two or three hours, which is the available time a reader has on a flight, a train journey, an evening in a hotel or at home after the kids are put to bed. The books have a hands-on approach: you can read them today and use them tomorrow. And finally, new kid on the block http://pa-prive.com. We have been really impressed by the quality of the articles and information coming out of this new resource. They seem to be doing a great balancing act with aggregating interesting information and producing their own original posts. EYES ON THE PRIZE - NON-UK READERS LOOK AWAY NOW! We are delighted to announce that Executive Secretary Magazine has just signed a partnership agreement with Keith Prowse Hospitality, the UK’s leading corporate hospitality and tours provider. As you know, we are very choosy about the providers that we work with - we have to be sure that they are offering something of quantifiable benefit to our audience before we will put them in front of you. So you will be pleased to hear, that among other things, as part of the agreement, they have promised some great give-aways to the Executive Secretary community. Please get entering, because if this one goes well, then next up could be some hospitality packages for Wimbledon! So the first fantastic prize we have to give away, courtesy of Keith Prowse Hospitality is... An England rugby shirt signed by the man that led England's World Cup Team to victory, Captain Martin Johnson What a great Christmas present for any rugby fan! So, if you’re into rugby, or know someone who is, then this is an ideal present. If you don’t, perhaps it would make a good addition to a charity auction you are running? Here's the link - just click here to enter **** Thank you for committing to your own personal development by signing up to this newsletter - our learning continues and you'll find our three recommended articles of the week at the bottom of the newsletter, selected from all those shared via our various social media feeds this week. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone else that you think would benefit from it. They can sign up to receive their own weekly copy at www.executivesecretary.com This week's Training Courses & Events Here is a selection of what's coming up in the next week. Just click on the event you want to look at for fuller details. A full list of training, networking and conference events is available on the website at www.executivesecretary.com. Your event not listed? However big or small the event, just email me at lbrazier@executivesecretary.com and we will gladly list it on the website free of charge, as well as sharing it via social media with the Executive Secretary community. The Secretary: Juggler SPAIN "A career so short, but long, rewarding, full of successes and learning " 24/10/2013 - 25/10/2013 Today's PA-London-2 Days LONDON, UK In our experience, course delegates save an hour every day using our Outlook tips - that's five or more hours a week - half a day given back to you to do other things - that's the power of Today's PA. 24/10/2013 - 25/10/2013 The PA Hub Social Event LEEDS, UK Join The PA Hub for an evening of networking. 24/10/2013 Hays Networking evening BIRMINGHAM, UK Thursday 24th October - Birmingham 24/10/2013 Network and Training Event OLD TRAFFORD, UK You are invited to a full day training course on 'Venue Contracts' to be held on Friday 25th October 2013 9.00am - 4.00pm to include lunch At Emirates Old Trafford 25/10/2013 Radisson Blu Portman Square - ALL PA Club Members LONDON, UK Our next London Away Day will be held at Radisson Blu Portman Square on Friday the 25th October 25/10/2013 2-Day Weekend Workshop SAN FRANCISCO, USA Instructors: Bonnie Low-Kramen & Vickie Sokol Evans 26/10/2013 - 27/10/2013 A Motivational Lunch With Priscilla Morris! LEICESTER, UK The City Rooms, Hotel Street, Leicester LE1 5AW 27/10/2013 Advanced Executive PA Masterclass Course LONDON, UK *2-day advanced-level course 30/10/2013 - 31/10/2013 #adminchat with Eth Lloyd - ONLINE Executive Secretary Magazine's free weekly Tweetchat. 31/10/2013   Please visit www.executivesecretary.com for full details of these events and many other local, national & international training & networking events. 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 15,300 Assistants from all over the world. Warm regards from sunny but chilly Shepperton, Lucy Lucy Brazier CEO, Executive Secretary Magazine PS: If you would like to share this email with others in your organisation, we would be delighted for you to do so. They can also sign up to receive it regularly at www.executivesecretary.com.

