Office Dynamics

Monday Motivator: Be Your Authentic Self!

Joan Burge — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:19:00 GMT

Hello Monday Motivator!

Are you feeling motivated today? Did you have a relaxing weekend? I hope you are enjoying summer. It is going to pass by quickly. So make sure you get out there and have fun. In July, I am going to focus on the Family Pillar of Living a BIG Life and am very excited about it. We will be holding a contest for the Family Pillar so be sure to read your July Monday Motivators.

I have great news for you today. THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU! I referred to this briefly in the June 10 Motivator but I want to expand on it here. In all the billions and billions of people who have walked the earth, no one has been like you.

Because there is only one you, the deal is that you need to become all you were meant to be. You see, no one will ever walk in your steps in the future—not even your children. And so you have great potential to create the life you want—the life you were destined to live—and the reason you were born.

As little babies, we come into this world completely innocent, happy and naked! We have no views, opinions or prejudices; no fears. Our self-esteem is high. In fact, we don’t even know there is good self-esteem and unhealthy self-esteem. We don’t know intimidation. We just go and go. I have 4 grandchildren who live in Las Vegas. I have watched them grow since they were born. They are now 6, 8, 8 and 12. They are their own spirit. They speak about life just as they see it.

But then what happens to our spirit? We grow up and start listening to other people and start to doubt and have fear. It is good to listen to others provided they inspire and support you. It’s when we let others’ doubts and fears become ours.

It’s time to ask yourself:

· Who am I?

· What are my burning desires?

· What do I really like?

· What is important to me?

· Who do I want in my life?

· What’s my passion?

· What do I excel at?

· When am I the happiest?

Joan

ENTER OUR SPIRITUAL PILLAR CONTEST (JUNE 2013).

How do you enter to win this awesome set of Joan's favorite books?

Read the blog that kicked-off the month of our Spiritual Pillar Monday Motivators focus and leave your comments there to enter the contest. Be sure to share your comments on this message below, too!

How to Organize Your Work [or Figure out what to do first!]

Joan Burge — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:06:00 GMT

Prioritizing for Executive and Administrative Assistants

I have been training and working with executive assistants and administrative professionals for 22 years. The question I am most frequently asked is, “How do I prioritize my workload?” Everything handed to me seems to be urgent. When my manager or other person gives me an assignment or task, I am often told that they need it as soon as possible.

Here's how to organize your work and get the most important stuff done first.

First, that is not reasonable. You cannot do everything at the same time. You must decide what is important and urgent vs. what is less important and can really wait. But you are not the only one with this dilemma. Every business professional must daily assess, hour by hour, what must get done.

Here are a few ideas.

COPING WITH CONFLICTING PRIORITIES

¨ Ask for specific deadlines – not simply “ASAP.” Ask people, “By when do you need this?” or “What is the latest I can get this to you?” (Do not ask “How soon do you need this?” because most people will tell you as soon as possible. By asking them the other questions, you will get a different answer.

¨ Early in the day, clarify with each person you support, what the most important priority is (or even do this the night before).

¨ Make deadlines public information. This is especially important if you support more than one manager. This way, they will all see what is on your plate and be more understanding if their project is delayed.

¨ Start a log sheet. (Share with others on your team or anyone involved in different aspects of a project.)

¨ Make your own decision and stand by it.

¨ Make a “to do” list and estimate time for each item.

Establishing Priorities:

A   — This item is of extreme importance.

B   — This item is important, but could wait until tomorrow, if absolutely necessary.

C   — This item would be nice to complete, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

1.    Categorize tasks into A, B or C. (You don’t have to write a list! Prioritize in your mind and place items in your “to do” folder or tray.)

2.    Then take the A priorities and decide which is the most important item – the one task that must be done today. That becomes A1, the next most important would be A2, and so forth.

3.    Always work on the A priorities before going to B or C priorities.

Be sure to confirm with your manager their definition of an “A” priority vs. a “B” priority. For me, “A” means it must be done today. “B” is in the next 48 hours.

Stay tuned to announcements about online courses related to this topic and other administrative fundamentals like meeting planning and organizational skills. If you want to be on a list to be notified of these special learnings, please write us at staff@officedynamics.com.

Joan Burge

Monday Motivator: Courageously Living a Spirit-Centered Life in the Workplace

Joan Burge — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:01:00 GMT

“Never talk politics and religion in the workplace” is a rule of thumb and is probably especially true to keep peace in the workplace. However, living in spirit is not religion. Spirit is living out who you were meant to be. There is only one you. Imagine that! But I’m not just referring to the physical you; I’m referring to the spirit of you. No one else has your exact personality. What brings you great happiness may not be the greatest joy for someone else.

Living in spirit is being true to our values. What values are important to you?

Integrity
Honesty
Family time
Time with friends
Worship time
Financial stability
Good health
Teamwork
Leadership
Philanthropy

You can live in spirit in the workplace and not be shunned or criticized. Spirit is about doing the right thing; watching someone’s back when no one else will; having empathy, sympathy and love. You can do all those things and not be ostracized. If anything, you will be admired! Spirituality in the workplace actually started decades ago. I am seeing more and more CEOs leading in spirit—even in a Godly fashion. But that is not what I’m talking about in this Monday Motivator.

We live in a very materialistic world. We live in a world where everyone is competing with each other to see who has the latest and greatest device or gadget? That’s just the surface of being a human being. Your spirit doesn’t care that you don’t have the latest, newest or best.

What are some appropriate ways to live and lead “in spirit” in today’s workplace without offending others?

Our ACTIONS will always speak louder than our words. What do you display when are going through tough times? What do you say? How do you act? Are you courageous and speak of overcoming your obstacles or do you act like the victim?
When dealing with others who may rub you the wrong way or a co-worker who is going through a tough time, come from a place of kindness, consideration, and love. While someone may appear to be a difficult person on the outside, they may be hurting on the inside. We don’t know what a person is going through in “their spirit.” Maybe they are having a rough time at home or with a child.
Allow yourself to shine brightly. You were created for greatness! Don’t hide your talents at work. When you shine, you light up the world around you. When you do your best work, you encourage others to go the extra mile. I have been teaching administrative and executive assistants for 22 years to reach for the stars—achieve their excellence. Do what is right for you and have the courage to stand out from the crowd. This does not mean you are better than anyone else. You are different—you are unique. Share your gifts and talents.
When appropriate, when a co-worker is struggling, provide them with uplifting messages. Forward my Monday Motivators to them. Just a brief note or e-mail can lift someone up. Take 5 minutes to write a personal note and send a card. 5 minutes of your time can make all the difference in the world.
Spirituality is community. In the workplace, create community with others. Stretch outside your comfort zones. Extend a handshake; introduce yourself to a new employee. Maybe do something fun at a department meeting that will create a stronger bond among your co-workers.

Remember . . . it takes courage to live in spirit in the workplace and you can do it!

Joan

ENTER OUR SPIRITUAL PILLAR CONTEST (JUNE 2013).

How do you enter to win this awesome set of Joan's favorite books?

Read the blog that kicked-off the month of our Spiritual Pillar Monday Motivators focus and leave your comments there to enter the contest. Be sure to share your comments on this message below, too!

For Administrative Professionals, Efficiency Is the Name of the Game: Utilizing Automated Services

Guest Blogger — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:59:00 GMT

For Administrative Professionals, Efficiency Is the Name of the Game:

Utilizing Automated Services

By Annabella Caballero, Account Consultant at Seamless

A corporate catering expert with a passion for efficient workplace operations, Annabella is responsible for Seamless clients’ food happiness. She manages Seamless’ Client Relations and Account Management teams and is beloved by clients for her dedication and commitment to their satisfaction.

