Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2012

The Law Of (Office) Attraction

By - May 25, 2012

Attracting the working environment that you want is all about mind-set.   The phrase ‘what you think about you bring about’ has been proving itself over and over to me this month. Take this week for example: a couple of unhappy employees in the office who were sitting mumbling under their breaths and making negative... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2012

Confidence at work: Are you aware of your own abilities?

By - May 25, 2012

Taking an audit of your own strengths and weaknesses is the key to building confidence.   In all aspects of life, confidence is acknowledged as a positive quality to possess. Confidence enables us to effectively communicate our personality and abilities to others through the way we act and handle tasks. It is therefore a valuable,... Read more »
Communication
Issue: May / June 2012

Multi-tasking: Your Email Could be Hazardous to Your Career Health

By - May 25, 2012

How many of us pride ourselves in our ability to multitask. We think it is an advantage – and maybe it is. But has it gone too far?   Let’s face it – multitasking isn’t really doing two things at once. Multitasking is alternating among tasks. In other words, you hit the print button, then... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2012

Your Training Business Case

By - May 25, 2012

By building a request for personal development into a business case you may have more success in gaining your employer’s support explains Julie Perrine It’s a common complaint: my boss won’t approve my training or professional development requests. But it may not be your boss’s fault. It may be the way you’re asking or failing... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2012

How to Build Your Self-Esteem

By - May 25, 2012

Graham Price shares some practical steps to build your self-esteem
Health & Wellbeing
Issue: May / June 2012

Can you help me?

By - May 25, 2012

Reaching out is the hardest, but the most important step to achieving emotional health.   I’m a pretty black-and-white thinker. I’m all about an action plan, a solution, a strategy. I provide solutions to my clients, my friends and my family. I can always come up with solutions to other people’s problems. It’s my own... Read more »
Technology
Issue: May / June 2012

Commercial use of Facebook and Twitter – risks and rewards

By - May 25, 2012

Social media is fast becoming a large part of many organisation’s marketing strategies, but there are a number of legalities to keep in mind.   Businesses are increasingly learning to exploit the potential of social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for marketing and growth. Distribution of information continues to shift from traditional media... Read more »
Events Excellence
Issue: May / June 2012

Wine for Events: The Whine – Free Guide

By - May 25, 2012

A little know-how can make choosing the right wine for your event a breeze.   Whether you’re hosting a networking drinks reception, a client meeting, or your company’s holiday party, there’s one thing which can’t be excluded from the budget… wine. Let’s take the ‘H’ out of whine, by following these simple guidelines. Trust me... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2012

Redundancy…Coping with Change

By - May 25, 2012

Redundancy is often seen as the end, but it can really be the beginning of a great new phase in your career.   At the age of 14 my mother pushed me to do a typewriting course, and then a secretarial course so that I would find a career as a Secretary. ‘Being a Secretary... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: May / June 2012

I’m boooorrrrrrrrrrred!

By - May 25, 2012

When’s the last time you were bored? Maybe it’s been too long says Brenda Bernstein Early on a Saturday evening, I admitted to a friend that I had watched a Netflix movie the night before, and was likely going to watch another one that night. For many people, watching videos two nights in a row... Read more »
Opinion
Issue: May / June 2012

‘Mad Men’ and Powerful PAs

By - May 25, 2012

There is an office career revival afoot – and Secretaries are leading the way.   Whilst I’m a big believer in looking forward, not back, I’ve had good cause to reminisce over the past few months as we’re currently celebrating 175 years since Sir Isaac Pitman invented shorthand. As part of these celebrations we’ve asked... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: May / June 2012

Waiting for the Great Leap Forward in Training

By - May 25, 2012

Peter Cook's no-nonsense guide to providing effective training to manage performance
Cover Story Processes & Procedures
Issue: May / June 2012

Managing Difficult Diaries – A Flexible Approach

By - May 25, 2012

Managing difficult diaries can be made a whole lot easier with a bit of creativity and common sense says Adam Fidler Managing a busy diary is no simple task – as every Assistant will know. Some executives diaries are so complex they employ two Assistants: one to work on the diary – the ‘diary Assistant’... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: May / June 2012

A DATE WITH AN INTERVIEWER – Practice

By - May 25, 2012

Continuing on from last issue’s preparation theme, practice is the next essential step to winning over your next employer.   We’ve mentioned before that an interview is like a date – it could be the beginning of a long and happy relationship – however, we often have to kiss a lot of frogs before we... Read more »
Technology
Issue: May / June 2012

An Introduction to Visio

By - May 25, 2012

Executives want information that’s meaningful, clear, and concise, which is why diagrams of all kinds are a staple of the business world. Charts, graphs, plans, and other types of diagrams can convey information succinctly, but not all diagrams are created equal. That’s where Microsoft Visio can help. Visio makes it easy to create, edit and... Read more »
Communication
Issue: May / June 2012

Regional Focus: South Africa – The Rainbow Nation

By - May 25, 2012

Executive Secretary asked three experts on the region to give their personal guides to doing business in South Africa. The Consultant’s View The founder of Kwintessential, Neil Payne is currently the Managing Director of the company, overseeing global operations. He is also responsible for the management of cultural awareness training in Europe. South Africa is... Read more »