Office Dynamics

Translating Admin Experience to Recruiters

Guest Blogger — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:53:00 GMT

If you plan to apply for a new job in the near future, you must know how to explain your administrative experience in a way that convinces recruiters to interview you and make competitive job offers. Whether you are applying for an executive assistant position or hope to use your administrative experience to move into another type of career, you must be able to show recruiters that your experience gives you a solid foundation for any job. Use these tips for translating your administrative experience into information recruiters can use to assess your skills.

Working as an administrative assistant gives you many opportunities to develop skills that are useful in every industry. Mary Nestor-Harper says that you can leverage these skills to advance your career, as working as an administrative assistant gives you great exposure to people at all levels of an organization. This administrative experience gives you an opportunity to develop excellent written and verbal communication skills. When speaking with recruiters, explain how the communication skills you gained as an administrative assistant will help you add value to the organization if you are hired for a new position. If you have experience preparing financial reports, for example, this information would be valuable for a recruiter trying to fill a position in an accounting or payroll department.

As an administrative assistant, you likely had to use word processing or spreadsheet programs to perform your job duties. Some administrative assistants also use presentation development software and basic database programs. These skills are valuable for almost any job, so make sure the recruiter knows about your administrative experience with technology. Instead of glossing over your experience, make sure the recruiter knows how frequently, and in what capacity, you used each type of technology. If you led any technology-related projects in your administrative position, tell recruiters about them so they know you have leadership skills that could apply to other types of jobs.

If you are interviewing for an executive assistant position or another job where people skills are important, you must be able to convince recruiters that you can work effectively with people from all departments. Ralph Coker, a columnist for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, says that someone with poor people skills would not be a good candidate for a job that requires constant collaboration. If you are applying for a job that requires teamwork, give the recruiter specific examples that demonstrate your ability to resolve conflict or organize team projects. Providing examples from your administrative experience gives you extra credibility with recruiters.

Your administrative experience gives you several skills that translate well into any career. The key to landing a new job is being able to explain this administrative experience in a way that recruiters understand. Always use specific examples from your past jobs so that staffing professionals know how your skills might benefit their companies.

Nancy Anderson is the communities and article Editor for Beyond.com. Nancy has 10 years experience in the online job search business with Beyond. Nancy's team produces dozens of articles every month for top internet sites. Follow Nancy and the Beyond team on https://twitter.com/BeyondJobs.

Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Career and Family Balance: How She Does It

Joan Burge — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:20:00 GMT

Not a week goes by that someone doesn't ask me "how does Jasmine do it?" What they mean by this is that Jasmine Freeman, my Chief Executive Assistant, is heavily involved in my business as well as in our community and she has a beautiful family of four children and a spouse at home. We decided to sit down and talk about career and life balance to see if there was some magic formula that Jasmine knows about that she could fill us in on.

Can you really have career and life balance?

I hope you enjoyed the video interview we did. Do you have questions for Jasmine or myself? Please write us or ask them in the comments section below. We would love to answer your questions.

What are your thoughts on balancing career and family? Do you have tips to share?

Monday Motivator: Earn More Money

Joan Burge — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:44:00 GMT

Happy Monday!

In case you have not read the first few MMs of April, I am focusing on the Financial Pillar of Living a BIG Life this month. But before I get into that, I want to say Happy Administrative Professionals Week to all the fantastic men and women who call this their Career of Choice! It truly is an amazing and exciting career with lots of opportunity and challenge. Being that I was in the profession for 20 years before starting Office Dynamics, I full heartedly know all the time and energy you have to put into your work to make your leaders and management team successful. It’s not an easy role as you have so many different personalities to deal with; constantly juggle priorities to meet deadlines; run a busy executive’s life; keep calm in the office; manage your manager’s stress in addition to your own and so much more.

I also know from being an executive for 22 years, the value an assistant adds to my work and life. I have not always been so lucky to have assistants like Jasmine Freeman. In fact, several assistants came in and out of my life and it was always difficult “breaking in” a new assistant and trying to create that synergistic partnership I always talk about. But I have been extremely blessed to have Jasmine Freeman as my strategic partner for 6 years.