After more than a decade of work with administrative professionals, it’s clear that their role has evolved and expanded significantly in recent years. Administrative professionals play a critical role within companies – one that demands a great deal of organization and skill across a wide range of areas. The bar has risen and employees in this position now have a much higher level of responsibility for managing the workplace technology, vendors, food ordering, event planning, facilities and human resources. In many cases, they are even the de-facto cultural ambassadors for their companies.

With so many hats to wear, efficiency is crucial to administrative professionals’ success and affordable, online services that automate processes can help in the fast-paced corporate world. Here’s a helpful list of online tools that can be easily and quickly utilized to help administrators keep an office running smoothly:

Food ordering and billing – Seamless links companies and their employees to hundreds of local restaurants and caterers, offering fast and convenient online ordering while enforcing budget rules and consolidating billing into just one invoice for all orders. And, since Seamless saves clients up to 30% on food related costs, making administrative professions the office hero, really impacting their company’s bottom line! Calculate how much you can save with Seamless.
Booking travel – Concur helps ensure that corporate travel is booked within policy before the trip is taken and reconciles expenses after travel is completed. Concur also delivers electronic receipts – from airlines, hotels and car rental companies – directly into expense reports, virtually eliminating the need to track and manage paper receipts.
Managing employee perks and discounts – Anyperk is a platform that provides real employee perks and discounts to companies of all sizes. AnyPerk has partnerships with hundreds of vendors that provide employee discounts in fitness, entertainment, travel and much more. It’s a vital tool adding to a company work environment by boosting engagement and productivity significantly and can help keep employees happy.
Organizing and tracking receipts – Simply send Shoeboxed your receipts, business cards, bills and other documents and everything will be carefully sorted and scanned into a secure online account. All of the organized data, including an IRS-accepted image of each document, is then human-verified, categorized, accessible from anywhere and ready for export into dozens of powerful tools.

Administrative professionals play a pivotal role in the social, political and internal structure of the company. With so many moving parts and a myriad of responsibilities, efficiency becomes a critical component to running a successful organization. From online food-ordering and billing services like Seamless, to travel management platforms like Concur, and everything in between, there are more resources available for administrators than ever before to help you stay one step ahead.

Leadership Skills for Executive Assistants

Joan Burge — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:46:00 GMT

I have always said, “You do not need to be a manager or senior executive to be a leader. Every executive assistant and administrator can be a leader and should be a leader.” Leadership is often defined as a set of characteristics such as being ambitious, broad-minded, dependable, forward-looking, intelligent, mature, and honest.

Kouzes and Psoner provides 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership™:

1. Challenging the Process

2. Inspiring a Shared Vision

3. Enabling Others to Act

4. Modeling the Way

5. Encouraging the Heart

You also have to practice being a leader and being confident communicating in front of a group, your executive, or when leading a team.

One thing that bugs me as a 22-year corporate trainer trying to instill confidence in administrative professionals is when I am teaching a class whereby I have assigned leaders for each table and they delegate their role to another person at their table instead of taking on the role themselves.

If this is you, this gives the perception that you are not willing to stretch, are shy (even if you are not), don’t have confidence (even if you do), lack good communication skills, are not flexible and adaptable, and lack responsibility.

So while you might be nervous speaking in front of your peers or other colleagues, it is imperative that you develop this skill. Assistants can longer back down or shy away from taking on a role or task because they are “nervous.” Granted you can be nervous but have the courage to take on the assignment or leadership role.

If you attend any training programs, classes or administrative conferences where you have been asked to be the leader or spokesperson, take on the assignment with a smile and confidence.

In the meantime, you should be working on your speaking skills because every day you are presenting yourself to the world. So while you might not be presenting at a podium, the skills you develop through formal speaking-skills practice, you gain confidence, know how to think on your feet and communicate the message you intend. I teach presentation skills in our Star Achievement Series® program for executive assistants. While each participant starts out feeling nervous about presenting in front of others, they are always thrilled at the end of class to see the confidence they have gained by pushing themselves through something that is quite uncomfortable. We grow by doing things we don’t necessarily like.

My main point is do not delegate your leader role, especially not early in the day, course, or meeting. It really weakens your professional image.

For tips on confident communications, get a copy of Communication Strategies That Work, Become and Inner Circle Assistant, or Underneath It All.

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posnerhave been working together for more than thirty years, studying leaders, researching leadership, conducting leadership development seminars, and serving as leaders themselves in various capacities. They are coauthors of the award-winning, best-selling book The Leadership Challenge.

How to Plan Business Travel & Business Travel Planning Checklists

Joan Burge — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:56:00 GMT

Travel Planning for Executive & Administrative Assistants

When I was an executive assistant planning hundreds of trips for my executive over a 20-year period, I thought I did a good job. Most of the time, my executives were pleased. But I really didn’t understand the intricacies of travel until I became an executive and traveled often. For 22 years, I have been traveling; mostly within the United States. I have had a few trips to Bermuda and the Caribbean but not overseas—this is by choice. So, if I think it is tough being a traveler in the United States, just imagine how difficult it is for the executives who travel great distances often—and have to show up for meetings! Being a road warrior is not glamorous like people think. You spend hours and hours waiting in the airport; dealing with changed scheduled; late flights; bad weather; lost suitcases; rides that don’t show up; uncomfortable beds and noisy hotels. I could go on and on about the difficulties of traveling but I won’t. I hope you get the picture. So anything you can do to make your executive’s life easier when planning travel is outstanding! I am going to share with you my tips from experience on both sides of the desk on how to plan business travel.

I often hear executives tell me that they don’t think their executive assistant or administrative assistant is doing the best job of planning of their travel, even though their assistant has been working with them for years. So this subject is a big deal and one you should pay attention to. Of course every executive has their preferences when it comes to travel. For me, I always want an aisle seat toward the front of the plane. And I prefer to sit on the left side of the plane, as you enter the plane. Some executives do not want less than a 60-minute layover because they don’t want to run through long concourses. You must know what your executive prefers and cater to that. Also be warned that their preferences can change. So where I may tell Jasmine don’t let me get into a city later than 5:00 p.m., I may change my mind because: it is summer and it will stay lighter later in the day; I have been to this city numerous times and know my way around; I know the client and class and can linger a little longer in the morning before showing up for the class.

I am sharing with you a few things to consider when you plan business travel. There are many more considerations and I will be offering online training on this topic later this year with other pertinent topics to make your life great and make you a more effective assistant. For now, consider some of these points as you arrange for business travel. As you go through my business travel check list, ask yourself:

Am I already doing this? If so, are you doing this every time?
Do I need to do a better job?
If I’m doing this, why not? How soon can I implement this action?

Business Travel Itinerary should include:

Weather report for each day leader will be in the arriving city and other cities he will be visiting during his trip.
Any issues or events in arriving city that could affect leader’s travel into the city or when he arrives or departs city.
Main contact's cell phone number (for emergencies or in-transit arrival delays or changes).
At the very top of the first page, have a noticeable box with ALL contacts’ names and telephone numbers. Leader should not have to hunt through the itinerary to locate these if he needs them quickly.
Frequent Flyer Club Information – locations of clubs at the airport(s).
Will food be served during the flight? If so, is it a snack or meal?

