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 »
Opinion
Issue: May / June 2012

I Am So Organised Because Of A Bump In The Road

By - May 25, 2012

One Assistant wonders why all has gone quiet on the office front. “Well, that’s another job done”, I think to myself with some satisfaction. It has been ages since I had time to sort out the hard files and archive older files. Electronically, my files are all organised so I can always find documents. Anything... Read more »
Technology
Issue: May / June 2012

The New Scourge of Cyberbullying

By - May 25, 2012

An insidious new wave of bullying has arrived, and it is important to be able to identify it, explains Carole Spiers
Technology
Issue: May / June 2012

An Introduction to Blogging

By - May 25, 2012

Understanding what a blog is and how to set one up “What is a blog? The word ‘blog’ is shortened from its full title ‘weblog’ and a blog is just that, a ‘web’ ‘log’. A log, journal or collection of articles on any topic. What is a business blog? A business blog is an ongoing... Read more »
Health & Wellbeing
Issue: May / June 2012

Time for a Health Check?

By - May 25, 2012

Angela Garry discusses the importance of listening to ourselves and taking time to check our own health
Leadership
Issue: May / June 2012

Why Appreciation Matters

By - May 25, 2012

Showing appreciation has the power to build morale and boost performance explains Doug Dickerson
Editor's Letters
Issue: March / April 2012

Birthday Greetings

By - March 27, 2012

Back in March 2011 we re-launched Executive Secretary. Prior to this it had been in existence for about 16 years in various guises, but in March, we were reborn. And it really was like a birth, painful, at times uncomfortable and a lot of hard work but well worth the wait in the end. Birthdays... Read more »