What can assistants expect in 2013 Practically Perfect PA

I read this article "What can assistants expect in 2013 Practically Perfect PA " some days ago and I found it very interesting, even though not all the suggestion are applicable for Italian Manager Assistant.
Anyway, i chose some of the points to share with you, dear reader:

1. Role diversification

For those remaining in their role (which the large majority of assistants will do) the opportunity to expand the scope of the job and your day to day activities will increase. Companies will be seeking to get the most out of the employees they already have so assistants should take advantage of this and try new and different challenges, this could be anything from organising corporate events to running the office facilities department.

My opinion:
 "the opportunity to expand the scope of the job and your day to day activities will increase" – it be an obliged path, because the role is changing so fast that in the last 5 years managers can replace us in our common duties with an I-Phone and an I-Pad.

2. Training

With the assistant role now encompassing so many varied tasks we should expect to see a rise in training for assistants in 2013. If you have been asked to take on additional work then expect to be trained in the new aspects of your job. If in 2012 you did not attend any events or training sessions then you should speak to your manager or HR immediately to get something booked for 2013. Remember assistants need to keep up to date with the latest innovations in our industries as much as any other profession. Don´t just attend any event though, if you would like to know how to get the most out of an event and what signs to look for when booking a great event, this blog should help.

My opinion:
“If you have been asked to take on additional work then expect to be trained in the new aspects of your job” – this doesn’t happen very frequently, companies don’t have the tendency to pay for training. Take advantage of the gift MACSE Italia offer you: 1 training day at 60 Euros.
3. Social Media/Personal Branding

Assistants should see the influence social media can have on all aspects of their professional life. In previous years assistants have not seen the point of personal branding and networking but as our roles diversify we will embrace online networking and social media. This could be as simple a step as setting up a LinkedIn profile to using twitter for networking with other assistants through to blogging and taking part in virtual conferences. Those seeking new jobs will find that having a social media presence will only confirm that they take their profession seriously.

My opinion:
“In previous years assistants have not seen the point of personal branding and networking but as our roles diversify we will embrace online networking and social media” – we are trend setters and in 2010 we understood that networking and social media are fundamental for Manager Assistants. Give a look to our calendar of networking events: http://www.macseitalia.it/training/calendar.asp

10. The relationship between assistant and assistant

Over recent years I´ve noticed a shift in how assistants work with other assistants in that they are a lot more supportive of each other, covering each other when out of the office and generally working as a team and bonding over the same problems and experiences. I think this will become more and more common in 2013. The team of assistants I currently work with are all very supportive of each other and I found this a great help last year. I really do hope other assistants see this in their company over the next year.

My opinion:
“Over recent years I´ve noticed a shift in how assistants work with other assistants in that they are a lot more supportive of each other” – in MACSE Italia, you can find help and support to improve your professional knowledge through the exchange of best practice and protocols

12. Value of the assistant role in the company

Although I do think assistants are and will continue to be appreciated more and more in 2013 I do not think we will see a change in the difficulty assistants face in being promoted and moving out of supporting roles. Unfortunately I do think this will still be a challenge faced by many assistants in the coming year.

My opinion:
“in 2013 I do not think we will see a change in the difficulty assistants face in being promoted and moving out of supporting roles” – we all know that promotions and/or salary increases are a dream, but being more prepared can allow us to change company and sell ourselves for a best position.

13. Work Life balance

A work life balance has always been important for assistants as many of us have families and other commitments outside of work (this is why many of us become assistants in the first place). The balance will remain an important part of our lives and I think many of us will look to achieve more flexibility in 2013. This could be as simple as working from home more frequently to striking out on our own and setting up a VA company. One thing is for sure, assistants will begin to fully realise that their skills can be matched to a variety of roles and positions.


My opinion:
“The balance will remain an important part of our lives and I think many of us will look to achieve more flexibility in 2013” – another dream in Italy, but learning to be more efficient can help us to leave the office before nightime


Raffaella Brambilla writes:
Being part of a group is actually a great experience: you can offer your skills but most of all you get always something back; the use of best practice and other supportive tools is just out there and handy: why not to try?
It is worth the effort, even though I do not consider this an effort at all, on the contrary a very pleasant way to spend time together...
In 2013 I would practise a better personal branding thru social media or networking; this is one of my targets for this year.

http://www.practicallyperfectpa.com/2013/what-can-assistants-expect-in-2013/01/04/