When traveling for business, leader should leave the following items home:

Copy of his/her itinerary (and other important information)
International trips: Copy of passport (photo and visa pages)
Unneeded credit cards

When booking flights, the assistant needs to consider:

Layover time—should not be too long but must be long enough for leader to walk through concourses and make his connection.
Is this the best time of day for leader to depart local airport based on when he needs to arrive?
Is this the fastest route? Sometimes it is better to wait at the airport for a later flight that is a direct flight then to take an earlier flight with connections and arrive home later than the direct flight.
Upgraded seating available? When can you check for availability and how many hours before his flight will he be notified—24 hours?
What other benefits does leader have with the airlines and his Frequent Flyer status?

Other business travel preparation tips for assistant:

How can I more effectively work with the travel agency to find the most efficient ways to structure leader’s travel given all factors of each trip, i.e., time frames, travel dates, meetings with customers, dinners, time to and from airports, etc.

o Ask about other options that better suit leader’s requests.
o Do some of your own research about the flight(s) and then speak to the travel agent.
o Tell them to confirm that this is the best, most efficient, most convenient route for leader’s travel.

Have you thought through the schedule the travel agency gave you? Once the schedule has been identified, think through the entire trip as if you were the traveler—does it make sense?

What meetings, luncheons, or dinners should be scheduled? (Always think: what, who, when, where)

Team Dinner

o Who needs to be invited?
o Restaurant, club or other facility?
o Any special communications from you to the team?
o Time

Town Hall Meetings
Customer Meetings
Business Colleagues
Other?

Restaurant Name: _________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________________________
Website: ________________________________________________
Dress Code: _____________________________________________
Type of Meal: _____________________________________________
Guests Attending: _________________________________________

Date Confirmed: __________________________________________
Confirmation #: ___________________________________________
Special Food Requirements: ________________________________
Other Special Requests: ____________________________________

Meeting Materials:

Agenda
Leader’s notes, folders, files (soft or hard copies)
Handouts and other documents
PowerPoint slides (saved to USB?)

Cash for Travel:
Make sure leader has cash a few days before he departs. Here is a suggested list. Find out Leader’s preferences. This will depend on the length of his trip and where he is traveling to. An example is

$1.00 (10 bills)
$5.00 (6 bills)
$10.00 (6 bills)
$20.00 (6 bills)
$50.00 (4 bills)
$100.00 (3 bills)
Does leader want Traveler’s Cheques? If so, how much and in what dollar amounts?

To Pack:

Cell phone
Cell phone charger (or Universal charger)
Laptop (and carrying case)
iPad (and carrying case)
Spare batteries
Lighter (for emergency/power outages at hotel due to storms)
Plug adapters and voltage converters
Over coat
Trench coat
Umbrella
Sunglasses
Casual attire
Business attire
Workout attire (including tennis shoes)
Swimsuit
Business suit or sports jacket
Tie(s)
Toiletries (place in appropriate baggies if taking a carry-on suitcase)
Personal items
Medical items:

o Prescription medications

o Advil

o Tylenol

o Sinus medicine

o Throat lozenges

ID
Passport
Boarding Pass
Business cards
Pens and/or special notepads or portfolio for writing

NOTE: Carry-On Baggage Although there is no regulation for common items such as clothing, reading materials, cameras and laptop computers, the TSA regulates the number of liquid items, such as toothpaste, shampoo and bottled water, permitted in carry-on luggage. Travelers must pack their liquid items in a single, clear quart-size bag. Each item in the bag must be in a 3.4-oz. or smaller container. Airline passengers can also take small scissors, those with a 4-inch or shorter blade and tools that are 7 inches or shorter with them on the plane, although larger tools are prohibited.

Departing leader’s home first day of travel:
Town car service to the airport and schedule the pickup for leader when he returns home.
- Times (allow sufficient time get to airport; are certain days busier at departing airport than others, such as Monday?) What times of day are busiest for driving to the airport?

Arriving City:
Town car service (driver needs to be there when leader arrives)
If yes, where is driver meeting leader?
- Bottom of escalators
- At baggage claim
- Curbside
Does leader need to call the driver upon his arrival?

Will the driver be holding a sign with his name on it near baggage or at the baggage carousel? Or will the name card be placed in the car window for leader to see curbside?

Taxi pick up – Where are they located? Is there a taxi booth or does leader just step outside to the curb?

Will an individual be picking up leader from the airport? If so, provide all details.

Car rental? If yes, provide all details.

Travel time (not miles) to destination: ________________

Hotel Information:
Name: ________________________________________________________________
Phone #: ______________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________
Website: ______________________________________________________________
Confirmation #: ________________________________________________________
Cancellation Policy: _____________________________________________________
Non-smoking room: _____________________________________________________
Room type: King or 2 Queens/2 Doubles ____________________________________
Prefers room be located away from the elevators and very end of hallway
Does Leader prefer certain floors (lower vs. higher in case he has to exit for fire)
Internet Service
- Free
- Charge at $ __________ per day (or 24 period)
Concierge Floor requested
Yes ____ Hours of operation __________________
No ____
Exercise Facility
In Hotel
- Where in the hotel?
- Hours of operations
Reciprocal club near hotel?
Pool
Indoor
Outdoor
Restaurant(s) in the hotel:
Full-service restaurant(s)
Café only

Restaurants within walking distance (full-service/fine dining vs. casual)

Nearest Pharmacy
Name ________________________________
Phone # ________________________________
Hours ________________________________

Emergency Medical Information for International Travel: provide details

Transportation from Hotel to and from Scheduled Meetings/each day:
Date:

Mode of transportation:

Time of departure from hotel:

Who will be meeting leader? Exactly where will they meet leader once he arrives? What time?

Don’t just plan travel—try to imagine that you are taking this trip. You want every detail covered. If you support a female traveler, safety and security will be their #1 concern. Good luck. I hope you feel like you have some good checklists started to help you plan better business travel for your executive now.

Joan Burge

Monday Motivator: The Spirit Within You Is Bold and Adventurous

Joan Burge — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 02:40:00 GMT

The Spirit Within You Is Bold and Adventurous

Welcome to June, Monday Motivators. We are on the third of five pillars of Living a BIG Life. I will be focusing on the Spiritual Pillar this month. Before you tune out, give me a minute to explain what I mean by spiritual and share with you thoughts on this subject from 3 well-known people who have a deep understanding of spirit and spirituality.

Oprah says: “Spirituality is living your life with a heart through love.”

Dr. Deepak Chopra says: “Recognizing that you are a spiritual being having a human experience is the beginning of spirituality.”

Dr. Wayne Dyer says: “Becoming a spiritual being is synonymous with becoming a miracle worker and knowing the bliss of real magic. The differences between people who are non-spiritual, or "physical only", and those whom I call spiritual beings are dramatic. I use the terms spiritual and non-spiritual in the sense that a spiritual being has a conscious awareness of both the physical and the invisible dimension, while the non-spiritual being is only aware of the physical domain.”

I say that the spirit within you . . .

· is bold, strong, and adventurous. It knows no fear or anxiousness to the point where we freeze in our tracks. When we are in spirit, we are confident, peaceful, and calm.

· a powerful inner force that allows you to be the person you were really created to be. We feel a freedom do be who we really are inside and not live by what everyone thinks is right for us.

· gives you permission to spread your wings even when you are scared. Spirit is courage, bravery, and resolution. Just like the eagle who soars in the sky, spirit helps us spread our wings and fly above our fears, obstacles, and doubts.

When you are in touch with your inner spirit, you feel energy because your body, mind, and spirit are united. You probably never made this connection before or maybe you have.

You live boldly in a manner that flows with your day, relationships, challenges, and life’s disruptions.

