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  • feedwordpress 19:36:00 on 2019/02/14 Permalink
    Tags: , , Etiquette, ,   

    How Should an Executive Assistant Conduct Themselves? – Ask An Admin 


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    This is a special Ask an Admin because it is time sensitive and we are helping a new executive assistant in Europe! So, administrative professionals from around the world, let’s try to help!

    Katrien, from Belgium says:

    I will start a new challenge as a Executive Assistant and I am very much looking forward to that. In February all colleagues (also the new ones) are invited at a company event in New Orleans, Louisiana. This means a long haul flight of 11 hours with 200 colleagues in one airplane. And a whole business week full of work and leisure events. I am a bit nervous though about a few things:

    1. How to remain professional at all times considering the long flight and tiredness/sleep it will involve.
    2. What to wear on the flight as I like to be comfortable but still professional.
    3. What to wear when casual is required at some events; I don’t like wearing “jeans and sneakers” at work.

    Katrien will be taking that flight next week so let’s try to get all the information, tips, and tricks to her as soon as we can! Side note…congratulations on your promotion Katrien!

    ATTENTION: If you’ve submitted your response on our Ask an Admin blog post, please be patient to see your response and other responses. We have to manually approve them to prevent spammers and profanity. If you do not see your response right away, please give it time and revisit. We apologize for this but this is the best way we can keep YOUR blog clean! Thank you, everyone!

    About Ask an Admin:

    Ask an Admin will be a weekly post on our blog that presents a question that you or a fellow administrative professional submitted to us. We will choose one question per week and post it on our blog.

    If you have a question that you would like to submit, please send it to officedynamics.aaa@gmail.com and include the name you would like us to use.

    If you want to subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss any posts, please visit https://officedynamics.com/blog/ and subscribe in the right-hand column.

    Monday_Motivators_Home

    Monday Motivators™ is a weekly email sent from Joan Burge that gives you a little kick start to the week. These emails will include work advice, life advice, and sometimes how to find that good balance. To subscribe to Monday Motivators™ please click the button below.

    Monday Motivators

    Help other administrative professionals and share this page using the buttons below!

    The post How Should an Executive Assistant Conduct Themselves? – Ask An Admin appeared first on Office Dynamics.

     

  • feedwordpress 17:00:14 on 2017/04/03 Permalink
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Etiquette, , , , , , , , , , , ,   

    Joan’s Greatest Administrative Secrets Revealed! 


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    Joan_BurgeWelcome to April. Wow, where is the time going?

    April is one of my favorite months because, here at Office Dynamics, we get to celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of those in the administrative profession! In case you are not aware, Administrative Professionals Week is April 24 – 28. But we celebrate the entire month of April. One of the major ways we do that is to host our annual blog-a-thon whereby we post a blog every work day in the month of April. Aside from my blogs, we have several guest bloggers providing amazing information!

    To kick off the celebration, I hosted a webinar yesterday for 5,000+ assistants worldwide whereby I revealed my secrets to success in the profession. I had 29 secrets! I would like to share just a few of them with you. If you would like to hear all of them, you can watch the replay of the live event.

    1. I didn’t always play by the rules. That doesn’t mean I did things that were unethical or illegal. I liked breaking the status quo (and I still love doing that today.) Look at work and situations in a different light. Keep your eyes open for processes that need to be changed or new processes that need to be implemented. Shake things up! One way to stand out is to shake things up in a good way.

    2. Inserted myself into my executive’s world. I didn’t wait for my executives to invite me into their world. When I was an assistant, I would take home the trade journals and periodicals my executive read so I could understand his world and understand the language. While I didn’t read every page, I certainly gained perspective. This is a strategy anyone in any profession can use.

    3. Set healthy boundaries. It is really important to set healthy boundaries in the workplace. If someone is doing something or saying something that is unacceptable to you, then you need to speak up in a professional and assertive manner.