So here’s to all the wonderful assistants in the world. Congratulations! Thanks for all the work you do. The team at Office Dynamics treasures and values you.

Now … onto that Financial Pillar. Today I want to tie together financial and career. Obviously your career has a big impact on your finances. Your ability to be a top performer in the workplace and be recognized and rewarded as a top performer plays a major part in your Financial Pillar. Often when you work for someone else (another company), you can’t choose how much money you can make or you could be locked into a salary range. So no matter how hard you try, you will only go so far because of your title and level within that arena.

This does not mean that you should give up or not bring your “A” game to work. It’s amazing how many managers can “find” money for the right person. I don’t want to get in trouble by telling you this but it is true that exceptions are made for the A-1 Stellar Performer. So you want to do everything you can to meet that expectation. But what if there truly are limitations—caps on how much you can make? I ran into that when I was an employee. There was a boundary and I could not earn a higher income no matter what I did.

Often you have to take into consideration all the other perks your company offers. It’s easy to say, “I don’t get paid enough.” But add all your benefits—what are they worth? How much does your vacation time add up to? What about sick days or personal time off? How much of your medical insurance does the company pay? Do they put money into your 401K or a SEP? Does your manager give you extra time off to attend your kids school play? Or does your manager invest in your training and development—how much does that cost? So there are ways you are compensated beyond a paycheck. You should feel really good about those extra benefits.

Do you still need more money so you can fund a vacation and nurture your Family Pillar or maybe you want to join a gym to support your Wellness Pillar?

One of the best ways you can earn some extra money, and possibly a good chunk of extra money, is by utilizing your talents outside of the workplace. Provide a service that taps into your talent or skill that will earn money. I have many examples, but I’ll just give you a few. I met an assistant, years ago, in one of my workshops who was an excellent proofreader so I hired her to do a great deal of proofreading for me. I met another assistant who had excellent writing skills and asked her to do some writing for us. Another person was great at photography and has helped us out. When I was a young married woman and we needed some extra money, I typed grants in the evenings for a woman who lived in the neighborhood. Thinking of today’s technologies, if you are great with social media do freelance work for small business owners utilizing tools like Hootsuite. If you are creative with hand-made note cards or gift baskets, let people know that.

There are all kinds of ways you can earn some extra money like holding garage sales. Be creative and have fun!

Joan Burge

Fun and Helpful Videos for Assistants

Jasmine M Freeman — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:07:00 GMT

Joan and I were talking yesterday and she was wondering - what ever happened to all those videos you recorded years ago? Guess what, I found them and thought it would fun (and a little embarrassing) to share them with you this week!

Take note, this was the first video series I ever did and I wasn't a pro then, nor am I now. This series stemmed from questions I was getting from our readers, friends and fans about what it is like to work with Joan, how do I plan our annual conference for administrative excellence and other administrative professionals training events, and what my top tips for assistants are. Here is the series for your viewing pleasure. I hope you enjoy and maybe we'll get to do a new series soon. What would you want to know?

Jasmine

Meet Jasmine Freeman!

Administrative Assistants Event Planning Tips

Interested in learning more about our conference for this year? Visit www.OfficeDynamicsConference.com for all the current event information.

What's It Like to Work with Administrative Expert, Joan Burge?

This was a fun one! Obviously I really like working with Joan. I have been her Chief Executive Assistant for nearly seven years now.

A lot has changed with our World Class Assistant venue and experience - it's gotten even better! You can find more out here at World Class Assistant Certificate Program.

The Soft Skills Necessary for Project Management

What soft skills do you value the most when you are doing project work?

The 10 Success Tips for Administrative Assistants

Q&A with Joan: Administrative Profession Ask Anything!

Jasmine M Freeman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:42:00 GMT

A free Q&A call with our in-house expert on the administrative profession, Joan Burge.

Get on the phone with Joan and ask her anything about your chosen profession! Joan took an hour and opened it up to a free call with administrators all over the world. Assistants called in and asked their burning questions. The overall theme seemed to be that many administrators are still struggling with other's view of this profession and how to overcome that. Joan gives some great answers and you will definitely want to tun in and listen to this whole call when you get a chance. You can skip the intro piece and jump in to the first questions after the first few minutes.