You can let go and live your day. That doesn’t mean that you don’t care. You actually care a great deal about:

· being the best version of you.

· how others feel and are empathetic if they are hurting.

· the sensitivity level a person has to a certain situation or subject so you cushion what you want to say to a person.

· you are creative and free-flowing.

It’s a great place to be. I love being in spirit—in harmony with my inner self. I know when that is happening because I am doing my finest work—best speech—most creative writing—visioning a future for Office Dynamics and my team.

What are your thoughts on the Spiritual Pillar? What does it feel like for you when you are “in spirit”?

Our first Monday Motivator Pillar Contest: Respond (via the comments section below) to one or both of my questions above during the month of June and your name will be entered to win the “Life-Motivators Gift Set.” This set consists of my new book, Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life and 3 of my favorite books:

The Compound Effect . . . multiplying your success. One simple step at a time by Darren Hardy

The Principle of the Path . . . How to get from where you are to where you want to be by Andy Stanley

Think Big! by Dan Zandra

Administrative/Clerical: Should You Be Required To BYOD?

Joan Burge — Thu, 30 May 2013 23:44:00 GMT

BYOD may sound like a party acronym, but it's actually a new policy sweeping many professional spheres that stands for "bring your own device," meaning you bring your own laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone to work. The twist is that you bring the device to work with the intent to use it for company business.

The benefits of a BYOD policy are obvious for the employer: portable devices are expensive, especially if you want to keep up with the newest technology. If employees are willing to supply their own solutions, many companies won't stand in the way of those savings—especially when the devices also promote efficiency. Employees also benefit from bringing their own devices. They can get rid of outdated company Blackberries and opt for the iPhone, Android, or Windows phone with which they're most comfortable. This also allows the use of apps to communicate and manage daily work. (You can access information about these types of apps through the Beyond.com clerical community.)

Not everyone is happy in the BYOD waters, though, and a number of people are bringing up valid concerns about security, privacy, and fairness. Research conducted by Gartner indicates that around 50 percent of companies may require staff to bring their own devices within the next few years. Currently, most companies offer an optional BYOD policy; employees can always turn to office-supplied PCs for work. Requiring personal devices for work purposes may allow companies to shave expenses by refusing to replace office computers, which means even employees who haven't made technology a personal priority will be forced to make this type of purchase.

Setting aside debates about whether BYOD requirements are financially fair to employees still leaves issues about privacy. If your cellphone or other device is linked up with the company's network, how much of your personal information does your employer have access to? Many employers are concerned that BYOD may weaken security and increase the risk of data leaks or hacks. Personal data is important too. Do you really want your employer to have access to your personal contact list, browsing history, and financial data or the pictures you store on your device?

BYOD requirements may also cause roadblocks for job seekers. If numerous companies are requiring employees to supply their own devices, what happens when you switch jobs? Your first job might have required a device with one set of compatibilities; if the next job doesn't have the same requirements, you might need to make a new purchase. The contracts associated with some of these devices mean you could rack up hefty expenses in the name of furthering your career.

Allowing BYOD has provided many companies with an edge in productivity, communication, and creativity. Whether or not mandatory BYOD is effective still remains to be seen. If you have concerns about your company's policy on BYOD, it's probably best to speak to your boss now rather than waiting for a mandate.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

Nancy Anderson is the communities and article Editor for Beyond.com. Nancy has 10 years experience in the online job search business with Beyond. Nancy's team produces dozens of articles every month for top internet sites. Follow Nancy and the Beyond team on https://twitter.com/BeyondJobs.

Your Boss Made You Do What?!

Joan Burge — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:16:00 GMT

In our line of business of servicing administrative professionals in their professional development needs we are often asked somewhat personal questions from the assistants or the executives we work with. What exactly is it okay for me to ask my assistant to do? When my boss asks me to do personal errands I question whether that is okay or not, is it okay? Recently we received a question from a concerned reader. Her leader asks her on a continual basis to wash dishes - it's apparently become an expectation. Here is Joan's take on the task. What would you do?

Re: Washing dishes at work. It depends on the reason why your boss has asked you to wash the dishes. In other words, do you tend to have visitors come to your area and there is no dishwasher in the area so you need to wash the dishes by hand? If this must be done and there is no one else to wash them, then it is part of your unwritten duties.

If it is more of a “personal” thing, then you might want to speak to your executive and let him know that you are uncomfortable doing this chore.

It’s always about why you are being asked something. And how you are being asked—tone of voice, etc. Is it a demand or a request?

Years and years ago, when I worked for the CEO of a big bank in Tennessee, I had to fill and empty the small dishwasher in our kitchenette. We often had visitors and served snacks or beverages. I was the only assistant in the area and I had to do that job.

It may not be your favorite task and your time and talents may be best utilized elsewhere, which is another conversation. Bottom line is, it really depends on why this leader is asking this of you and how they are going about requesting it.

Thanks for writing and keep your questions coming in. Joan is always happy to answer you!

Video Training for Administrative Assistants

Joan Burge — Tue, 28 May 2013 08:31:00 GMT

First Live Video Conference Training

for
Administrative Assistants

with Joan Burge, CEO, Office Dynamics

"It's like we were in the room together!"

Thursday, May 23, 2013 we made history at Office Dynamics International. I gave my first video conference workshop for administrative assistants without getting on an airplane! It is not that I had never presented via this technology but it always happened where I first had to fly to a client’s location and then they broadcast me out to their various administrative and executive assistants around the country.

Jasmine found a great facility in town with awesome Cisco technology for me to be able to video conference workshops. The company is called Plus6. This is actually the second time I’ve used their facility. The first time, I presented an hour program for executives and assistants who were located in Columbus, OH. Both times, Plus6’s team did a great job. They made my life simple and the participants were very happy.

It was exciting for me to experience this technology whereby I can now reach assistants all over the world without getting on an airplane. The picture and sound quality were top-notch and I felt as if I were right in the conference room with the attendees. I had them do brainstorming activities and even got them out of their seats during the 3 hours for an energizer! We had such fun.

The client requested I speak on the following topics: calendar management and appointment scheduling, travel planning, setting priorities, organizing work space and tasks, and managing time. I also covered communicating with your manager or executive and the importance of daily huddles. I covered a lot of territory in 3 hours. The most significant ‘aha’ was that an assistant has to truly use their brain when it comes to all of these every-day tasks. When you are scheduling meetings and travel, a good assistant will approach this holistically. I have always said, “Just because a date is open on the calendar, it does not mean your executive is available.” So while software programs can search several individuals’ calendars for availability, the computer cannot think about all the variables.

Here are just a few little extra tips from the workshop handout.

Time Management Tips

Standardize processes.

Focus on tasks of high value.

Clarify objectives.

Use the clustering technique. Cluster similar tasks and supplies.

Avoid backlogs of work by keeping information flowing.

Flexibility leads to control. Use your “to do” list or other tools,

but don’t let them control you.

When given a project or task, get all the information you can at once.

Establish some quiet time throughout the day to get reorganized

and mentally back on track.

Recognize the time of day you are most productive.

Excuse yourself from idle chatter after a few minutes.

Search for alternatives: a simpler, faster way.

Finish what you start; avoid jumping around (multitasking).

Keep an organized workspace.

FOCUS!

I plan to create an online training program for administrative assistants this summer from this 3-hour workshop but will break it up into 8 or 9 short segments. Keep your eyes open for a big announcement. Or if you want to be added to the pre-release announcement, please write staff@officedynamics.com. In the subject line, write: Managing My Day.

We offer live and online (via telepresence) training for administrative and executive assistants.