    4. Thirst for knowledge. For some reason, I have always embraced a growth mindset. Since I got out of high school and went right into the workforce, I was hungry to learn in any way possible. I did not go to college by choice and it did not stop me from being successful in my work because I am a sponge.

    I have identified 3 levels of learning.

    1. Peer to peer (Basic, Foundational)—these are the great tips you learn from your peers; the people who are in the same job family as you.
    2. Senior assistants (Advanced)—this is when we learn from people who are in our profession but a level or two above us. When I was new in the profession, I looked to the senior assistants. I watched everything they did and how they acted (good and bad).
    3. Outside of my profession (Master)—this is where you really gain an advantage over others. You have to step outside your narrow world and learn from subject matter experts. There are millions of them! Some of my favorite people are Daren Hardy, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, and Simon Sinek.

    With my thirst for knowledge, I was willing to invest in myself. Thousands of employees tell me they can’t attend training because their company won’t pay for it. That is short-term thinking and it makes me sad because it tells me that an individual doesn’t think enough of themselves to invest in their own education. As Brian Tracy says, “Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make.” I agree 100%. When you invest in yourself, you will take what you learn with you the rest of your life. And no one can ever take it away from you!

    5. Always took my administrative career seriously from early on and saw it as a profession. This is important for all assistants, managers and coworkers to remember the administrative profession is a true profession! These are the people who run the lives of top executives. These are the individuals who put up with all the stuff every day, put themselves second and third on the list, manage a multitude of responsibilities, make their executives look good, and are confidantes. They should be treated with courtesy and respect.

    If you are an assistant reading this, I hope you have a fabulous month! Please sign up for the Blog-a-thon by subscribing to the blog in the upper right corner and you will automatically receive the daily post in your inbox. Comment on the blogs and share them so you can be entered to win prizes all month long.

    If you are not an assistant and you’re reading this, please be sure to sincerely recognize the administrative support professionals in your organization. And remember to not ask your assistant to order her own flowers; which by the way, assistants don’t just want flowers and lunches. They want a long-lasting gift. If you are looking for ideas, go to the Office Dynamics Success Store.

    Happy April everyone!

    This blog is part of our 2017 Blog-A-Thon. Please leave a comment or share the blog for your chance to win one of our amazing giveaways! The more blogs you comment on and share, the more chances you have to win. If you’d like to learn more about our Blog-A-Thon you can do so here. Hint: Subscribe to our blog in the upper right-hand corner so you never miss a blog.

    The post Joan’s Greatest Administrative Secrets Revealed! appeared first on Office Dynamics.

     

  • feedwordpress 13:16:44 on 2017/03/21 Permalink
    Tags: , , , , , , , Etiquette, , , , , , ,   

    The Top 3 Skills That Make Administrative Assistants Stand Out 


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    Administrative professionals are always asking us what it takes to really stand out in the workplace. After all, it’s a competitive market out there! If you really want to make a name for yourself and get ahead, it takes more than just skimming the surface. You have to dive deep within yourself to develop that “World Class” status that executives are looking for in their assistants.

    For those who want to shine brighter and get recognized (and rewarded) for your contributions, consider these key strategies.

    Shift Your Paradigm
    First, you have to change how you see yourself in your role. A “paradigm” is simply a mindset, but it plays an important role in how you show up in the workplace.

    If you think of yourself as an assistant, that’s perfectly fine. But in order to really stand out, you need to upgrade your mental image of who you are and what you do. You must begin seeing yourself as a strategic partner—a business ally for the executive(s) you support.

    This subtle shift in thinking will filter through your actions and behaviors. It will boost your confidence and your professional presence. It will positively change the relationship you have with your leaders, and ultimately, it will help you establish a powerful new position in the executive “inner circle.”

    Refine Your Communication
    A savvy communicator knows how to get noticed and get their point across. This is one area where everyone always has more room to improve.

