Business Strategy & Acumen
Issue: May / June 2016

Why today’s EAs need to get more strategic

By - May 25, 2016

Adam Fidler explains why EAs must learn to operate more independently in order to move forward in the profession
Personal Development
Issue: March / April 2016

Taking personal responsibility for your career growth

By - March 25, 2016

Adam Fidler shows us how to grow our careers
Personal Development
Issue: January / February 2016

Personal Commitments to Support Confidence and Self-belief

By - January 25, 2016

If you want to go far don’t bury your ideas and achievements, says Adam Fidler
Productivity
Issue: November / December 2015

Shorthand – Still a Vital Office Skill

By - November 25, 2015

Adam Fidler champions the role of shorthand in today’s professional workplace Do people still use shorthand in the office? Do I need to learn shorthand? Do executives still “dictate” letters to their Assistants? These are questions I am often asked by secretarial students, who are debating whether to take the time to learn shorthand as... Read more »
Business Strategy & Acumen
Issue: September / October 2015

Time for a Little Boss Mode

By - September 25, 2015

Adam Fidler explains why today’s Assistants need to do as much thinking as their bosses   I remember my first “proper” job as an Assistant in the early 2000s – it was for a large FTSE100 firm, in their group headquarters, where I supported the CEO’s chief communicator and spin doctor. The bulk of my job... Read more »
Communication
Issue: March / April 2015

Pushing Back, Appropriately and Diplomatically

By - March 25, 2015

Adam Fidler explains how to say “no” (without actually saying it!) Do you ever say “no” to your boss? Do you ever push back and tell your boss that you’re too busy? These questions might alarm you – but I am being serious. They are the questions I ask, deliberately, to the delegates on my... Read more »
Communication
Issue: July / August 2014

Contingency Planning: How Prepared Are You?

By - July 25, 2014

Adam Fidler is currently EA to the most senior director of Salford City College, one of the largest Colleges in the UK. Here he looks at what happens when your boss is suddenly off work for a prolonged period Bosses aren’t supposed to get sick. Nor are they supposed to be off for prolonged periods.... 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 »
Communication
Issue: July / August 2013

The Art of Interrupting Meetings

By - July 23, 2013

The key is to get yourself in the room explains Adam Fidler The first rule is that there are no rules. But, in the absence of a “rule”, then try and agree with your boss what he finds acceptable and non-acceptable in terms of interrupting a meeting. I am often surprised at the number of... Read more »
Profiles
Issue: January / February 2013

PROFILE – Adam Fidler

By - January 23, 2013

Adam Fidler is the European PR Officer for EUMA, (European Management Assistants) and Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive of Salford College
Events Excellence
Issue: May / June 2013

Arranging Sustainable Conferences and Meetings – a Beginner’s Guide

By - May 25, 2013

Going “green” is no longer an option – it’s a must! Adam Fidler gives us the lowdown on arranging sustainable conferences and meetings Most organisations today have a policy on sustainability, but for the Management Assistant, or conference organiser, being asked to arrange a sustainable event or “green” conference can add another strand to what... Read more »
Opinion
Issue: November / December 2012

Why Every Assistant Should be a Touch-Typist

By - November 25, 2012

Typing is an old-fashioned skill, but is still crucial for your success as a modern PA explains Adam Fidler We’re gradually losing an important skill in the Administrative field – an old skill which so many new Assistants no longer learn. A skill that is so crucial to the Assistant’s role I cannot understand why... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: September / October 2012

Bosses need boundaries

By - September 25, 2012

Adam Fidler discusses how PAs should set boundaries with their bosses in terms of their working hours, the expectation for them to be checking their e-mails out of hours and their availability when out of the office or on annual leave. One downside of the PA role, if I can use the word ‘downside’, is... Read more »
Personal Development
Issue: July / August 2012

PA behaviours – the ‘what’ and the ‘how’

By - July 25, 2012

There’s more to examining your performance than you think says Adam Fidler It’s a funny word ‘behaviours’ and something that often conjures up an image of a parent telling their child, “To behave
”. However, it’s a term that I became very familiar with when it came to full-year and mid-year performance reviews. In fact, in... Read more »
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 »
Communication
Issue: January / February 2012

Why You Should Talk to Your Boss

By - January 25, 2012

Adam Fidler explains why a successful boss/PA working relationship is founded on face-to-face communication, and how PAs fall into the ineffective trap of relying solely on email as a source of dialogue with their boss In a previous organisation where I worked, having come from outside (rather than being a PA who was recruited from... Read more »