How Color Affects Mood

Joan Burge — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:18:00 GMT

Hello, Monday Motivators!

I’m going to take a new twist on wellness today. Let’ think color, clothing and attitude.

How does color affect mood?

Just look at the colors below and what they represent or emotions they evoke. Imagine if you wear orange this week, how much more determined and creative you might be? Or if you wore yellow—it actually generates muscle energy. Who wouldn’t want that? Do you want to feel more calm or tranquil this week when you attend a meeting? If so, wear blue.

I notice how wearing different colors make me feel different. I hate to admit it but I love red! My next favorites, although not really colors, are black and white. You can probably tell this from our corporate colors. But I also love bright yellows, oranges, greens, and blues. When I wear any clothing with those colors, I feel better in terms of being energetic; get-up-and-go; happy; sunny. All of those positive feelings affect my wellbeing. Now what about black affecting my well-being? Well, I don’t feel morbid in black. I feel very powerful when I wear black. It is a symbol of authority so if I am going into a situation where I want to feel empowered, I will wear black. This helps my mental well-being and also plays a role in how I come across to others. It is a positive experience which boosts my self-esteem and emotional well-being.

Interestingly when I remodeled my bedroom and bathroom last year, I chose colors that are very calming – beautiful silvers, pewters, grays and white. I added bathroom tile and hardware that sparkles and shimmers like evening stars. (It is not the gaudy kind of sparkle.) My bedroom is a place of calm and serenity which is very important to me with my crazy travel and work schedule. I feel the peace as soon as I open the door to my room.

Think about it. What colors do you favor? Why might you like those colors? Are there new colors you need to surround yourself with to help create what you want to feel? Don’t be afraid to mix up the various colors in the different spaces you reside.

Color speaks to us all the time. We are surrounded by color (or lack of color) in nature. For example, when I travel to the mid-west during the winter when it is gloomy and the skies are gray, I notice I don’t eat as healthy. I crave foods that are heavier, more fattening, and could be described as comfort foods. I don’t feel like jumping out of bed in the morning. And at night, I’m ready to just sit inside and ‘veg’ out which means I’m not getting much exercise. I notice as soon as I get back to sunny Las Vegas, I eat much healthier, eagerly awake with the sunshine, and want to be active throughout the early evening and weekends. I want to get up, get out and go! (No offense to those who live in the mid-west; I was born in Cleveland and lived in that part of the country until 13 years ago.)

You should surround yourself with the colors that help evoke the feelings, emotions and energy that you desire. This would include your workspace, rooms in your house, the inside of your car or any space or place where you spend a lot of time.

Have fun this week exploring color, meaning, and the connectedness to your Wellness Pillar.

Joan

More On How Color Can Affect Mood

The information below is taken from: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Orange is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy.

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, and freshness. Green suggests stability and endurance. It indicates growth and hope.

Blue is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

Purple symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

Red is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure.

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, and purity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness.

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Black denotes strength and authority.

Stay Sane in Insanely Busy Times

Michele Busch — Wed, 08 May 2013 22:40:00 GMT

Hello Office Dynamics Blog Readers!

It’s May and we are almost halfway through this year! It’s hard to fathom but time is passing at a rapid speed and I have been one busy lady both personally and professionally. All great fantastic things!

Spring is always a busy time here at Office Dynamics and April was no exception. We hosted our first public Star Achievement workshop, Star Achievement Train the Trainer workshop, and World Class Assistant Part 1 program. We are getting ready to host Part 2 here shortly!

May is a wonderful month for me personally – I just turned 31 and I am getting ready to marry the love of my life, Jared! I am very excited and am filled with anticipation for our special day!

Needless to say… there is much to do. Between my family, bridal shower, our workshops, my wedding I could have very easily lost my marbles (I am sure so many can relate). So how does one keep sane during insanely busy times?

A – Create a list. Make a Priority To-Do list! What is the most important thing to take care of today? What will have the greatest impact if it is not completed? Ask yourself these kinds of questions and that will help you prioritize in which order the tasks need to be completed.

B – Enlist others for help. I am blessed to be part of an extraordinary team at Office Dynamics. We absolutely define the word teamwork. We pull together on big projects and make it happen. I have had many supportive family members and friends to reach out to as well. Ask a willing friend or associate for help in your time of need.

C – Only do what you can do! This has been a hard one for me to grasp but at the end of the day if you have given it all you’ve got and realize you are not going to meet a deadline then be honest and reset the expectation. We are only human and we can only do what we can do. Don’t beat yourself up about it.

Enjoy the rest of these beautiful May days – I know I will!

Sincerely,

Michele Busch

(Soon to be Michele Clucas!)

Translating Admin Experience to Recruiters

Guest Blogger — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:53:00 GMT

If you plan to apply for a new job in the near future, you must know how to explain your administrative experience in a way that convinces recruiters to interview you and make competitive job offers. Whether you are applying for an executive assistant position or hope to use your administrative experience to move into another type of career, you must be able to show recruiters that your experience gives you a solid foundation for any job. Use these tips for translating your administrative experience into information recruiters can use to assess your skills.

Working as an administrative assistant gives you many opportunities to develop skills that are useful in every industry. Mary Nestor-Harper says that you can leverage these skills to advance your career, as working as an administrative assistant gives you great exposure to people at all levels of an organization. This administrative experience gives you an opportunity to develop excellent written and verbal communication skills. When speaking with recruiters, explain how the communication skills you gained as an administrative assistant will help you add value to the organization if you are hired for a new position. If you have experience preparing financial reports, for example, this information would be valuable for a recruiter trying to fill a position in an accounting or payroll department.

As an administrative assistant, you likely had to use word processing or spreadsheet programs to perform your job duties. Some administrative assistants also use presentation development software and basic database programs. These skills are valuable for almost any job, so make sure the recruiter knows about your administrative experience with technology. Instead of glossing over your experience, make sure the recruiter knows how frequently, and in what capacity, you used each type of technology. If you led any technology-related projects in your administrative position, tell recruiters about them so they know you have leadership skills that could apply to other types of jobs.

If you are interviewing for an executive assistant position or another job where people skills are important, you must be able to convince recruiters that you can work effectively with people from all departments. Ralph Coker, a columnist for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, says that someone with poor people skills would not be a good candidate for a job that requires constant collaboration. If you are applying for a job that requires teamwork, give the recruiter specific examples that demonstrate your ability to resolve conflict or organize team projects. Providing examples from your administrative experience gives you extra credibility with recruiters.

Your administrative experience gives you several skills that translate well into any career. The key to landing a new job is being able to explain this administrative experience in a way that recruiters understand. Always use specific examples from your past jobs so that staffing professionals know how your skills might benefit their companies.

Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's All About You! Put Yourself First.

Joan Burge — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:28:00 GMT

Welcome to May! This month I am focusing on the Wellness Pillar of Live a BIG Life. I am excited about this Pillar because it encompasses so many things and truly impact the other 4 Pillars: career, family, financial and spiritual.

Please stay tuned to this entire Series. This is not about crazy diets and sacrificing your favorite foods, although wellness is about nutrition.

This also applies to everyone--parent or not. We all have people who demand our time--whether they are neighbors, friends, coworkers, or bosses. We also fill our time with lots of "to do's", activities, social events and more.

PAUSE! It's really important that you push the PAUSE button. Take time to relax on a big hammock outside, immerse yourself in a good book, take a peaceful long walk (no cell phones or reading e-mails); soak for 45 minutes in a big hot tub while you listen to spa music; or play with your dog. The list is endless.

