The First, The Best
The Star Achievement Series® is the most comprehensive training program for administrative assistants, executive assistants, secretaries, and support staff with a proven track record. Since 1990, our ground-breaking program (in its 13th edition) has been a training staple for world-class employers who value administrative effectiveness and workplace excellence.
The Star Achievement Series® is built upon Office Dynamics’ innovative workplace philosophy, Star Performance™. More than a training concept, “Star” is a way of thinking . . . being . . . and performing – galvanizing employees to embrace even higher standards for working and living so they achieve their fullest potential.
Star Achievement is based on a philosophy of excellence that says to each person: You have the potential to be a star performer at work. It just takes the right combination of:
- Skill: Learning new and enhancing current business and people skills.
- Attitude: Achieving and maintaining a positive attitude about your employer, co-workers, clients, and yourself.
- Teamwork: Being a part of and contributing to various team relationships inside and outside the organization.
- Strategy: Setting goals and cultivating networks to actualize your professional self.
This unique combination of Skill, Attitude, Teamwork and Strategy is the foundation of this curriculum. The program goes beyond traditional basic skill training to incorporate a broad selection of interpersonal and self development courses which give your administrative office professionals the behavioral foundation to continue growth well beyond the training period.
The series focuses on innovative methods of teaching, including interactive role plays, presentations, exercises, timed activities, team competitions, puzzle assembly, values auction, group discussion and more. These exercises are energizing, challenging, fun, and have gotten rave reviews by thousands of administrative professionals across the country in a variety of industries and government agencies.
Star Achievement far outshines other administrative programs:
- Written by Joan Burge, 39+ years experience with the administrative profession: worked 20 years in the field; since 1990 has helped thousands of admins achieve extraordinary career success.
- Follow-up Activities and Action Items are provided in each workbook so participants can continue learning beyond the workshop experience.
- Administrative professionals love it! This series has been evaluated by thousands of administrative professionals.
- Appropriate for all types of industries/markets, including government, military, and academic environments.
- Designed for employees with a variety of administrative professional titles.
- High-energy curriculum keeps participants involved and interested from morning until the end of the day!
- Star Savers™ (tips and tricks) are provided for each module.
Also available: Star Manager, A training and development program based upon the Star Philosophy for mid- to entry-level managers and administrative support staff that have been assigned managerial duties.
Trainer Certification Classes
Call for course dates. Held in Las Vegas, Nevada
Please call 800-782-7139 for details and registration.
"I embarked on a nationwide search for programs that could provide quality training in a cost effective manner consistent with our aggressive roll-out schedule. After narrowing the search to three potential vendors, conducting thorough discussions with clients and personally getting acquainted with the vendors, we selected Office Dynamics to support us in this highly visible endeavor."
Joe Curry
The Schwan food Company
LEVEL I
Earn college credits for this program.
Note: Each module = 1 day of training. If Office Dynamics’ trainers present the program, 2.4 CEUs will be awarded per level.
1. Be a Star Achiever™ (Attitude)
- Eggs and attitudes™
- Fighting office dragons™
- Typical fighting styles
- Overcoming intimidation and fear
- Accepting criticism
- Looking for the lesson
- Dealing with difficult people
- Managing hectic days
- Star-Achieving attitude habits
- Weapons to win
2. Star Achieving Techniques™ (Skill)
- Think like a Star Achiever
- Evaluating your skill level
- Stop... Think...Select the right medium
- Keeping technology from dominating your life
- Crafting emails that get results
- Electronic communications: instant messaging, voice mail
- Communication styles and strategies
- Excelling at meeting preparation
- Facilitating successful meetings
- From chaos to control: Managing tasks, projects and priorities
- Six strategies to skill enhancement
3. Building a Star Team™ (Teamwork)
- Qualities of team players
- Understanding perceptions and expectations
- Clarifying team relationships
- Confidently communicating with managers
- Exploring hidden communication
- Improving listening skills
- Developing interpersonal skills
- Making team diversity work for you
- Resolving team problems
4. Reaching Stardom™ (Strategy)
- Appreciating your uniqueness
- Assessing strengths and areas for growth
- Consider your values
- Navigating your career through goal setting
- Turning obstacles into opportunities
- Using resources effectively
- Contacts count! Cultivating business relationships
- Expanding your network
- Presenting a powerful professional image
- Perception management
Level II
Earn college credits for this program.
