Editor's Letters
Issue: January / February 2016

The Gift

By - January 28, 2016

The saying goes that if you give a man a fish, you have fed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish, you have fed him for a lifetime. For the last year we have been working on something very special. It is amongst one the most exciting projects that I have... Read more »
Cover Story Productivity
Issue: January / February 2016

Four Basic Steps to Organizing Anything

By - January 25, 2016

Julie Perrine reveals the simple organizing system she picked up from the experts Organization is an essential skill for every successful assistant. However, given the chaos of our work environments, and the complexity of some projects, getting and staying organized can be a challenge even for the most organized among us. Throughout my career, I’ve... Read more »
Opinion
Issue: January / February 2016

Can you Imagine Life Without Your Phone?

By - January 25, 2016

Ring the changes with Carole Spiers’ timely guide… Are you a member of Mobile Phones Anonymous? In other words, are you addicted to your cellphone? Now before you start to roll your eyes, let’s see how you answer these questions: Do you stop what you’re doing every time your cellphone rings? Does a WhatsApp alert... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: January / February 2016

Be a Revolutionary Assistant

By - January 25, 2016

Don’t just experience the working world’s dramatic shifts, says Joan Burge, initiate them It was exactly one year ago this month that I wrote an article for Executive Secretary Magazine called The Resilient Assistant. Now, here I am one year later, writing about The Revolutionary Assistant. The Resilient Assistant was the theme for the Office... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: January / February 2016

Setting up a Corporate Mentoring Program

By - January 25, 2016

Mentors and mentees both have something to gain, says Marie Herman Most companies would like to have an educated, well-trained workforce, but they may not have the budget to provide more than a few days of periodic training to their staff. How then can they develop their workforce and groom employees to take on additional... Read more »
Leadership
Issue: January / February 2016

Lean into Leadership and Soar!

By - January 25, 2016

Take the lead with Bonnie Low-Kramen’s ideas and resources “Leadership is neither a rank nor a title. It is a choice. The choice to provide care and protection for those for whom we are responsible.” Simon Sinek, TED Talk “Find Your Why” Simon Sinek is right. Leadership is our choice, a conscious decision. Let’s get... Read more »
Profiles
Issue: January / February 2016

PROFILE – Rebeka Adamson

By - January 25, 2016

Rebeka Adamson, New Zealand’s new Personal Assistant of the Year, has a big year ahead of her Can we start with a little background information? Where are you from and what is your current role? I am from Palmerston North, New Zealand, and my current role is Personal Assistant to Operations Director at Enable New... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2016

Personal Commitments to Support Confidence and Self-belief

By - January 25, 2016

If you want to go far don’t bury your ideas and achievements, says Adam Fidler In many of my training sessions I often ask the delegates, who are office professionals such as EAs and Secretaries, “What’s the difference between a manager and an EA”. As you can imagine, there are a variety of responses. But,... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2016

New Year – Same You…

By - January 25, 2016

What could you learn, build upon or do better in the New Year? asks Claire Lister
Leadership
Issue: January / February 2016

Becoming a Relevant Leader

By - January 25, 2016

Knowing your “why” is the first step, says Doug Dickerson “There are times when a leader must move out ahead of the flock, go off in a new direction, confident that he is leading his people the right way.” – Nelson Mandela When Irving S. Olds was chairman of the U.S. Steel Corporation, he arrived... Read more »
Communication
Issue: January / February 2016

Do You Put on a Brave Face?

By - January 25, 2016

I’m cranky today. This is a rare occurrence for me. Rarer still—I’m admitting it. Normally I don’t tell anyone that I’m not in a great mood. Usually, I just fake a good attitude. Do you tell people, or do you fake it? This exact topic came up during a training session I was delivering yesterday.... Read more »
Communication
Issue: January / February 2016

Building and Maintaining Rapport

By - January 25, 2016

Part 1: Making positive connections is a win-win, says Michele Thwaits   “Rapport is the ability to enter someone else’s world to make them feel better that you understand them, and that you have a strong common bond.” – Tim Robins I find myself drawn to men and women like myself. People I can identify... Read more »
Productivity
Issue: January / February 2016

The Top 10 Ways to Reduce Your Incoming Email

By - January 25, 2016

Now is the perfect time to cull your inbox, says Marsha Egan   Email use is on the rise. Daily, people on all rungs of the corporate ladder, entrepreneurs, and those working from home complain about the number of emails they receive. They tell me how much work it is for them to handle and... Read more »
Opinion
Issue: January / February 2016

What’s Holding you Back?

By - January 25, 2016

The sky’s the limit if you’re brave enough, believes RONA CANT As I write this article I am listening to the news that our first official British astronaut, Tim Peake, is to take off into space today for the International Space Station. Another headline concerns a woman who was diagnosed with a very aggressive type... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: January / February 2016

How Administrative Professionals Can Prepare for the Office of the Future

By - January 25, 2016

Today’s administrative professionals have anything but an easy and boring job. Over the years, their roles have moved well beyond circulating memos and taking dictation. They are being asked to become involved in and even take charge of areas such as social media and corporate responsibility.   In recent Office of the Future research from... Read more »
Communication
Issue: January / February 2016

The Generation Game

By - January 25, 2016

Millennials and Baby Boomers can learn from each other, says Dr Lynda Shaw Mismanaging the contrasting work styles between different generations could lead to disaster. As a Cognitive Neuroscientist and Business Improvement Strategist, I believe that the Millennials (born early 1980s to early 2000s) in particular are being grossly mishandled. Mishandling the different business styles... Read more »