Project Management
Issue: May / June 2013

An Introduction to Six Sigma

By - May 25, 2013

Sharon Severn gives us her insights on the Six Sigma process Six Sigma efforts target three main areas: • Improving customer satisfaction • Reducing lead time • Reducing defects The world of improvements does not need to be as complicated as the above points sound. One of my personal phrases is “if it irritates me,... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: May / June 2013

Feeling Overloaded? Boundaries to the Rescue!

By - May 25, 2013

Marsha Egan explains why we need to set boundaries
Project Management
Issue: May / June 2013

PAs: the World’s Best Jugglers

By - May 25, 2013

The vast knowledge that can be sourced on the Internet tells me that the world’s best juggler can handle seven balls at a time, with 352 moves. A competition I’d like to see is him taking on my very own PA who seems to juggle well over 353 moves a day! I have always been... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: September / October 2012

How to Deal with Procrastination

By - September 25, 2012

Facing your fears might just be the way to eliminating procrastination for good.   Jeremy Lazell, a successful journalist, used to be a self-confessed procrastinator. In a recent Sunday Times article, he described how in two years he’d managed to write three pages of his novel. Until that is, he attended one of my training... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: September / October 2012

Meetings Manners Matter

By - September 25, 2012

Keeping courtesy top of mind when you are planning an event can make all the difference.   Meetings represent such wonderful opportunities for the sharing of information, making of decisions, building of morale, and forming of ideas to name just a few. But they can equally be challenging, so here we show how an emphasis... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: September / October 2012

How to Set Up a Brainstorming Meeting

By - September 25, 2012

Brainstorming is easy right? It can be, as long as the session is organized with a few rules in mind.   Brainstorming, even when you just hear it, it sounds so provocative.   It was developed in the 1940s by the American advertising executive Alex Osborn, and describes the method of generating ideas or problem... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: July / August 2012

Getting the Most from Attending a Trade Show

By - July 25, 2012

To get the most from attending a trade show, you have to have a clear strategy in mind. Here are some tips for what you should do before, during and after the show to be sure your trip is a success. You’ve approached the boss on a good day, got approval to attend and now... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: July / August 2012

The Accidental Event Manager

By - July 25, 2012

We’ve all had tasks land in our in-tray that aren’t strictly part of our job description, and sometimes had to deal with situations which lay way outside what’s required of us. But as professionals we adjust our mindset, take a positive viewpoint and tackle them head-on, mostly with great effect – because that’s who we... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: May / June 2012

Events – creating the perfect match

By - May 25, 2012

The top ten things to consider when choosing a venue for a great brand match.   Finding a venue with availability and the right facilities can be challenging enough, but it becomes all the more complex if you are asked to pick one that reinforces certain brand messages! Branding is all about the factors that... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: March / April 2012

Working with an unusual venue

By - March 25, 2012

A unique meeting venue is hot on every organiser’s wish list – but there are several things that need to be considered to ensure it’s the perfect fit. Words like ‘one-off’, ‘unique’, and ‘unusual’ in a venue description are bound to get the typical meeting planner’s heart racing, for they promise the memorability, individuality and... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: March / April 2012

Where did daily planning go?

By - March 25, 2012

Before the advent of e-mail and smart phones and nearly constant electronic interruptions, daily planning was a strategy that was used quite effectively in the business community. Not so much, anymore! Oh yes, we still make the attempt to set our daily plan, but I am willing to bet that for a lot of you... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: March / April 2012

Organising and Running Successful Events

By - March 25, 2012

Lindsay Taylor details five simple steps to take the pain out of planning and ensure you deliver the best event. For many Assistants, an integral part of their job is to organise and run events. You can ensure every event you organise is a great success by following a simple step-by-step technique which uses questioning... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: January / February 2012

Six ClichĂŠs That Make You a Better Project Manager

By - January 25, 2012

ClichĂŠs are funny. We don’t like to hear them, but we often use them in everyday conversation. ClichĂŠs are a useful way to make a point because the meaning of them is universally understood, even if not entirely true. Just because something is a clichĂŠ doesn’t mean it can, or should be, ignored. Here are... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: January / February 2012

Health and safety

By - January 25, 2012

Balancing health and safety with putting on a ‘Wow’ event As an event organiser, it is probably one of the most stressful parts of your role and certainly raises the biggest dilemma – how do you balance putting on a firecracker of an event, that contains a real ‘Wow Factor’, with meeting Health and Safety... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: July / August 2011

Wish You Weren’t There?

By - July 25, 2011

Anthony Coyle-Dowling provides his ten top tips for organising a virtual meeting. A virtual meeting can be anything from two colleagues liaising via Skype and Google Docs to a fully-fledged, multi-national online conference with tens of thousands of delegates, complete with augmented reality special effects. Somewhere between the two extremes is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: July / August 2011

Managing Your Own Day

By - July 25, 2011

Effective Time Management For The Busy PA – A Sure Sign That You’re Winning. How well we manage our time is a crucial factor in the control we exert over our own lives. How well we manage our time is a crucial factor in the control we exert over our own lives. You can interpret... Read more »