Personal Development
Issue: March / April 2012

It’s hard to say ‘I’m sorry.’

By - March 25, 2012

Have you ever had to apologize for something you did, or meant to do, and didn’t know where to begin? Saying ‘I’m sorry’ and truly meaning it can be an extremely difficult thing to do. If we say ‘I’m sorry’ too quickly in the conversation (or error discovery), it looks like we’re just sorry we... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2012

The Secret to Great Meetings that Every Employee Should Know

By - January 25, 2012

What will be different when the meeting ends?   People spend a significant portion of every workweek in meetings, many of them complaining about the wasted time and catching up on email while being ‘held captive.’ I know because I’ve received many of those emails, along with promises to call if the meeting ever ends.... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2012

Professional Development – What do Admins Want?

By - January 25, 2012

Eth Lloyd looks at the development opportunities administration professionals want and how they can find them
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2012

Preparing for Leave

By - January 25, 2012

‘Maternity Leave, Carers Leave, Career Breaks
 But how will leaving work affect your career?   ‘Most of us will need to take an extended period of leave from work at some stage in our careers. In fact, it is to be expected, and companies should support employees through major life events such as having a... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2012

Network your Brand!

By - January 25, 2012

Some practical advice on how to take your personal brand to the world. Have you ever thought about how visible you are and how often people talk about you or remark about you to others? Do colleagues and friends have to describe you in a lot of detail for others to know who you are... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2012

How to be Cool in a Crisis

By - January 25, 2012

Celebrity PA Bonnie Low Kramen explains how to plan for and deal with a crisis CRISIS – A condition of instability or danger. Dramatic upheaval, the point at which something must change. As administrative professionals, we know that there are degrees of crisis. There is your life and death crisis (such as the events of... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: November / December 2011

Stepping up … and giving others a helping hand

By - November 25, 2011

Claire Lister, Managing Director of Pitman Training, talks about taking charge of your own career development and training as well as that of others.   In previous articles, I’ve talked about how the role of top level secretaries and PAs has expanded to include many other elements such as finance, marketing and human resources. If... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: November / December 2011

Practical Parenting

By - November 25, 2011

Reviewing your family work/life balance This morning, when dropping my 4-year old off for his pre-school session, we saw one of his friends in floods of tears, trying to drag his mum back towards her car. His mum was clearly upset by this, saying that her son goes there 4 and a half days a... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: November / December 2011

How to deal with an unpleasant boss

By - November 25, 2011

Your boss is criticising some work you’ve done when you know the problem lies with his/her instructions. You try to explain but he cuts you off. He provides no support or encouragement to his staff, employing criticism instead. He gets little support in return and responds by being harsh and dominating. He gets angry a... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: November / December 2011

Born this way

By - November 25, 2011

Personal Development Lessons from Lady Gaga Lady Gaga is a music and business phenomenon. Simply fabulous electro pop and dance music. Strategy, marketing, finance, HR, operations, social media and so on, all rolled into one. Setting aside all the controversy over her music & fashion, what might we learn from Lady Gaga about personal development?... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2011

You Are What You Eat

By - September 25, 2011

How to boost your performance by eating healthily   Most PAs have busy lives, and busy lives mean that eating food that is good for you – as well as tasting nice – is not always a priority. A quick sandwich and a packet of crisps may well become the norm, while eating with one... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2011

Would You Follow You?

By - September 25, 2011

Top 10 Ways to Be a LEADER   Spurred in part by an exercise I did at an ActionCOACH business planning workday, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a leader. My commitment is to be a great one, and I’m getting clear that in order to be successful, there... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2011

Minimising Separation Anxiety

By - September 25, 2011

How To Cope With Leaving Your Baby Or Toddler In Childcare For The First Time.   As was preparing to return to work after my maternity leave, I read a great American book called The Working Gal’s Guide to Babyville. I always remember the quote “Good childcare is the secret sauce of contented working parenthood”.... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2011

Coaching For Success

By - September 25, 2011

Enhancing your skills – and those of your mentees – using the GROW model   The use of coaching in the workplace has expanded significantly over the past ten to 15 years. Many managers and staff will have learned some of the basics of coaching on management development courses, even if they haven’t been formally... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2011

Can You Just?

By - September 25, 2011

How to use your skills and experience to make a positive and lasting impression in your new role.   Whether you’ve landed your dream job or are climbing further up the ladder towards your ultimate goal, your experience and skills really get put to the test. So, how do you make sure your colleagues and... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2011

Bouncing Back

By - September 25, 2011

How to deal with setbacks in your career   You’ve just missed out on a promotion. You’ve been made redundant. You’ve failed an exam essential to the qualification you need. How do you deal with such set-backs? Are you immobilised by regret, disappointment, stress or worry? Or are you the resilient type who can quickly... Read more »