Note: Each module = 1 day of training. If Office Dynamics’ trainers present the program, 2.4 CEUs will be awarded per level.
1. Be a Shining Star™ (Attitude)
- Learning self management
- Exploring work stressors
- Unstress yourself
- Identifying and coping with difficult people
- Defining conflict
- Strategies for cooperative conflict
- Steps to improving self-esteem
- Becoming a risk taker
- Changing your mental outlook
- Being creative at work
- Keeping yourself competitive
- You, Incorporated
2. Give a Stellar Performance™ (Skill)
- You present yourself every day
- Developing presentation skills
- Getting your writing flowing
- Materials and visual aids
- Delivering your presentation
- Office manners
- Success saboteurs and enhancers
- Communicating assertively
- Choosing when to assert yourself
- Principles of persuasion
- Problem solving and creativity for career success
3. Expanding the Star Team™ (Teamwork)
- Characteristics of leaders vs. managers
- Building a partnership with your boss
- Learning your boss’ style
- Striving for synergy
- Peer power – finding strength in unity
- The semi-private assistant
- Beyond a team of two
- Motivating non-team players
- Benefits of team playing
- Increasing team productivity
4. The Contemporary Star Performer™ (Strategy)
- Predicating work trends
- Preparing for the future
- The challenge of change
- Thriving during changing times
- Committing to quality performance
- Streamlining your job
- Habits of Star Performers
- Rising to the top
- Shifting mentally for success
- 13 success tips
- Developing leadership skills
- Staying on the cutting edge
Level III
Earn college credits for this program.
Note: Each module = 1 day of training. If Office Dynamics’ trainers present the program, 2.4 CEUs will be awarded per level.
Participants must graduate from Levels I & II to attend the Master Level classes.
1. Star Achieving Attitudes™ (Attitude)
- Self-management as an attitude
- Characteristics of successful self-managers
- Keeping emotions under control
- Embracing an attitude of commitment
- Gaining an edge toward your goals
- Building your confidence level to be assertive
- Tactfully voicing opinions
- Communicating your message nonverbally
- Gaining respect
2. Be a Stellar Ambassador™ (Skill)
- You as an ambassador for your organization
- The communication link and chain reactions
- Communication crisis: Building rapport by matching moods and actions
- Selling ideas up, down and across the organization
- The absence of good judgment: The domino effect
- Introduction to right brain/left brain thinking
- Tapping into your creative energy
- Making problems transparent to management
3. Coaching a Stellar Team™ (Teamwork)
- Who is on the team?
- Complementing your team’s talents
- Getting your team to support your efforts
- How to transition to supervisory assignments successfully
- Balancing current and added responsibilities
- Leading team or staff meetings
- Leading by example
- Coaching your peers
- Becoming a great leader
4. Mastering a Stellar Career™ (Strategy)
- There is no collar
- Expanding the box
- The Broadway Play
- Personal mastery: Assuming responsibility, accountability
- Decisions, decisions
- Setting your mind for achieving your goals
- Creating and maintaining a business portfolio
- Looking for and working with mentors
- Responding to new opportunities created by change
- Eight entrepreneurial qualities
How the Series Works
The Star Achievement Series® training program consists of 12 full-day Modules (workshops) and offers 3 Levels of learning. The Levels do not correlate to the number of years someone has been in the profession. The Levels relate to concepts and philosophies taught in Star Achievement, similar to college courses. Your organization can offer 1, 2, or all 3 Levels. The workshop Modules should be taught based on a client’s timeline, budget and logistics. We recommend Modules be spaced at least 2 weeks apart, but no more than three months apart.
Each Level offers a high-energy curriculum, interactive learning techniques and progressive reinforcement of key learning points that have a cumulative effect on performance over time. While some of the module topics listed may sound similar to other programs, it is important to remember that these topics are combined in such a way as to be most effective when implemented cumulatively. The information presented in each module builds upon the previous module’s content, growing in complexity as the series progresses.
Participant Workbooks:
Each module has a comprehensive workbook focusing on a specific area of development.
- For class use and individual study.
- Reference manuals between and after classes.
- Action Items and Follow-up Activities expand learning process.
- Star Savers™ provide quick tips that can be applied right away.
- Resources are listed for individual, continued learning.
