The Indispensable Assistant
SkillPath Seminars
Delivery Method
Seminar
Target Audience
Assistants, Administrative Assistants
Summary
Gain practical skills to make you more productive and more valuable than ever before. Learn better ways to get organized, stay motivated, manage projects, work independently and handle the pressure of multiple tasks, deadlines and bosses.
Description/Agenda
You’ll learn …
- How performing two easy tasks at the end of each day will save hours (and headaches) the next day
- How the “80/20” rule will help you identify your most important tasks
- How to organize your work area for improved efficiency
- 7 strategies for successful delegation-–even if you think there’s no one to delegate to
- And more
Gain practical skills to make you more productive and more valuable than ever before. Learn better ways to get organized, stay motivated, manage projects, work independently and handle the pressure of multiple tasks, deadlines and bosses.
Program hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
How to get organized and stay that way
- 6 tips for developing a plan to get the most out of each day
- How to productively use the part of your day that most people waste
- Perform 2 easy tasks at the end of each day and save hours (and headaches) the next day
- Back to the basics—the unbeatable benefits of the tried-and-true “to-do” list
- How the “80/20” rule will help you identify your most important tasks
- How to organize your work area for improved efficiency
- Dealing with correspondence—shortcuts you and your boss can work out together
- When less truly is more—how to practice the art of paper purging
Time management solutions that work
- 3 specific methods for shaving time from routine jobs
- When taking a well-deserved break can actually save you valuable time
- 3 steps for streamlining paperwork by using the “handle-it-once” rule
- Parkinson’s Law—reclaim wasted time by applying its universal lessons
- How to avoid falling into the trap of working more and accomplishing less
- How to pinpoint time wasters in your workflow system
- 10 “Golden Rules” of time management
- How to eliminate the biggest self-generated time waster
Stress management techniques
- How to recognize and deal with the 5 most common causes of work-related stress
- How your physical environment contributes to stress—tips for stress-proofing your work space
- How to schedule for those last-minute crises
- 3 strategies for avoiding job frustration and burnout
- Simple, effective relaxation exercises you can use anytime, anywhere
- Ideas you can share with your boss for reducing stress throughout the department
- Understanding the root causes of job burnout and how to handle them
Assertiveness skills that help you get the job done
- 7 assertiveness techniques that will increase your professional effectiveness
- Identify and eradicate the nonverbal messages that undermine your assertiveness
- 4 steps for saying “No” when necessary, without being offensive or feeling guilty
- 10 diplomatic ways to let supervisors and co-workers know you can’t take on any more
- Time-tested strategies for negotiating what you want
- How to gracefully let your boss know when you’ve been given conflicting priorities
- How preparing a script ahead of time can help you be more assertive
- Personal power—where it comes from and how to use it
Managing multiple projects and priorities
- How to set a deadline—the key to effective project management
- Why “going public” with a deadline will help you make it
- 3 steps for putting an end to missed deadlines
- A formula for ranking your priorities by importance and urgency
- The “divide-and-conquer” approach: How to cut unwieldy projects down to size
- 10 tips from professional project managers that you can use to plan, implement and complete your projects
- How to set the B.E.S.T. goals to focus your time and energy
- Why people who write it down are more successful than people who don’t
How to handle the interruptions that sabotage your productivity
- One sure-fire way to discourage drop-in visitors
- How to avoid constant interruptions (even from the boss) and secure more time for completing tasks
- How to concentrate on one thing at a time and get it done
- How a few minutes in the morning can save many interruptions throughout the day
- Implementing the “quiet hour” to guarantee blocks of uninterrupted time
- Steps for avoiding telephone interruptions
- 6 recommendations for dealing tactfully with people who slow you down
- The signals that politely but firmly let a co-worker know you don’t have time to chat
- R.E.A.C.T.—5 steps for managing demands when saying “No” isn’t an option
Tips for working with multiple bosses
- Communication is the key—establishing channels among multiple supervisors so they’ll know the demands on your time
- How agreeing to the priorities and procedures ahead of time can avoid conflict later
- Time-saving tips for handling messages, mail, telephone calls and visitors for several bosses
Working together: The manager/assistant team
- How to make yourself an indispensable part of the management team
- How to play the valuable role of liaison between the manager and other team members
- How to eliminate the gray areas of responsibility and authority in your position
- Concrete ideas for smoothing and improving your partnership with your boss
- How to bring sensitive problems and issues to your boss’s attention
- 9 important keys to maintaining an excellent working relationship with your boss
- Damming the paper flow to give your boss more uninterrupted time
Delegation—the way to multiply your effectiveness
- 7 strategies for successful delegation—even if you think there’s no one to delegate to
- How to avoid the “I’d-better-do-it-myself” hang-up and save time by delegating
- How to enlist your co-workers’ help on a project by finding a common goal
- How to avoid the most common delegation drawbacks
- How to delegate the right jobs to the right people
- Surprising ways your boss can help you accomplish more
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