Joan shares her honest thoughts on the questions assistants are facing today.

What did you think of today's call. Do you have a question you would like to ask Joan? Please share in the comments section below.

Live a Showcase-Worthy Life (Secrets of Dynamics Executive Assistants)

Joan Burge — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 23:30:00 GMT

Yay! It’s another Monday. We are already seeing spring in Las Vegas although many of you are still experiencing winter. The good news is that spring is just around the corner. Colorful flowers will start to peek up from the soil; beautiful little flower buds and greenery will blossom from trees; birds will start chirping and all of nature will come to life.

As I said, we started to experience spring a few weeks ago. I noticed lightheartedness in my step, a sunnier more energized attitude emerging and I felt invigorated about my life, projects at work and home. The days seem extended now; it stays lighter past 5:00 p.m. so I feel like I have more time to do the things I want to do before settling down for the night.

I especially love spring as it represents renewal and the opportunity to blossom. If you think about the life you are living, has it been dormant – kind of like winter – blasé, one day flowing into the next; nothing really exciting happening. You get up day-after-day, go to work, come home, cook dinner, do laundry, help the kids with homework, hang out with the same people, and run errands all weekend. Wow! That isn’t very energizing is it? However, we have the opportunity every day to create the life we want. We have the ability within us to become the kind of person we dream about.

For today, I want to share this excerpt from my latest book, Who Took My Pen . . . Again? - which I co-authored with Jasmine Freeman and Nancy Fraze. I believe it says it all!

It takes courage to be the best at what you are good at. As children, we are each gifted and talented in different ways. All of these are good and carry the capacity to change the world and enable us to live happy, fulfilling lives. But something happens.

Somewhere along the line, we prize blending in over self-fulfillment to embrace our destiny. We are afraid to stand out and be good at something. We fear being noticed for what we are good at, for what we can be successful at. So we shrink back. We avoid opportunities. We prize sameness and blending in over the effort, fun, and luxury of actually getting up and enjoying using our talents every day.

What would it be like if you were the best “you” that you could be?
How would you be different than you are right now?
What would you be doing?
How would you be feeling?
What about your appearance would change?
How would what you say change?
How would your attitudes and thoughts be different?

It takes guts to live a showcase-worthy life. First, you’ll need to stop filling up all your time with random things that do not bring you any closer to using your talents. Something will have to go, and it might be your television time!

Next, you will need to meet some great new people who love that talent the way you do. Perhaps they like using that same talent or perhaps they appreciate it and are great fans. And you’ll need to experience using your talents. You’ll learn some new skills, understand your talents framework better, and begin to leverage yourself to use your talent. This will all be exhilarating and exciting, because it will draw you so much closer; close enough that you can almost taste it.

There will be people along the way who tell you that since they cannot yet see the talent in you being showcased to a full 100% fruitfulness that it doesn’t exist or is not worth the effort or time to try to do so. Perhaps most frightening of all: sometimes the person who tells you those very words will be staring at you out of your own mirror.

Still, the courage to showcase your talent is worth it all because in the end, at some wonderful magnificent point, you will showcase your talent. You will actually use it and feel more in tune with yourself than ever before.

Why? Because more than receiving the applause, accolades, recognition, more than any other single aspect (including being paid for it) is the delight you will have in yourself and in using your talent.

And you will be so happy and glad that you were courageous enough to go for it.

For more on Living a Showcase-Worthy Life, purchase Who Took My Pen . . . Again? By Joan Burge, Jasmine Freeman and Nancy Fraze.

Luck vs. Planning for Success

Joan Burge — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:27:00 GMT

Welcome to another great Monday! Since St. Patrick’s Day is just a week away, I thought I would talk about luck vs. planning for success. I speak on this topic in my Star Achievement Series® training for executive and administrative assistants. It’s interesting to hear the different perspectives people have about luck. Some people truly believe other people are just lucky! They believe that the person they are observing got that great job or has a great career because they are ‘lucky.’ Other participants in my workshop fully believe that a person works hard and prepares themselves and then an opportunity arises and they are the right fit.

