Communication
Issue: September / October 2013

Phone Etiquette for Today’s Busy World

By - September 25, 2013

Have you ever been put on hold and then couldn’t remember who you called? Have you dialled someone and then had to stop and think about the reason you made the call? We are often so busy and wrapped up in our own work that we sometimes forget that a real human being is on... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: September / October 2013

Work/Life Balance and Managing Our 24 Hours

By - September 25, 2013

We all have the same amount of time to expend each and every day, so why does it seem like some people have mastered their time better than others? As Assistants I think we struggle with this quite a bit. No matter what we do, whether we work in the corporate world or manage our... Read more »
Communication
Issue: September / October 2013

Executive Assistants or Chief Communication Officers?

By - September 25, 2013

Aside from their vital role to the CEO, perhaps one of the most important roles any Executive Assistant plays is the portal for information to and from the CEO. It is in this capacity that they must be exceptionally effective communicators; and at a higher level than almost anyone else as communication is about understanding,... Read more »
Communication
Issue: September / October 2013

The Power of Praise

By - September 25, 2013

Praise can be a real energizer and motivator. Praise lifts people up, and helps them know what behaviors are appreciated and are desired to be repeated. William James wrote ‘The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated’. Just because praising others may sound easy, all praises may not all be equally... Read more »
Events Excellence
Issue: September / October 2013

Team Building – Getting it Right

By - September 25, 2013

Team building is something most of us will have been involved in, whether it’s organising the event or being invited along to partake. Most of us have preconceived ideas which come to mind when the words “team building” are mentioned but what fundamentally is team building all about? Essentially team building is a concept of... Read more »
Communication
Issue: September / October 2013

Are You a Conversation Stealer?

By - September 25, 2013

Mike: How was your weekend? Sue: Really nice. We went for a ride along the canal on our bikes. Mike: Really? I’ve been planning to do that for years! Every year I keep saying how I would love to do that. I probably haven’t been on my bike for three years. I’m really getting out... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2013

What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?

By - September 25, 2013

Bonnie Low Kramen’s guide to taking courage when fear stops us being our best As I speak with Assistants from San Francisco to South Africa, I am struck by the common themes that burst forth – usually within moments and with stark honesty. One of the most loaded themes is Fear. That is why it... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: September / October 2013

Speak Easy!

By - September 25, 2013

Diana Boulter's top tips for working with a professional speaker bureau
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2013

Stuck in a Rut?

By - September 25, 2013

I’m curious! I wonder how many of you started 2013 with the intention of telling yourself “this is it! This will be the year I get out of my rut and take action to do something about my situation”? Whether it’s boosting your confidence, progressing in your current organisation, going for a new job or... Read more »
Editor's Letters
Issue: July / August 2013

Changing Lives

By - July 27, 2013

Back in the March issue of Executive Secretary, we featured a truly inspiring young Assistant who I met at the BEL Conference in Anaheim in February. Marina Ivey‘s leg had been amputated at the age of 15, following a particularly nasty car accident. Today, two further amputations later and as a single mother of 11-month-old... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: July / August 2013

The Real Power of the Executive Assistant

By - July 27, 2013

Unless you have been in some far flung part of the universe for the past two years you will have been witness to one of the most damaging economic downturns in living memory. More importantly it is a real fact that we are not out of the woods yet. There have been businesses that have... Read more »
Cover Story Leadership
Issue: July / August 2013

The Business Case for Assistants

By - July 26, 2013

Adam Fidler explains how crucial the Assistant role is, and why it’s here to stay Just last week, in the organisation where I work, I was asked to talk to a group of Senior Managers about the role of the Assistant, the rationale behind it, and why, in this day and age, the role is... Read more »
Technology
Issue: July / August 2013

Plan for a Disaster – Don’t Pay Until it Happens

By - July 25, 2013

How businesses can protect their business IT infrastructure, mitigate risk and keep costs to a minimum Whilst stories of businesses being affected by natural disasters grab the headlines, it is the ever-growing threat of cyber-attacks that has helped move IT disaster recovery planning up the agenda for business managers. No plan. No excuse IT disaster... Read more »
Project Management
Issue: July / August 2013

Planning to Succeed

By - July 25, 2013

Lucy Brazier explains how a clear vision of what you want your event to be will always bear fruit in the end. Here she explains the difficulties surrounding the organisation of the Gala Dinner for this year’s Executive Secretary LIVE event and how she overcame them with a little help from Harrods Back at the... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: July / August 2013

The Apprentice: the Solution to Recession-hit Britain’s Administrative Needs?

By - July 23, 2013

Since 2008, at the height of the UK recession, over 3.7 million people have been made redundant, leaving administration roles stretched to breaking point. Secretarial roles were hardest hit and as head counts were slashed, the day-to-day administrative workload didn’t decrease. A problem soon arose as to how companies could get essential administrative support when... Read more »
Leadership
Issue: July / August 2013

Perceptual Positions

By - July 23, 2013

Changing the way you see things can make all the difference says Lindsay Taylor