Since 1990, Joan Burge has revised the workbooks with 14 editions ensuring that what is taught in Star Achievement is relevant, timely and consistent with business trends and administrative profession competencies
“Long-term change requires behavioral change. And changing an employee’s behavior requires repeated exposure to the desired skills and attitudes in order to be effective. The Star Achievement curriculum was designed as a Series for this reason."
Joan Burge, Founder & CEO Office Dynamics
Certification & Designation
Official Star Achievement Series® Certificate of Completion: By attending all 4 full-day workshops in a Level, attendees can receive the official Star certificate.
A Certificate of Completion is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to professional development. You can frame your certificate and place it by your desk, have a copy placed in your personnel file, and be sure to add a copy to your Career Portfolio!
CEAP (Certified Executive Administrative Professional):
The CEAP is a curriculum-based designation awarded to individuals who complete all 8 classes in Levels I & II, meet program objectives, actively participate in class, complete the Star In Action™ form, and obtain a letter from their manager stating observed changes in behavior and processes. By adding the CEAP initials, administrative and executive assistants will find more opportunities presented to them. (Note: This is optional. Not all participants need apply.)
A Succession Planning Tool
Just as organizations have succession plans for upcoming managers who will some day fill the senior level positions, they should have a similar plan in place for senior level executive assistant positions. Many of the boomer generation will be retiring over the next ten years and with that some of the most seasoned executive assistants will be leaving organizations. High-powered executives need talented, well-qualified, trained executive and administrative assistants.
University of Phoenix
Training Options
Realizing that training needs are as varied as the companies that implement them, Office Dynamics offers several options for Star Achievement:
The “Gold Standard” – Have Series’ creator Joan Burge train your staff.
Our "Star" Certified Trainers - Choose from Joan’s highly-experienced Star Achievement experts.
Trainer Certification – Select a trainer-candidate or several from your workplace to learn directly from Joan Burge in Las Vegas. Click the following link to learn more about Trainer Certification.
Facilitator Kits – Opt for our all-in-one training kit.
"I love teaching Star! The managers and peers of those who have and are taking this
course indicate that they definitely see a 'huge difference' in the way those
administrators are performing."
--Debbie Gross
Benefits
Star turns potential talent into demonstrable competence, resulting in administrative staff who are equipped to move beyond task work to higher level functions within their job requirements. The resulting organizational benefit is increased productivity on both the managerial and administrative staff level. Put simply, when you administrative staff and executive assistants are highly productive, your managers are more productive.
- Enhances fundamental skills and develops advanced business skills that enable employees to contribute even more to their organization’s success.
- Valuable tool for attracting and retaining administrative talent.
- Increases individual productivity and effectiveness; immediate application to job.
- Enables relationship development and networking with peers.
- Decreases stress levels within the office and increases personal job satisfaction for participating
employees and those they work with.
- Ensures employees anticipate and meet the increasing demands of today’s changing workplace.
- Teaches employees to thrive in their chosen professions.
- Encourages employees to become increasingly enthusiastic about their contributions in the workplace.
- Shows staff that they have the ability and opportunity for even greater contributions.
- Instills the skills that will be needed in the future.
- Prepares employees to “roll with the punches and emerge standing” as challenges continue to arise.
- Develops “intangibles” that will improve employees’ overall performance and outlook.
- Teaches entire staff the same philosophy and proven best practices.
- Hones career-specific aptitudes, tactics and techniques.
- Promotes synergy, improved group interaction and creativity.
- Provides a complete educational path administrative staff.
- Changes employees’ old, outdated paradigms about work and career.
Star Samplers®
Take ‘STAR’ for a TEST DRIVE . . . Interested, but not sure whether Star is right for you? Try any three of our most popular Star-related programs. You can have up to 30 participants in a program. Attendees will experience the same fun activities and learn the same great content as when attending the full-day workshop. We will provide a Master Handout for copying, at no extra cost to you.
- Eggs & Attitudes™
- Fighting Office Dragons™
- Communicating With Style, In style
- Achieving Personal & Professional Excellence Through Goal Setting
- Presenting a Powerful Professional Image
- Self Management vs. Stress Management
- Creative Problem-Solving Techniques for Career Success
- Thriving on Change
For pricing and available dates, call 800-782-7139.