I believe that some people are lucky in that they inherit a lot of money or a family business. However, if that person does not have the skill or develops the skills to run the business, they will drive it into the ground. What we often see as luck is really a person who has prepared for months and even years to get that great job, launch a new career, buy that fantastic home or second home or gracefully retire.

The idea is that you should be in a “preparing for luck” mode all the time. Each day try to make even a small effort toward what you want to achieve. Baby steps will eventually get you where you want to go. Even in the most basic situation—a person who walks every day or makes time to work out 3 – 4 times per week, will eventually see success.

Are you just hoping luck will get you what you want or are you purposely making plans for success? What are some of the things you do now to prepare for your future success?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to my Irish friends!

Joan Burge

Registration is now open for the following:

Star Achievement Series Certificate Program

Limited Seating in this Pilot Program; Claim Your Seat Now! Receive your CEAP designation and certification and achieve career success! Learn more about how you can experience this course onsite in your organization or offsite near our offices in Summerlin, Nevada. The only course option in 2013: Level I, April 9 - 12 & Level II, Oct 8 - 11. Register for Star Achievement Series.

Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence

Big news is here! At this 20th Anniversary Event of Distinction we'll focus on Your Career and Your Life! It is not enough to just focus on your administrative competencies, although they are extremely important and we ll address them during this event. Your ability to have impact and reach extraordinary levels of success at work will only occur when you have a complete 360 degree view of your life. Event will be held September 17 - 20, 2013 at Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, Nevada. Visit our conference website and learn about this exciting event today! Register for the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence.

World Class Assistant Certificate Program

Reserve Your Space Today! A proven program, highly rated by WCA graduates, has been newly re-invigorated into a virtual powerhouse of learning! Often called "boot-camp" for the high level executive assistant you won't want to miss what this course has to offer you and your career. Next class: Part 1, April 24 - 26. Part 2, May 15 - 17. Register for World Class Assistant.

Pillar Huddle: Living A Fulfilling Life

Jasmine M Freeman — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:45:00 GMT

I'm addicted to our daily pillar huddles. The time our team takes every day to devote to each other, sharing knowledge and personal connections. Each day of the week one of our team members takes the responsibility of leading our huddle and they share a new resource, or perhaps they reinforce some of the knowledge we have gained so far. Everything we bring to the table has one thing in common - it's designed to support the growth and development of our five Life Pillars. What are these 'pillars' we speak of? They are: Career, Family/Relationships, Financial, Spiritual, and Wellness. We also share on Foundational topics. These topics are what lays the foundation for each of our pillars and can easily be applied across the board to the development of each pillar. Join us today as we discuss "Living a Fulfilling Life" and enjoy this Oprah Winfrey interview that Michele Busch brings in as she leads our huddle.

Love Your Career: Showing Up Fully and Completely

Joan Burge — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Monday Motivators!

It is the last Monday of February 2013! I hope last week was productive and fulfilling and you are ready to venture into this last week of February.

Have you ever watched American Idol? Believe it or not, I do watch it occasionally after the contestants have been narrowed to the top 12. I like hearing the judge’s different perspectives. Many times they disagree, but one thing I hear them often say, "You didn't connect with the audience. You gave a great performance but you were in your own world."

Since we are focused on loving your career this month, I want to end on the idea of showing up fully and completely in your profession and especially on a regular basis. If you are in the profession as your career of choice, it means you are fully engaged and see yourself as owning a profession in the Administrative arena. There is a big difference in a person's performance when they completely and fully show up for their career, whether they are a real estate broker, webmaster, speaker, teacher, nurse, or doctor.

If we don’t embrace and love our careers, the following could happen:

You might miss something really important.
You miss the magic of what could make your work exciting.
Management notices and that will work for or against you.
You lose out because you are not fully living what you are destined to do.
You lose your momentum.
Stress levels increase, mistakes are made, rework occurs and that creates a spiral effect.
And we just don’t have any fun!

