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
Personal Development
Issue: July / August 2013

Professionalism – The Golden Rules

By - July 23, 2013

There are a great many “Golden Rules” available on every conceivable subject, for work, for leisure, for health and many more besides. However, here is a set for you to consider which generates enormous change for the better wherever it is used. When we think about the meaning of professionalism, we need to consider not... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: July / August 2013

So You Think You Want to be a Celebrity PA?

By - July 23, 2013

Being a Celebrity PA isn’t all red carpets and freebies. There is some of that! But there is also a lot of waiting in basements for plumbers to fix boilers and ferrying clothes to and from the drycleaners. It is a very diverse role, so it is hard to generalise. Every Boss will have different... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: July / August 2013

Making the Most of Your Business Trip

By - July 23, 2013

Whether you take regular business trips yourself or you organise them for your manager there are lots of opportunities to get the most out of your time away from both the home and the office. Since launching maiden-voyage.com in 2008, it has been my absolute passion to make business travel both safe and social for... Read more »