Most people tell me they can't take time for themselves as they have too much to do. That is true; so do I. I decided when I was in my 20s and married with children that I would make time for me. I realized that if I didn't take time for Joan, then I would not be a good wife, mother, worker, friend or sister. I have proven to myself, over and over, that when I do take "Joan time," I am much more creative. I am energized and can give so much more of myself to things that really matter and the people I really care about. I can also see the impact when I just keep running and running and don't take a break--and that is not good.

GUILT! An important mind-game is not feeling guilty for making time for yourself. It's interesting how many people, especially women, feel guilty when they take a day for themselves. We have to move away from the guilt and tell ourselves that we deserve this time and need this time to replenish our strength and energy.

BACKLOG? I'm sure you are thinking . . . "If I take three or four hours for myself, I will get behind on my errands or tasks." Yes, you might but you can try to plan ahead. Maybe you have to put in extra hours during the week so you can take off the time on the weekend. Run errands after work or during lunch hour so on Saturday you can kick back and relax. Refuse to do any tasks or errands on Sunday. Also, take a second look at your lists of to do's. What can you remove from the list? What can you delegate?

One benefit of taking your break is that you will come back fired up with energy and tackle any backlog.

This month make a commitment to take care of you. Look for little ways to pamper yourself or have private time. This goes for the men, too.

Joan

Listen to more insights on Reasons to Put Yourself First.

Have you checked out our Office Dynamics Facebook Page yet? If you "Like" us there is a special gift waiting just for you. Check it out and Like us now!

May Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence Promotional Offer - Available Now!

How important is a college degree for an established admin?

Guest Blogger — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:06:00 GMT

Question of the month from our friends at Business Management Daily.

How important do you think a college degree is for an established administrative professional?

Original Post:

by MARY ELLEN SLAYTER on APRIL 17, 2013 4:41PM
in ADMIN PRO FORUM

Question: “I’ve been an admin for about a year, and am thinking about finishing my college degree studies at night. Since I really enjoy this field, I’m wondering if I’m better off just working hard and getting better at it rather than spending my nights for two years getting a degree mostly for the sake of having one. How much job experience do you think it will take to look as good on a résumé as a diploma would?” – Jane, Support Team Leader

This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com:

http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/35302/how-important-is-a-college-degree-for-an-established-admin

Career and Family Balance: How She Does It

Joan Burge — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:20:00 GMT

Not a week goes by that someone doesn't ask me "how does Jasmine do it?" What they mean by this is that Jasmine Freeman, my Chief Executive Assistant, is heavily involved in my business as well as in our community and she has a beautiful family of four children and a spouse at home. We decided to sit down and talk about career and life balance to see if there was some magic formula that Jasmine knows about that she could fill us in on.

Can you really have career and life balance?

I hope you enjoyed the video interview we did. Do you have questions for Jasmine or myself? Please write us or ask them in the comments section below. We would love to answer your questions.

What are your thoughts on balancing career and family? Do you have tips to share?

Angry, Sad or Hungry? That is Not the Time to Shop!

Joan Burge — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:48:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators!

Did you run into any instances this weekend when you emotionally shopped? I bet a lot of the shopping we do is emotional. For example, you go into the local Hallmark store at the Christmas holiday to purchase a card and get all warm and fuzzy seeing all the Christmas wrap, bows and other goodies and walk out with $30.00 or $40.00 worth of merchandise more than you were going to spend. Or you had a really bad day at work and had to stop at the mall on your way home to get a birthday gift for a family member. While walking around you see a great outfit and you think, “I deserve that after the day I’ve had.”

Whether our kids tug at our hearts for a toy they see in the store or you go supermarket shopping on an empty stomach, we all buy more than what we need. It’s just human nature. We don’t have to beat ourselves up for it but we should get away from too much emotional spending because hours or days later, we regret the extra purchases.

So what can we do to help?

1. Eat before you go to the supermarket—even a small snack that will curb your appetite.

2. Make a list for the market and stick to it.

3. Follow Dave Ramsey’s advice and set aside cash to food shop the month before you are going to use it. If you set aside $500.00 for the month of May, you only get to spend the $500.00! That will force you to be more selective when shopping.

4. For clothing and accessories: keep a running list of what you need and let it build until you absolutely must shop. As you build the list, set money aside for these items. Keep in your mind that you are not going to use a credit card. Or if you do, you have set the cash aside so as soon as the bill arrives, you pay it in full. Also by keeping a list and holding off, you may find by the time you actually do the shopping, you don’t need everything you wrote on your list.

5. There is a difference between “need” and “want.” Believe me; I’m always working on this one.

6. If you had an argument with a family member and want to get out of the house—fine; but don’t go to the store. Instead take a long walk, run or go to the gym or a friend’s house.

7. I think women can get really excited about shopping for a special event. We need the perfect dress and, of course, the shoes to go with the dress. Then we need the purse and jewelry and on and on. Is there any way you can coordinate colors when shopping for outfits so you can get multiple uses from the clothing or accessories?

If we can lessen the number of times we shop emotionally, I know we will save more money and use it more wisely.

Good luck this week!

Joan Burge

Monday Motivator: Earn More Money

Joan Burge — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:44:00 GMT

Happy Monday!

In case you have not read the first few MMs of April, I am focusing on the Financial Pillar of Living a BIG Life this month. But before I get into that, I want to say Happy Administrative Professionals Week to all the fantastic men and women who call this their Career of Choice! It truly is an amazing and exciting career with lots of opportunity and challenge. Being that I was in the profession for 20 years before starting Office Dynamics, I full heartedly know all the time and energy you have to put into your work to make your leaders and management team successful. It’s not an easy role as you have so many different personalities to deal with; constantly juggle priorities to meet deadlines; run a busy executive’s life; keep calm in the office; manage your manager’s stress in addition to your own and so much more.

I also know from being an executive for 22 years, the value an assistant adds to my work and life. I have not always been so lucky to have assistants like Jasmine Freeman. In fact, several assistants came in and out of my life and it was always difficult “breaking in” a new assistant and trying to create that synergistic partnership I always talk about. But I have been extremely blessed to have Jasmine Freeman as my strategic partner for 6 years.

So here’s to all the wonderful assistants in the world. Congratulations! Thanks for all the work you do. The team at Office Dynamics treasures and values you.

Now … onto that Financial Pillar. Today I want to tie together financial and career. Obviously your career has a big impact on your finances. Your ability to be a top performer in the workplace and be recognized and rewarded as a top performer plays a major part in your Financial Pillar. Often when you work for someone else (another company), you can’t choose how much money you can make or you could be locked into a salary range. So no matter how hard you try, you will only go so far because of your title and level within that arena.

This does not mean that you should give up or not bring your “A” game to work. It’s amazing how many managers can “find” money for the right person. I don’t want to get in trouble by telling you this but it is true that exceptions are made for the A-1 Stellar Performer. So you want to do everything you can to meet that expectation. But what if there truly are limitations—caps on how much you can make? I ran into that when I was an employee. There was a boundary and I could not earn a higher income no matter what I did.

Often you have to take into consideration all the other perks your company offers. It’s easy to say, “I don’t get paid enough.” But add all your benefits—what are they worth? How much does your vacation time add up to? What about sick days or personal time off? How much of your medical insurance does the company pay? Do they put money into your 401K or a SEP? Does your manager give you extra time off to attend your kids school play? Or does your manager invest in your training and development—how much does that cost? So there are ways you are compensated beyond a paycheck. You should feel really good about those extra benefits.

Do you still need more money so you can fund a vacation and nurture your Family Pillar or maybe you want to join a gym to support your Wellness Pillar?

