The Administrative Assistants Conference On-Site Training

This on-site training class is also available as Public Schedule Seminar.

Boost your communication skills, your productivity, your professional development and your satisfaction!

Course Description/Agenda

You’ll learn …

Build and strengthen your “people skills”
Manage multiple projects, responsibilities and bosses
Get more done in less time
And become an indispensable star assistant!

Boost your communication skills, your productivity, your professional development and your satisfaction! In this era of dramatic change in the business world, assistants have never been more challenged … more stretched … than they are today. You’re expected to do whatever it takes to keep the “train moving” amidst the confusion brought on by re-engineering, restructuring, new technology—whatever changes you’re up against. In this valuable conference, you’ll learn new, practical skills that will enable you to manage your job and your career with new professionalism, new authority and new success.

Design your day to meet your unique needs. We’ve packed a lot of information into just one day … so feel free to move in and out of these two tracks and 10 dynamic sessions. It’s your conference—don’t miss a thing!

Program hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

TRACK 1: 5 Traits That Define Today’s Top Assistants

Step into leadership

How to take charge—even when you’re not in charge
When tasks pile up, know how to prioritize—and re-prioritize—to meet changing needs
Assertive or persuasive—which is the better leadership trait?
How doing the work and managing the work are two very different things
The myth of “It’s not my job so I don’t have to do it”

Control office technology before it controls you

Why and how technology causes stress—and what can be done about it
4 tips for instantly making e-mail more manageable
Letting go of old habits—like printing everything and obsessively checking e-mail
What is so easy to forget—but so important to remember—about technology
Setting boundaries in a world of 24/7 connectivity

Sharpen your written voice

Your one and only goal in business writing
Matching your business writing to your personality
The 30-minute rule for avoiding unacceptable writing mistakes
3 simple exercises you can do at your desk to sound more natural on paper
Grammar does matter—established rules you must follow

Guerilla problem-solving

Getting started—understanding your boss’s needs
Information is power: How not to be perceived as withholding information
Using “framing” to present the problem—and solution—in a way your boss will understand and accept
Know the fine line between being assertive and being downright pushy
How to approach your boss about taking on more problem-solving responsibility

Lay the groundwork for on-time projects

Getting started—3 things to establish right off the bat
4 best practices that apply to even small projects
Strong organizational skills: Always an asset, but essential in project management
Your first priority as a project manager
How to keep changes from wreaking havoc with deadlines
The project plan: How simply having one doubles your chances of succeeding

TRACK 2: Professional Development

Organize everything in your life

How the 80/20 rule will help you identify your most important tasks
Back to the basics … the unbeatable benefits of the tried-and-true “to-do” list
Damming the paper flow to give your boss more uninterrupted time
Dealing with correspondence … shortcuts you and your boss can work out together
6 tips for developing a plan to get the most out of every day

Stay in sync with your boss

How to play the valuable role of liaison between your boss and other managers
9 important keys to maintaining an excellent working relationship with your boss
Special strategies to use when the difficult person is the boss
When working with multiple bosses … establishing channels among multiple supervisors so they’ll know the demands on your time

Juggle multiple projects with ease

Putting into practice a proven 6-phase project management process that works on any project … large or small
How to benefit from a task checklist to identify specifically what needs to be done and when
When things go wrong … 5 tips for proceeding in a way that maintains your credibility
Coping with the stress and strain of multiple responsibilities
How to use influence to get the job done, especially when you have responsibility without authority

Deal with chronically impossible people

The 6 basic steps for dealing with all negative behavior
How to deal with feelings of helplessness and anger when faced with difficult people and situations
“What’s this really about?” How to get to the root of the problem instead of battling the symptoms
How to address a chronic disagreement and arrive at a mutually acceptable action plan for resolution
How honesty and understanding will help you keep your cool when dealing with an out-of-control person

Everyday negotiation skills

The principles of everyday negotiation
How to turn the points of disagreement into a framework for resolution
How your personality affects the way you “give and take”
How to express yourself without accusation, sarcasm or hostility
How a few simple words can work like magic in getting others to do what you want

More Seminar Information