The Definitive Personal Assistant & Secretarial Handbook: A Best-Practice Guide for all Secretaries, PAs, Office Managers & Executive Assistants

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There has been a revolution in the office environment and today’s PA or Secretary is a multi-skilled, dynamic member of the management team. The demands of the job are now huge. The definitive Personal Assistant and Secretarial Handbook is the ultimate guide for all management assistants, PAs, secretaries and executive assistants. Written by a former Times Creme PA of the Year, it deals with every aspect of these vital administrative roles and the wide range of skills they require, including: Relationship management; Communication, listening and questioning skills; Organising meetings and events; Confidence, self-belief and goal setting; The secrets of body language; Coping with pressure and stress; Dealing with difficult people and managing conflict; Time management and personal organization; Presentation skills; Networking. The Definitive Personal Assistant and Secretarial Handbook is set to become a bible of all assistants worldwide. Comprehensive and accessible, it will help you to maintain a professional image and achieve resounding success in your career. About The Author Sue France, FCIPD, has over 30 year’ experience as a secretary and personal assistant. She was the UK training manager for over 600 secretaries at a global accountancy practice. She has been the voluntary UK National Training and Development Officer for European Management Assistants (EUMA) for four years and is currently the UK National Chairman for European Management Assistants. Sue was awarded the prestigious award of The Times Creme PA/DHL PA of the Year 2006. She is still an acting PA for the founder of Persuasion and presents at PA conference throughout the world, and is also involved in training and coaching PAs and secretaries. Table of Contents Introduction Relationship Management Understand yourself before you try to understand others What the boss-assistant relationship means to your health and well -being Image, perception and first impression Managing your state of mind The handshake Professional image The beginning of a business relationship Waht is expected of each other: setting down the parameters Working styles Constant communication Assumptions Be proactive, anticipate needs, be prepared and exceed expectations Be accountable: take pride in a high standard of work Empathy Honesty and integrity Trust Office politics How to manage your boss Communication Skills Body language Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic Matching and mirroring (reflecting) Eye contact Use of space The ‘influence’ right side Hands Posture How to influence the ‘chemistry between you E-mail communication Listening skills Questioning skills Gossip Telephone etiquette Understanding and communicating with different cultures Confidence, Self-Bbelief and Goal Setting What is confidence? Think positive thoughts Focus on your strengths and boost your confidence Self-esteem, self-awareness and self-belief Conscious and subconscious minds Internal ‘negative gremlins’ and internal ‘positive coach’ Fear Tools to change/eliminate negative gremlin voices The power of experiential learning The feeling of confidence Act as if you are confident The law of expectations Action plan Goal setting Steps to help you achieve your goals Continual learning Methods of learning Appraisals and feedback Tips on how to receive constructive criticism Personal development plan (PDP) Dealing with Difficult People and Managing Conflict A problem-solving technique Assertiveness Ground rules for discussions Strategies to help you deal with conflict and difficult characteristics of bosses Change the way react by using affirmations E-mail rage Real-life case studies on how to deal with difficult bosses/conflict Different types of management styles Time, Organising and Stress Management Time management Prioritising the workload ‘Time thieves’ Organisational skills Top tips for managing deadlines Top-10 ways to save time dealing with e-mail Stress management Time management and lowering stress levels Advice on stress from around the world Summary Organising Meetings and Events Before the meeting: prepare and plan! During the meeting/event After the meeting: evaluate Presentations Exercises to reduce tension Principles for preparing your presentation During the presentation Ending the presentation Ergonomics: Your Health and Safety The work station A tidy desk leads to a tidy mind Principles of posture Ergonomic health breaks Networking What is networking? The benefits of networking Where to network The secrets of good networking Remembering people’s names Some general points What to talk about while networking Conclusion A Chapter to Share with your Boss Communication What bosses should know to work effectively with their assistants The law of expectations: communicate your expectations clearly How to motivate your assistant Focus on the development of your assistant Conclusion The future of the personal assistant/executive assistant/secretary Index