Health & Wellbeing
Issue: May / June 2011

Living with Uncertainty

By - May 25, 2011

Sharon Eden examines the number one reason for workplace anxiety With the current economic climate and swingeing cuts biting at both the public and private sectors, I’m seeing many people in distress. And the #1 cause of their anxiety is ‘uncertainty’. Some worry their job might not be safe. Some worry, because of redundancy, how... Read more »
Leadership
Issue: May / June 2011

It’s a Deal

By - May 25, 2011

A Simple Contract Secret to Save Your Boss’s Shirt Susan, the President of a limited liability company called Sunguard, buys all of the fabric Sunguard needs to make its products from Weaver Sisters. The two companies have done business together for years and enjoy a business relationship where they trust each other and do not... Read more »
Career Development
Issue: May / June 2011

Ten Strategies for Handling the Stay-at-Home Parent Resume Gap

By - May 25, 2011

Whether you’ve taken two years – or ten years – away from the traditional work force to raise your kids, you face the issue of how to handle this gap on your resume. Here are ten strategies for handling a stay-at-home parent gap on your resume   Whether you’ve taken two years – or ten... Read more »
Communication
Issue: May / June 2011

Email Advice

By - May 25, 2011

We asked you ‘What is your favorite tip for managing e-mail?’ Patti Gough (United States) I create separate folders in Outlook for each individual and or event that is going on. Works for me. I have never lost an email yet. At the end of the month, I go through them and archive the ones that... Read more »
Communication
Issue: May / June 2011

Confident Life Skills: Body Language and Voice

By - May 25, 2011

Over the ensuing months we are going to cover in detail all the nuances of what I call “Confident Life Skills” or being able to communicate in a much more positive and effective manner with the people In your life, whether it be work colleagues, including management, your friends, or just everyday people that you... Read more »
Leadership
Issue: May / June 2011

Aspirations – not a problem! The world’s your oyster

By - May 25, 2011

Take opportunities when they come up, and make opportunities when they don't, explains Heather Baker
Technology
Issue: May / June 2011

An Introduction to Sharepoint

By - May 25, 2011

Portals are very much on the minds of business and government leaders. When information does not flow horizontally across different parts of a company, units behave like silos, forfeiting economies of scale and the transfer of best practice. Moreover, the organisation as a whole loses its opportunity to develop a cadre of up and coming... Read more »
Editor's Letters
Issue: March / April 2011

New Beginnings

By - March 27, 2011

Spring always seems like a good time for some fresh thinking and I don’t know about you but the temptation to clear away the cobwebs is irresistible. It seems fitting, therefore, that after six months of research and discussion, we are relaunching Executive Secretary to you this March with a brand-new look for the modern... Read more »
Career Development Cover Story
Issue: March / April 2011

Virtually Anything is Possible

By - March 26, 2011

Jemima van Zyl explores the pros and cons of online learning
Communication
Issue: March / April 2011

The Keys of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

By - March 25, 2011

Sue France details some of the tools that she has learnt about in her journey to become an NLP practitioner
Leadership
Issue: March / April 2011

Risk Is Like Fire – You’ll Be Safe But Cold Without It

By - March 25, 2011

Are risks threats or opportunities?   There is a simple but profound question I would like you to ask yourself: do you see risks as threats to be minimised or openings to be explored? Minimise or explore? How you answer this question is vital to your entire approach to your career and your life. We... Read more »
Communication
Issue: March / April 2011

The Quandary of Quotation Marks

By - March 25, 2011

Quotation marks are a beloved form of punctuation in the English language, used to indicate a verbatim report on what someone said, and used in a great deal of business writing. They are often misused. This article will explain some punctuation rules and clear up some misconceptions held by many about proper usage of quotation... Read more »
Communication
Issue: March / April 2011

Stress Resilience & the Power of Positive Acceptance

By - March 25, 2011

Your boss is hassling you. You have a presentation to give and no time to prepare. Your partner is threatening to leave because you spend too much time at work. In case these pressures aren’t enough, the one person you depend on for support at work has just gone off sick. If this was your... Read more »
Communication
Issue: March / April 2011

Regional Focus: The Middle East

By - March 25, 2011

Executive Secretary asked two experts on the region to give their personal guides to doing business in the Middle East. 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. The Middle... Read more »
Profiles
Issue: March / April 2011

PROFILE – Claire Lister

By - March 25, 2011

We caught up with Claire Lister, Pitman Training, to get the lowdown on her career and what she thinks the future for executive secretaries holds.
Leadership
Issue: March / April 2011

People are the Heart of Your Business

By - March 25, 2011

I am constantly surprised when people I talk to do not appear to know what Human Resources (HR) is there for. OK, I am biased. Having been in HR all my working life, I think it’s obvious, but many people, it seems, do not! A colleague recently mentioned that he had been talking to his... Read more »