    In order to really stand out, you must continuously hone your ability to communicate your point of view tactfully. You need to practice delivering tough messages in a way that other people can actually hear them. And you need to adapt your natural communication style to meet others where they are.

    Learning to communicate at the executive level is absolutely essential for success and it’s extremely rare. When you have this kind of mastery, you gain a deeper level of respect.

    Hone Your Professional Trademark
    When Joan presents training, she always receives similar feedback: People think she is “poised, polished and professional.”

    These three words are what people think when they hear Joan’s name—it’s her professional trademark, you might say. Do you know why? Because that’s who she is, and she has consciously chosen this as her personal brand.

    Do you have a something you are known for? Have you made the conscious choice to embody specific characteristics and traits as your brand? Or are you letting your professional reputation be shaped unintentionally?

    How others perceive you is such an important and underutilized tool for administrative professionals. Defining your distinct professional trademark—and learning how to leverage that in the workplace—will help you shape how others see you.

    As you can see, these skills go beyond the basics. They are strategies that only a few employ, and those who do reap the rewards. There is much to learn regarding advanced skills for assistants. To truly stand out requires a sincere dedication to your career path and an investment in your personal growth.

    These are just a few of the topics we cover in the World Class Assistant™ Certification and Professional Designation program. This “high-end boot camp” is the only curriculum based designation specifically for administrative professionals on the market. It’s designed to help you stand out and develop the master-level skills you need to become World Class.

    We know that investing in a comprehensive training program like World Class Assistant is a big decision. That’s why, on March 29, 2017, Joan will be hosting a live Q&A session to address your questions and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you. We hope you’ll join us to learn more and have some fun!

    Register Today

    The post The Top 3 Skills That Make Administrative Assistants Stand Out appeared first on Office Dynamics.

     

  • feedwordpress 13:17:37 on 2017/03/17 Permalink
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    Developing Your “Wow” Factor 


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    Some assistants have it. Some assistants don’t.

    What is it, you ask? That intangible, invaluable “wow” factor.

    Here’s the good news: It’s a learnable trait! Anyone can develop their own unique wow factor. It has nothing to do with your title or pay grade; it’s about who you are as a professional.

    The wow factor is a term we use in the World Class Assistant™ certificate program to describe the powerful executive presence that the most successful administrative professionals exude. These assistants know how to command a room. They remain poised even under the most intense pressure. They know how to make intelligent decisions on-the-spot.

    In short, they possess abilities that make others say, “Wow!”

    As a result, these assistants enjoy an increased level of respect and even reverence. People look up to them and listen when they speak. People ask for their opinions and guidance. People trust them. They are World Class Assistants.

    Hopefully, you’re reading this and thinking, “Yep! That’s what I want!” If that’s the case, we have a few recommendations to help you get there.

    Build Exceptional Competence
    Your core abilities are the foundation. You have to be an expert at what you do. The wow factor isn’t all about the exterior. It’s what’s inside too. You can’t have it if you don’t first have the skills to do your job exceptionally well.

    Refine Your Professional Style
    Your physical presence is a big part of the wow factor. How you present yourself, your style and your overall look create your total package. There are many elements to consider: how you dress, your body language, your facial expressions, your gestures, and more. Learn to observe the successful people around you and mirror their example. But don’t forget to incorporate your own unique touches too!

    Monitor Your Speech
    Your voice is a critically important tool for communication. It can either enhance your wow factor or detract from it. Listen to your tone, as well as the words you are using. Do you sound authoritative, composed and enthusiastic? Or do you sound scattered, timid, and weak? Others can pick up on things that are subtly hidden in your voice. Remember that the wow factor can be both seen and heard.

    Embrace Serenity
    When things fall apart (which they frequently do in the business world), some assistants fall apart too. They lose all perspective and let their stress filter into every interaction and behavior. But assistants with the wow factor are viewed as a port in the storm. They’re steady, clear-headed and focused, even when others are not. They have peace and serenity because they know, whatever happens, they have the ability to meet any challenge head-on.