Career-Assistants are engaged in their career of choice. Therefore, they will be fully aware of their impact on their own success when they are fully engaged. Granted, there are days and even weeks when you just can't physically, mentally, or emotionally 100% be engaged. That is because life happens and we are human. I'm talking about the big picture of your career. There is a difference between not having a good night's sleep or not feeling well and so you aren't mentally alert 8 hours the next day at work and just thinking you can slide by on your laurels at work.

How are we fully present?

Engage all our senses throughout the day.
Be a good listener, keep our mouths shut, open our minds, and be interested in what others say.
Seek mentors and take their advice.
Offer your great ideas and insights.
Let your strengths be visible. Play to your strengths as much as possible.
Challenge processes that don't work and suggest new and better ways of approaching work.
Make a commitment to build strategic partnerships at work.
Take a break away from your job and replenish your energy.

Check out my video about loving your career and showing up fully and completely.

What do you tweet when your company’s a tough sell? Discussion

Guest Blogger — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:35:00 GMT

What do you tweet?

by MARY ELLEN SLAYTER on JANUARY 31, 2013 8:00AM
in ADMIN PRO FORUM

Question: "Help! My company, which sells insurance for small businesses, wants to establish a Twitter feed, and I’m going to be in charge of it. It’s a nice opportunity, but what sorts of messages can I put out there that will generate any attention when what we do isn’t exactly fascinating to most people?” – Ellen, Assistant Office Manager

This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com:http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/34461/what-do-you-tweet-when-your-companys-a-tough-sell

Let's discuss! Please share your thoughts here in the comments section below or head over to Business Management Daily to share your replies and see what others have suggested.

Love Your Career: Do you have a career or a job?

Joan Burge — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:54:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators,

This month, I will be writing around the theme: Love Your Career. Lots of questions come to my mind when I say that phrase, such as:

Do you have a career or a job?
Is what you are doing today just something to pass your time until a better opportunity comes along?
What do you love about your work?
During the day, are you busy watching the clock dreading each minute…. counting down the hours until you get to go home? Or, do you find the hours passing quickly and before you know it, it is 5:00?
Are you growing or are you stagnant?
Did you choose your career or do you feel like you had no choice?
Are you sharing your knowledge with your peers?

Your answers to those questions will be an indicator of whether you are doing the work you were called to do or just biding your time?

If you have a career, you continually invest in your professional development. I know many high level executive assistants who think they have arrived and don’t need to learn anything—such a shame! They obviously are ‘retired’ in their mind and are just going through the motions of the day.

When you have a career, you invest in your:

education, formal or informal
wardrobe and appearance
accessories like a nice pen and leather portfolio
growth and setting goals

You are dedicated and committed to performing at the top of your game. As a result, you maintain a competitive advantage, stay fresh, add value, gain respect from management, and are seen as a serious contributor. Personally, you are energized, feel fulfilled and are less stressed. This does not mean you won’t have days that are stressful. In fact, if you are in a career, you will come upon many mountains to climb over the course of your career life but it is exhilarating.

Make time every day to learn something new – even just one concept or idea. Executive assistants and administrative professionals must seek opportunities to gain knowledge. The great news is that we have hundreds of resources; even thousands of resources to choose from. If you make small changes, stay with them on a daily basis and create new behaviors, you will change the trajectory of your career and life. I guarantee it!

One of my favorite quotes is from Brian Tracy. I started following Brian in 1990 when I first started my business and am a huge fan of his philosophies.

“You are your most precious asset. You are our most precious thing in your world. You must invest in yourself every day. Never be cheap on yourself. You are worth it. Everything you are and everything you will be is the result of how you use your mind.” – Brian Tracy

Bottom line: don’t wait for your manager or company to give you approval for training or for books and CDs. First of all, they may never approve anything for you. It’s your career…. it’s your life… start investing in it. The payoff is huge.

LOVE yourself enough to invest in you. LOVE your career enough to invest in it!

Happy February.

Joan Burge

Enjoy our "Love comes in the shape of a star" February sale today.

The Power of Visuals

Joan Burge — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:39:00 GMT

Good day Monday Motivators. It is the last Monday of January already. To me, January usually drags and seems boring after the holidays but this January was busy, exciting, and passed quickly.

