Editor's Letters
Issue: September / October 2012

Let the Networking Begin

By - September 27, 2012

Because it’s the start of the school year and most of us are back at work after a holiday, September often feels like a new beginning – a time to start afresh. September is also traditionally the month where there are more events on the Assistant calendar than any other, and we will be at... Read more »
Cover Story Leadership
Issue: September / October 2012

Management, Leadership and Innovation: The Indispensable Role of Executive Support

By - September 26, 2012

Constancy, stability, and challenging learning curves have expanded the Executive support role to its present status explains Melba Duncan
Business Strategy & Acumen
Issue: September / October 2012

Problem Solving For Dummies

By - September 25, 2012

I belonged to a local networking group that touts allowing only “one person per profession”. Over the four years I was a part of the group, there had been several times when someone’s competitor had visited and the group worked with the competitor to find ways for them to be a part of the chapter... Read more »
Leadership
Issue: September / October 2012

The Leadership Delegation Challenge

By - September 25, 2012

With this guidance, you will be perfectly placed to successfully meet the challenge of being an effective leader and delegator says Sue France
Business Strategy & Acumen
Issue: September / October 2012

The new WoW* factor

By - September 25, 2012

*(WoW=Ways of Working)   The traditional office environment has never been too pleasant for most employees, unless one is in the c-suite level where you can arrange your time and space according to your personal taste and needs. In fact, it’s not really what your daily surroundings look like, not even how your colleagues behave,... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2012

The Gentle Art of Saying No…

By - September 25, 2012

Saying ‘no’ to people can actually be good for your role, your mental health, and your career says Susie Barron-Stubley We’ve all been there, we’ve got a hundred and one things to do, deadlines are pressing, emails are mounting, phones are ringing, the Blackberry is beeping, and the reminders just keep on popping up, apparently... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2012

Finding your curve at work

By - September 25, 2012

Discovering who you really are as a woman could be the key to success.   Picture this – You are invited for a job interview…   To convince the interviewer that you are the right person for the job, do you rely on your looks and sex appeal to speak for you? Or do you... 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 »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2012

Developing Your Personal Advisory Board

By - September 25, 2012

Surround yourself with many wise advisors, and you’ll reap the benefits of their wisdom and insights explains Julie Perrine
Health & Wellbeing
Issue: September / October 2012

The Perfect Stress-less Day

By - September 25, 2012

Imagine if you could easily and painlessly transform a full day of work into a peaceful experience. How would you like that? What would it feel like? Well, this dream may come true if you follow our Sophrology advice!   But first, what is Sophrology? Sophrology means ‘the science of the consciousness in harmony’. It... Read more »
Productivity
Issue: September / October 2012

Swimming Through Molasses!

By - September 25, 2012

Overwhelmed by your inbox? Fear not, there is a way to lessen the feeling of burden.   Can you imagine trying to swim in a pool full of molasses? It would be almost impossible. Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that it feels like you’re doing just that? You’re not alone. In today’s fast-paced life,... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: September / October 2012

First impressions count!

By - September 25, 2012

So what really happens in the opening moments of a job interview?   The idea that employers decide to hire or reject in the first 30 seconds of an interview is an urban myth. If it were true, interviews would be much shorter. What happens is that an interviewer makes initial decisions about your personality... 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 »
Profiles
Issue: September / October 2012

PROFILE – Maria Lazarou

By - September 25, 2012

Maria Lazarou is the European Chairman for EUMA
Technology
Issue: September / October 2012

Just How Social Can You Be at Work?

By - September 25, 2012

With advances in technology and culture, the lines of work and play are being blurred – but how far can you go? Comfort Zones… Remember when the introduction of ‘dress down’ Friday meant heading into work in your ‘weekend clothes’? Initially this felt like quite a strange concept and one that took a lot of... Read more »
Communication
Issue: September / October 2012

Getting your PR right as a PA

By - September 25, 2012

Why paying attention to all the small things is critical when communicating with the media.   PAs often find themselves at the interface between the business and the outside world.  As such, they are responsible for the external image that the business portrays.  I want to share a story that happened recently, which has important... Read more »