Editor's Letters
Issue: May / June 2013

Never Alone

By - May 27, 2013

By the time I am done this year, I will have been to 21 different countries delivering presentations on all things administrative. Sometimes I go to Chair conferences or to speak at them, I have presented at various training days for Associations, at internal and external networking events and even the occasional HR seminar. I... Read more »
Cover Story
Issue: May / June 2013

Getting Serious About Soft Skills

By - May 26, 2013

There’s nothing soft about soft skills explains Robert Hosking
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2013

Fully Utilize Your Talents – Optimization

By - May 25, 2013

Optimization is like administrative skills and attitudes on steroids (in a good way). Optimization means to enhance the effectiveness of something; to make something function at its best. When I read the definition of optimization, I immediately think of two things: 1 Part of my “job” is being brought into companies by senior leaders to... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: May / June 2013

Gaining Support From Your Employer to Invest in Your Professional Development

By - May 25, 2013

What is the value of your professional development to your employer? asks Eth Lloyd
Profiles
Issue: May / June 2013

PROFILE – Karlena Rannals

By - May 25, 2013

Karlena Rannals is the President of IAAP Can we start with a little background information? Where are you from? I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. After leaving high school, I married a career Navy man and lived in numerous duty stations including Bethesda, MD; Norfolk, VA; Jacksonville, Florida; and Okinawa, Japan. After nearly... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2013

Making the Step Up from Assistant to Business Partner

By - May 25, 2013

As a Business Partner, not only should you have all the requisite technical and IT skills, you and your Executive should support each other and trust and understand one another implicitly says Sue France You are their right hand person, their second brain and their positive coach. You are someone who not only acts as... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2013

It’s a Great Time to “Lean In”

By - May 25, 2013

There has never been a better time to be an Assistant than right now. It is also a great time to lean in. Here’s why… Sheryl Sandberg is the 43-year-old COO of Facebook and her genius new book is called Lean In – Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. It is one of the... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2013

Raising your Visibility Factor with Personal Branding

By - May 25, 2013

It's no good having a good personal brand if nobody knows what you really do and what you're great at explains Lesley Everett
Profiles
Issue: May / June 2013

PROFILE – Carolyn Pearson

By - May 25, 2013

Carolyn Pearson is the founder of maiden-voyage.com whose aim is to make business travel safe and social for women, globally. Can we start with a little background information? Where are you from? I’m originally from Pendle in Lancashire, steeped in folklore about witchcraft! What is your background? I left school at 16 with relatively few qualifications... Read more »
Leadership
Issue: May / June 2013

Lessons to Learn Today to Be a Better Admin Tomorrow

By - May 25, 2013

The days of admins taking dictations from their executives and typing on typewriters are long gone. Making carbon copies and delivering them to the “in-boxes” on our executives’ desks is a thing of the past. Thanks to modern technology and advancements in our field, these tasks are now largely obsolete. The administrative assistant landscape has... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: May / June 2013

Productive, or Just Busy? It’s Time to Take Control of Your Life

By - May 25, 2013

Are you in control? People get up, have breakfast and race to work crushed into trains, buses, traffic jams. Some are talking on mobiles, some look fraught, others just quietly reading their book or Kindle to take their mind off the day looming ahead. Do they look happy as if they can’t wait to get... Read more »
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 Have you ever seen a circus plate-spinner? Those people who spin flatware on tall spikes, dashing frantically from plate to plate to keep them airborne as, if they let their guard down for a moment, the whole lot will come crashing to the floor? Do you... Read more »
Leadership
Issue: May / June 2013

Investing in Success

By - May 25, 2013

Top talent may need nurturing, but is targeting the average worker a better strategy to improve performance overall? Ever since performance management came into fashion in the Seventies, a debate has raged in the human resources community about how best to allocate its development budgets. The question is which parts of the workforce most warrant... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2013

Silence and Isolation: Two Dastardly Behaviors That Hold People Back

By - May 25, 2013

Last weekend I attended a very pleasant dessert party that had a theme based on the Sheryl Sandberg book Lean In. (If you’ve not heard of it, please do look it up and become familiar with this cultural discussion regarding women in the workplace.) The party was attended by eight well-educated career women at varying... Read more »
Health & Wellbeing
Issue: May / June 2013

Reach Out – I’ll Be There

By - May 25, 2013

Some of you may recognise the title of this article as an old song by The Four Tops. I have to admit that it is one of my all-time favourites and always has the effect of stopping me in my tracks to listen, really listen to the words. It’s also amazing how old song lyrics... Read more »