Joan Burge's Administrative Blog

Administrative Professionals across the globe, UNITE! We are launching the first-ever BLOG-A-THON for the administrative profession. A place to come for free information, learning and sharing with your peers and of course - a place to win prizes each day!

You may very well have your most valuable work asset sitting right outside your door – your administrative assistant. Today’s savvy assistant is a strategic business partner, decision maker, liaison, problem solvers, director of people, a creative communicator, and so much more. Unfortunately, many managers and executives have not had a class in “Maximizing the Time and Talent of Your Assistant.” Because of this, managers are doing far more than they need to.

Do you feel like your executive is speaking a different language? Are you impressed with the way executives phrase things or how eloquently they seem to put things? When you learn to communicate in a fashion that they like and regularly use, you will create a more synergistic relationship with your executive. It will open the lines of communication and they will view you more as a business partner. See what Joan has to say on the subject.

Some of you may be in the season of motherhood of young children. Children aren’t born with the ability to eat and live healthy. It’s up to you to foster healthy habits. The earlier, the better. Here are some tips:

Work out with your kids.
It keeps you and the children fit. For the kids, a half hour of vigorous outdoor activity twice a day is ideal.

Limit TV.
There are too many commercials for unhealthy foods. And remember; don’t provide snacks unless the kids are hungry.

Make it easy.
Stock up on water, fruits, and vegetables, and nutritious snacks.

Reward with words.
Praise children when they make a healthy food choice on their own.

Some managers are really difficult to work with; others are just misunderstood. You have to figure out the real difference so you can increase your job satisfaction. How do you do that?

In an audio conference recently, I was asked about this topic. Here is exactly what I was asked and what I said.

The next time your child throws a temper tantrum, try giving him or her a hug instead of a lecture. You might be surprised at how effective a hug can be in stopping a child in the midst of a tantrum. But what about the misbehavior?

Over the past 3 months of coaching CEOs, President and high-level assistants, the one thing I’ve been hearing from the executive is that their assistant needs to take the complete trip before they do.

Have you seen the button, ‘I refuse to participate in a recession’? That is what I choose. However, I can’t ignore what is going on around me. I am aware of the troubles many families face today and I want to know what you are doing to keep your family together and comfortable during 2009? Here are some of my ideas.