Star Manager
The Star Manager ™ curriculum’s main focus is honing interpersonal skills, which are critical to being an exceptional manager. Rich Wellins, Ph.D., senior vice president of global marketing and business development for DDI, says that research has shown that not only are employees with strong leaders more engaged, but also that the quality of their relationships with their supervisors or managers is the most critical factor in determining whether or not they choose to stay at or leave a job.
While Star Manager ™ emphasizes the skills and attitudes important to leading, guiding, managing and mentoring staff, it also offers high-level self-development practices, such as “self-management vs. stress management” and “turning chaos into control”. Star Manager ™ is a foundation program that gives entry and mid-level managers a jump-start; it is for anyone who leads or will be leading people (and is especially designed for first-line and new supervisors and managers). It develops managers in a way that can accelerate an organization’s succession pipeline to the executive level and maximize the managers’ time and talents for greater success.
Purchase Star Manager. Check out the Star Achievement Series for your administrative staff.
Call for details on customization and duplication license options, 800-782-7139.
10 Modules
Note: Each module = 2 hours of training. Highlights of each module are featured.
1. Leader as Role Model™ (2 Sessions)
- The Star Manager™ philosophy, core concepts
- Manager vs. leader orientations
- You are on stage!
- Employee engagement – praise, develop and value staff
- The nuts and bolts of leading
- Having the courage to be your best
1. Success is 90% Attitude™
- Domino effects of negative and positive attitudes
- Attitude is a choice
- Motivation is an “inside job”
- Use attitude-improving techniques
- Addressing an employee with a bad attitude
- Accepting criticism and leveraging feedback
2. Communicating with Excellence™ (2 sessions)
- Catalysts for communication deterioration
- Tailoring messages to the receiver’s style
- Improving listening skills
- Choosing the right media for greater impact
- Risks related to business e-mail and coaching staff
- Techno etiquette: voice mail, e-mail, cell phone, and instant messaging
3. Creating Dynamics Star Teams™
- Clarifying expectations and perceptions
- Getting your team to support your efforts
- Peer power: Finding strength in community
- A constellation of stars: Valuing diversity
- Bridging the age gap
- The Star approach to partnering with co-workers
4. Fighting Office Dragons™
- Four awesome dragons
- Typical fighting styles that don’t work
- Professional strategies for dragon fighting
- Embracing a win-win mentality
- Difficult people types and success strategies
- Conflict resolution in a multi-generational workplace
5. Self-Management vs. Stress Management™
- Events and conditions that create work stress
- Caution Lights: 4 categories of stress indicators
- Best practices to manage yourself
- Promote a “stress-less” work environment
- Introduction to emotional intelligence
- 360-degree awareness
6. From Chaos to Control™
- Coping with conflicting priorities
- Focus vs. multi-tasking
- Get off the “hamster wheel”
- Value-added work vs. busy work
- Letting go: Delegating to staff
- Get organized!
7. Greater Success through Better Meetings™
- The effects of unproductive meetings
- Elements of effective meetings
- Best practices for the 3 meeting stages: pre, proper, and post
- Star guidelines for keeping attendees on track
- You as a meeting attendee
- Top-notch meeting techniques: From ho-hum to hurrah!
8. Navigating Your Career and Developing Your Staff™
- Setting goals from start to finish, including detours
- Aligning professional goals with organizational goals
- Developing, encouraging and inspiring staff
- Catalyst phrases for employee discussions
- Creating a career portfolio
- Break through a career plateau – and climb to the stars!
9. The Power of Professionalism™
- Critical skills to thriving in today’s marketplace
- Perception management
- Casual casualties!
- Personal packaging: What is your brand?
- The Rule of 12 and the power of congruency
- Coaching staff on appropriate dress
Star Manager Facilitator Kit Includes:
- Complete Instructor Guide (scripted training guidelines with time agendas, learning objectives, activity processes, transitional phrases, pre-class preparation checklists and more)
- Participant Manual (for facilitator’s reference, 200+ pages)
- Masters for training props
- 20 Human Moment™ tip cards
- Starter supply of star incentive stickers
- DVD featuring Master Trainer, Joan Burge, personally introducing the Star philosophy to attendees
- 20 Monday Motivators™ e-zine sign-up flyers (free service reinforcing concepts taught in Star Manager™)
- Sample of the official Star Manager™ Certificate of Completion
- Order forms for Participant Manuals and Certificates of Completion
- Suggested books, products, CDs and more to complement the Series
- Supplier contacts for training aids and materials