I had an exhilarating experience last week. For the first time, I used high definition audio and videoconferencing to speak to an audience at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio and 12 other locations while staying in Las Vegas. While I have used videoconferencing and webcasting before, I was always on site at a client’s location. I would have a live audience with me and then webcast out to their other locations. I enjoyed this as we actually talked back and forth with each other after my presentation. This is exciting because now I can use this wonderful technology from Las Vegas to reach hundreds of assistants and managers to share my powerful life-changing programs with them.

This actually was a BIG Dream of 2 executive assistants from Nationwide, Brenda and Karen. They had a dream – a vision that I would talk to their assistants and managers about how to work in partnership but I would stay in Las Vegas. Wow! So they started with a dream, then had the vision for what the hour session would look like, put a plan in place, executed the plan and it was a huge success. For me, I had to visualize what it would look like in my head; then see the facility from where I would broadcast and picture men and women sitting in the big auditorium listening to me. And it worked.

We can have two kinds of visuals or visualization: the kind that takes place in our mind and then actual images, pictures, or an object. I have used visuals all my life for goal achievement both in my personal and professional life.

When we wanted to move to Las Vegas 12 years ago, I had a full-page ad of the gated community I wanted to live in near Red Rock Canyon. I taped it to my refrigerator at our house in Lansing, MI. We had planned to move in about 12 months. After I posted up the full-page ad, we moved 5 months later in the exact place I wanted to move.

Every time I get ready to write a book, I make a dummy cover and place it over another book and place it on my desk at work or at home. I have written 8 books.

Dave and I loved to cruise. I would have pictures of the ships we wanted to go on and sure enough, we were on that ship.

Do not underestimate the power of visuals. Visuals drive the subconscious to what we want. Then as we go about our daily activities, we will actually steer ourselves in the direction of our goal or dream. Before you know it, your BIG DREAM will be your reality.

You might be dreaming of a special vacation, either with your spouse or family. Collect pictures and even words on paper that depicts what that vacation will look like. Make a collage, poster or just tape pictures or images on a wall or your refrigerator. It doesn’t matter where you place them; you just need to have them in front of you. A lady who was in one of my classes told me she cut out a picture of a car she wanted and taped it to her steering wheel. This way every day she saw that car and it motivated her going to work.

So, what is your BIG DREAM for this year? If you can’t find a visual for it, then make one. I want you to post it where it will be seen on a regular basis and then write me later this year when it comes to fruition.

Good luck!

Joan

After The BIG Dream

Joan Burge — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:05:00 GMT

Hello Monday Motivators!

I hope you had a good weekend and are getting back into the swing of your normal schedule.

Last week I wrote about ‘Dream Big’. Our Office Dynamics theme for January is DREAM BIG! If you did not read last the Monday Motivator for January 7, you should do so as it will give you the premise for today’s tips. In that article, I had asked readers to share their BIG dream with us and we would post them on our Office Dynamics Blog. Stories are already rolling in and I am excited to see that people are visioning the possibilities for what could come to fruition this year.

Often when we dream big, a little voice tells us, “That will never happen.” Or “That is crazy. That is for other people; not you.” And so we lower our goals, standards for a better life, and push our dreams aside. You will never know what you can achieve until you set it in your head and push it out to the universe! When I started Office Dynamics, it was a big dream and seemed impossible at the time because companies and managers were not investing money in professional development for their assistants. Assistants were not attending anything more than a one-day seminar. I continued kept my vision in my mind and pictured where I wanted to be and how I wanted to impact the lives of thousands of assistants. And, BINGO, here I am 22 years later reaching administrative professionals around the world.

Easier said than done! After you DREAM BIG, you have to put certain behaviors into place. You have to get yourself back up when life has taken you off track. You have to stay dedicated and committed and keep the fire of desire burning in your heart month after month after month after month. Be warned: your desire will wane and so will your dedication, because we are human.