One of the best ways you can earn some extra money, and possibly a good chunk of extra money, is by utilizing your talents outside of the workplace. Provide a service that taps into your talent or skill that will earn money. I have many examples, but I’ll just give you a few. I met an assistant, years ago, in one of my workshops who was an excellent proofreader so I hired her to do a great deal of proofreading for me. I met another assistant who had excellent writing skills and asked her to do some writing for us. Another person was great at photography and has helped us out. When I was a young married woman and we needed some extra money, I typed grants in the evenings for a woman who lived in the neighborhood. Thinking of today’s technologies, if you are great with social media do freelance work for small business owners utilizing tools like Hootsuite. If you are creative with hand-made note cards or gift baskets, let people know that.

There are all kinds of ways you can earn some extra money like holding garage sales. Be creative and have fun!

Joan Burge

Happy Administrative Professionals Day/Week to You!

Jasmine M Freeman — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:47:00 GMT

Happy Administrative Professionals Week!

Administrative Professionals do so much to support businesses of all sizes throughout the world. Thanks for all you do! We look forward to serving you in the future and remember, Office Dynamics is here especially for you!

How are you spending your Administrative Professionals Day?

Pillar Huddle: What We Really Think About Multi-tasking

Jasmine M Freeman — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:30:00 GMT

When you describe what you do well or your top work skills, do you say you are a "multitasker?"

I see this term on so many resumes and LinkedIn profiles. People bragging about what great multitaskers they are and I'm going to share with you something about me and the people who work in my office. We don't believe in multitasking. We believe that you should put your focus on one thing at a time, even in short bursts, to really do that task to the best of your abilities. Listen in to our recent Pillar Huddle for our thoughts about this and some supporting evidence on why you may no longer want to multitask or brag about this habit.

Enjoy.

Want to watch the video we are listening to in our Pillar Huddle? Paolo's presentation is very visual and you might hear us giggling in the beginning when we see his sweet mustache (you don't want to miss that) so you may want to watch. Here it is!

Forget Multitasking, Try Monotasking

Are you a monotasker, a multitasker, a supertasker or just a really great juggler? Let us know in the comments below.

Fun and Helpful Videos for Assistants

Jasmine M Freeman — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:07:00 GMT

Joan and I were talking yesterday and she was wondering - what ever happened to all those videos you recorded years ago? Guess what, I found them and thought it would fun (and a little embarrassing) to share them with you this week!

Take note, this was the first video series I ever did and I wasn't a pro then, nor am I now. This series stemmed from questions I was getting from our readers, friends and fans about what it is like to work with Joan, how do I plan our annual conference for administrative excellence and other administrative professionals training events, and what my top tips for assistants are. Here is the series for your viewing pleasure. I hope you enjoy and maybe we'll get to do a new series soon. What would you want to know?

Jasmine

Meet Jasmine Freeman!

Administrative Assistants Event Planning Tips

Interested in learning more about our conference for this year? Visit www.OfficeDynamicsConference.com for all the current event information.

What's It Like to Work with Administrative Expert, Joan Burge?

This was a fun one! Obviously I really like working with Joan. I have been her Chief Executive Assistant for nearly seven years now.

A lot has changed with our World Class Assistant venue and experience - it's gotten even better! You can find more out here at World Class Assistant Certificate Program.

The Soft Skills Necessary for Project Management

What soft skills do you value the most when you are doing project work?

The 10 Success Tips for Administrative Assistants

What do you look for in an administrative professionals conference?

Jasmine M Freeman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:40:00 GMT

There are choices out there for assistants when it comes to training and we think that is wonderful! There are all types of assistants at all levels with different interests and growth needs and learning styles (and this list can go on and on) and that means that there needs to be variety in what is available for assistants today.

What are the types of things YOU look for in an administrative professionals conference? Do you like large or small groups? Do you like big or small cities? Do you like to attend with friends or go alone and possibly make new friends?

Whatever your journey may be when it comes to administrative professionals training we are always here to support you.

Check out this invitation from Joan to attend her Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence (the 20th Anniversary!):

Giving Credit Where It's Due

Guest Blogger — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:01:00 GMT

Survey: Nearly All Executives Say Their Assistant Plays Important Role in Their Success

MENLO PARK, Calif., April 17, 2013 - - For many executives, one key to their success is no secret: It's their administrative assistant, a new OfficeTeam survey confirms. Nearly all (94 percent) of senior managers interviewed said their administrative professional is important to their success at work. Among those supervisors, more than 4 in 10 (44 percent) reported their assistant's contributions are very important. The vast majority of respondents (91 percent) also felt support staff should be recognized on Administrative Professionals Day (April 24), a 25-point jump from a similar survey conducted in 2005.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,000 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees.

Managers who have administrative assistants were asked, "How important is your administrative assistant's role to your success?" Their responses*:

Very important 44%
Somewhat important 50%
Not very important 5%
Very unimportant 1%
100%

*Respondents to this question included 947 senior managers who have an administrative assistant.

Managers were asked, "How important do you think it is to an administrative professional to be recognized on Administrative Professionals Day?" Their responses:

Very important 39%
Somewhat important 52%
Not very important 4%
Not at all important 4%
99%*

*Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

"Managers are busier than ever and rely increasingly on their assistants to help address business needs," said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "Although it's important to recognize the efforts of all employees throughout the year, Administrative Professionals Day provides a unique opportunity to give thanks to a group whose daily contributions often occur behind the scenes."

OfficeTeam offers five ideas for recognizing employees during Administrative Professionals Week (April 21-27) and beyond:

Acknowledge outstanding team members at a staff meeting so the feedback is public.
Hand-write a thank-you note acknowledging someone's great work.
Offer gift cards for coffee or the movies to employees who go above and beyond on a project.
Feature stand-out staff in the company newsletter.
Encourage employees to become active in professional associations and reimburse them for membership dues.

For additional ways to show appreciation to administrative professionals and other employees, download 30 Creative Ideas for Boosting Morale and Retention, a complimentary tip sheet available at www.officeteam.com/RecognitionIdeas. OfficeTeam's light-hearted "Recognition Gone Wrong" video series showcases examples of what not to do when acknowledging the achievements of colleagues. The videos can be viewed at www.officeteam.com/recognition.

In celebration of Administrative Professionals Week, OfficeTeam is offering a free webinar, "Using Intuition to Advance Your Career," on Tuesday, April 23 at 11 a.m. PDT. It will provide advice on how workers can use observation, analysis and similar abilities to help get ahead. Individuals can register for the event at www.brighttalk.com/webcast/8949/67763.

About OfficeTeam
OfficeTeam is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 315 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com. Follow OfficeTeam at twitter.com/officeteam, and gain insights into the latest administrative hiring and salary trends at www.officeteam.com/salarycenter.

What NOT to get your assistant this year for administrative professionals day

Jasmine M Freeman — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:56:00 GMT

What NOT to get your assistant this year for administrative professionals day

By Jasmine Freeman, Chief Executive Assistant to the CEO, Office Dynamics.

Congratulations you have an assistant! I meet so many entrepreneurs and business leaders who are either struggling to find a great assistant or they just aren’t ready to bring one on yet. My message to them is you really don’t know what you are missing. Your business can make huge leaps by freeing up your time and putting some of the day-to-day and bigger projects into the hands of a capable assistant. I say capable because I feel that administrative professional’s day is a day about acknowledging someone who does a great job for your organization and deserves a little extra recognition. If you have an assistant in your office you don’t deem worthy enough to buy a card for on Administrative Professionals Day, perhaps you need a new assistant.