    This wow factor idea comes from our World Class Assistant™ Certification and Professional Designation program. If you’re looking to really develop and leverage your own unique wow factor, this “high-end boot camp” might be the perfect next step in your career evolution. The only curriculum based designation specifically for administrative professionals, this program is designed to help you develop the skills required to really WOW your executive(s).

    We know that investing in a comprehensive training program like World Class Assistant is a big decision. That’s why on March 29, 2017, Joan Burge will be hosting a live Q & A session to address your questions and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you. We hope you’ll join us to learn more and have some fun!

    Register Today

    The post Developing Your “Wow” Factor appeared first on Office Dynamics.

     

  • feedwordpress 09:57:51 on 2016/12/15 Permalink
    Tags: , , , , Etiquette, gifting at the office, gifts for co-workers, holiday party, office celebration, office christmas party, office gifts, perfect gift, presents at the office, ,   

    The Perfect Gift for Everyone in Your Office 


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    Happy cheerful colleagues celebrating christmas party in office smiling giving presents.

    Every year, managers and human resources professionals like you struggle with the same issue: what to give their employees for the holidays. You’ve seen the looks on your employees’ faces when they all open the exact same pencil set or company tote bag and you don’t want to repeat that ever again. The question is, how do you find something personal, but still workplace appropriate, for each individual employee? With this handy shopping guide, all you’ll need to know is one interest or hobby and this year you’ll be handing out gifts that will put everyone in the holiday spirit.

    For the Outdoorsy Type

    Have a coworker who spends every weekend hiking in a different state park or every fall counting down the days until hunting season? Outdoorsy people can be pretty particular about their gear, so save yourself the guesswork and get a gift card to a reputable outfitter like Cabela’s.

    For the Philanthropist

    For the person who truly doesn’t want a gift, consider a gift card to a micro-lender like Kiva. He can then pick the person he’d like to invest in by project and country. The best thing about it is that once the loan is repaid, it can be reinvested in another deserving borrower.

    For the Traveler

    A great gift for the employee who loves to travel is the Scratch Map Deluxe, a scratch-off wall map that will let her show off everywhere she’s been as well as plot her next adventure.

    For the Writer

    The aspiring writer in the office will appreciate an adorable “Choose Your Weapon” pen pouch from Etsy and a trio of moleskin notebooks.

    For the Sports Fan

    Give the sports fan in your office access to the latest in-depth sports news with a membership to ESPN’s Insider. With this membership, he’ll also get a subscription to ESPN the Magazine.

    For the Bookworm

    Have an employee who has his nose in a book the minute he’s on his lunch break? Grab a gift certificate to a local used bookstore or delight him with a Jane Eyre Bookshelf Bandit tote bag (bonus: a book is donated to a community in need for every tote sold).

    For the Music Lover

    The music lover in the office will never run out of new music to listen to with a subscription to a streaming service like Pandora or Spotify.

    For the Foodie

    For the employee who comes in every Monday morning talking about the new restaurant she tried or her latest culinary concoction, try a fabulous Charted Cheese Wheel print from Pop Chart Lab or a gift card to her favorite local restaurant.

    For the Beer Drinker

    Bringing alcohol to the office might not be appropriate, but a membership to a local beer CSA (or CSBs, as they are sometimes called) will thrill the beer lover in the office. No CSB? Look for tickets to a beer tasting event or brewery tour.

    For the Tech Geek

    Grab your techie a geek-chic Nerd Herder Gadget Wallet to keep his headphones, charging cords, flash drives, phone, cash and cards organized and close at hand.

    For the Movie Lover

    Every movie lover will appreciate a gift card to a local movie theater, but if you want something a bit more personal, search for a creative print of her favorite movie on Etsy.

    The post The Perfect Gift for Everyone in Your Office appeared first on Office Dynamics.

     

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