In my line of work, I have seen many executives make serious mistakes when it came to buying their assistants a little something to recognize Administrative Professionals Day and I would hate to see you do the same so here’s my advice on what not to get your assistant this year on Administrative Professionals Day (which is Wednesday, April 24).

Lunch that she has to schedule – A lunch out with the team is the typical way of showing appreciation but you completely nix any respect or appreciation when you ask your assistant to call the restaurant and make the reservation for everyone. Part of the gift would be you doing the legwork to make that lunch happen.

Jewelry – Can we say creepy? Yes, your assistant loves jewelry but save this gift for her sweetheart. There are too many movies about the assistant + executive love story that we don’t need to raise any eyebrows in the office about what “might be” between you and your staff. The funny thing is we sell jewelry but it has a specific theme that ties into one of our training programs so there is great meaning behind it. Also, if you are buying an item for a team of assistants it isn’t so creepy anymore.

Clothing – Your assistant is fashionable and always looks sharp, great gift then, right? WRONG! You may think you know your assistants style or color preference or even size but my advice is you don’t and you shouldn’t buy them clothes. Plus, the thought of one of past executives buying me a blouse is just as creepy as the jewelry option.

A forced day off with no back up covering their desk – This one could easily be on my ‘do’ list with one twist. You must not tell your assistant what day they get to take off and you must also have a back-up plan in place for coverage so they aren’t coming back to a disaster that will take staying late and coming in early the next few days just to catch up. Part of the gift is the extra thought you put into this one.

An e-card – Lame. At least spring for a paper thank you card with a hand written sentiment.

Trinkets that junk up the work space – We consult with executives in corporate offices all year long and one of their complaints is about their assistants work space. It has too many knick-knacks or they have a quilt hanging in their cubicle. Don’t contribute to this problem and add more junk to their work space. You want this person to be nimble and able to find things quickly. If they have to push aside the Beany Baby™ collection to put their hands on that important report perhaps we should be having a different conversation.

Flowers – they die, it’s weird (feels just as romantic as jewelry and clothes and in some cases looks like one). Plus, it’s allergy season and you would hate for them to be allergic or someone who sits nearby to be bothered by them.

Trade spaces for the day – Yes, people do this! It just sounds like a horrible idea and a huge waste of your companies’ time to me. I honestly can’t think of how this would be a way of showing your assistant you appreciate and respect the work that they do for you by mocking them and pretending you can do their job while you mess things up for an entire day.

In all seriousness, it’s about respect. You put a lot of faith and trust in your assistant. My advice would be to show them you appreciate them by putting some thought into the gift you give them. Is the gift coming from you, the department/team, or the entire organization? This could affect the size or scale of gift you get your assistant.

A great assistant is always learning and has goals to continuously improve. Consider gifting your assistant a relevant book or audio.

People do choose to be assistants. Acknowledge this by offering to advance their training in their chosen profession. There are high level training programs out there that can inspire and re-frame the mindset of your assistant regarding the work that they do.

For more ideas on what you should get your assistant see my full article on Top Administrative Assistant Gifts for 2013.

Administrative Professionals Day Gift List for 2013

Jasmine M Freeman — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:38:00 GMT

Do you need ideas for Administrative Professionals Day?

It's April. You've likely landed here because you just realized that Administrative Professionals Day is around the corner and you need a gift. You might just be curious what kind of gifts would be appropriate for an assistant. Use this post as your handy dandy Buyer's Guide to Shopping for the Administrative Professional in your life. I will go through the ‘what’ and they ‘why’ behind purchasing a gift for Administrative Professionals Day.

First let’s start with some basics.

When is Administrative Professionals Day? Administrative Professional’s Day is on April 24 and it’s time to start thinking about what you would like to get for your amazing assistant this year.

What exactly is Administrative Professionals Day – and why do they get a day? Truth be told it’s actually Administrative Professionals Week, and yes, they get a whole week! Having a day (or week) for administrative professionals isn't about Hallmark making a buck. It's about making your assistant feel appreciated and respected for all they do for you. A great assistant bends over backwards for their leader and their organization, makes personal sacrifices, always knows who to call and puts out a fire before you ever feel the heat. So, taking one day out of the year to say "I appreciate you." is way easier than hunting to fill the position time and time again because they just never felt appreciated and something better came along.

If you don’t feel your assistant deserves a gift or you think this is a made up holiday please refer to my article What NOT to Get Your Assistant for Administrative Professionals Day. More about where Administrative Professionals Week/Day came from can be found here.

This list will guide you to the perfect gift for your administrative assistant or executive assistant.

Here are my thoughts on great administrative professional’s day gifts.

Respect the profession – This is rule #1. It happens day-after-day in too many offices around the world where assistants are being belittled because of their role. Do me a favor and never again use the phrase “just an assistant.” In addition, comments to your assistant like “You are so good, why are you an assistant?” or “You are great at this, you should consider working in the XYZ department!” aren’t really compliments. You see, being an administrative professional in many cases is actually a chosen profession. They are in this position not because they can’t get another job but because they really enjoy the work they are doing as an assistant and there are ways to grow the breadth and depth of what they do without changing roles. Comments like those listed above can actually be hurtful to some assistants. Assistants around the globe are helping businesses run every single minute of every single day, respect that. #AssistantsGetStuffDone

Workspace make-over – Your assistant spends more time in their workspace than they do their own home. Wouldn’t it be cool if you provided a budget or consultant for some really great decorating advice on how to best utilize and personalize the space? Note: This idea might backfire if you are just trying to get rid of your assistant’s personal style. If that is the case there is a deeper issue needing to be addressed here and we can help you with that. DreamCubicle.com has some interesting graphics that add a little warmth to the boring cubicle walls. Other interesting décor ideas to dress up a cube space.

Knowledge – An executive or administrative assistant is worth their weight in gold when they have a continuous growth mindset. Is your assistant always growing, a constant learner, never finished developing? Perhaps more education is the perfect gift in their case. We have a great selection of books related to the administrative profession here. If you want to go bigger, consider a conference or high-level training experience.

“Never be so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.” – Denis Waitley

A one-on-one coffee chat with you – Admit it, you don’t keep to your one-on-ones every day of the week with your assistant like you should or if you do; the two of you get interrupted by others in the office. Why not take a few moments in the day to take your assistant out for coffee and just chat about what’s going on? You might actually gain some insight into how employees feel about the new benefit plan you rolled out or what your assistant has going on in their life. Yes, they have a life and if something major happens to them – it happens to you.

A well-planned day away with pay – A day away also made my DON’T list. Click here to see why. You adore your assistant; they get things done and make it easy for you to function so to have them away for even one day is a scary thought. If you decide to offer them the luxury of a day away you must, and I repeat MUST, also plan for back-up (someone well-trained to provide back-up) for the day they choose to be out. The last thing they want to do is come back to work more hours to make up for the time they missed.

We’ve got options in all price ranges for you. I hope you found some great ideas. Remember to read my don’t buy list as well.

Bonus Tip: Do you have a lot of assistants at your company? Ask for quantity discounts or special group pricing on the registration. Most companies will work with you if you have 10 or more gifts to buy.

You will show up confidently saying:

"Happy Administrative Professionals Day!"

Do you feel like you found the perfect Administrative Professionals Day gift?

We want to hear from you. Are you still looking and need help finding a training option that will best suit your assistants learning objectives for 2013? We're here to help with that.

Administrative Professionals Day Gifts 2012

Gift Ideas for Administrative Professionals Day.