Here is what you need to do after dreaming the best possible life for yourself:

Believe that you can and will accomplish your dream. Belief in yourself is the foundation. Without that, you may as well not even start.
You can’t let other people’s doubts and fears persuade you to give up on your dream. Just remember, they are voicing their fears.
Build your support group around you. You cannot achieve those big dreams by yourself.
Be crystal clear about what you want. If you want to take your family on a cruise this year: a. What kind of cruise? b. What kind of ship? 2,000 passenger capacity or 5,000 passenger capacity? c. Do you want a kick-back, super-saver cruise or a luxurious cruise? d. How many days? 5, 7 or 10? e. Where do you want to cruise? The Caribbean? The Panama Canal? Alaska? The clearer your picture is, the better chance you have of getting what you want.
Plan. Write out detailed steps and include specific steps for each one. Such as, “I need to save $5,000.00 for the cruise and here is how I will do that_____.”
Be prepared for barriers and be determined you will work around them. As I said, life happens. It does not mean you have to give up on your dream. Or when you hit that first obstacle, you may be tempted to trash your BIG DREAM. Expect it and get over it and move on. It’s like a detour in the road; find a different route. Or you may have to put your dream on the back burner for 4 months. But do not give up unless you discover you have a bigger, more passionate dream.

It’s not too late to share your BIG dream with me. When we publicly declare our dream, we are more apt to follow through. If you want to share with me your BIG dream and allow me to post it on the Office Dynamics Blog, write me at staff@OfficeDynamics.com. In your e-mail subject line, write: MY BIG DREAM. Read some of our fantastic BIG DREAM submissions now!

If you have not established your BIG dream yet for 2013, you better get going. The sooner you have it in your head, the sooner your subconscious will attract what you want in your life.

You can have a BIG dream for your career, family, spiritual life, financial and wellness. Go ahead --- go out on a limb this year. Do things that are exhilarating and shake yourself up!

Joan

Not sure where to start on your big dream? Get Joan’s eBook Live a BIG Life this month only for $5.00 and get some inspiration on where you might begin.

Love Living a BIG Life? Show it! All Live a BIG Life products are 25% off this month only. Dream BIG, Live BIG! Use coupon code: DREAMBIG - Give yourself permission to shop now!

DREAM BIG in your BIG Girl Diary!

Just because we are older, it does not mean we stop dreaming, although many people in their 50s and beyond do. If this is you, you need to start dreaming again.

We all have glimpses of thoughts, ideas, wants and wishes. You need to write your ideas down. They need to be visible and kept in a very special place. Save 25% in January, use code DREAMBIG.

The Future of Administrative Professionals

Jasmine M Freeman — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:01:00 GMT

Do you read Executive Secretary Magazine? We do and we love it! Lucy Brazier and her team do a fantastic job and that is why Joan is honored to be on their advisory board and to contribute occasional articles to this fantastic publication. They care about this profession, as we do. They are looking to amplify the success of the administrative profession, as are we.

We hope you enjoy this article, The Future of the Administrative Profession - Surviving or Thriving? - Click the icon below or click on the article title to read this two page article today. What are your thoughts on the future of this profession? What is happening in your own organization? What changes are you seeing? Are you noticing changes across your entire industry? Please join the conversation in the comments section below or chat with us on Facebook or twitter @OfficeDynamics. We look forward to hearing from you!

How do I move from administrative assistant to executive assistant?

Jasmine M Freeman — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 21:45:00 GMT

Today, Joan and I sat down to discuss a question we received from Susan of California. Susan's issue is one that plagues many assistants and we wanted to respond in this format so that we are able to reach a broader audience.

Susan feels stuck in the administrative assistant title and can't seem to graduate onto executive assistant in her organization.

Listen in as Joan describes these two roles and offers up some thoughts on how you can move from one role to the next.

How does an admin assistant become an executive assistant? by LiveABigLife

Joan and I continued the conversation and discussed how you might go about asking for this title change or proving to your manager and organization that you deserve more in the way of a title change, more pay or more benefits. Listen in and share your thoughts, how have you gone about asking for a title change? Would you add something to Joan's list?

How does an admin assistant ask for a title change? by LiveABigLife

12 Days of Christmas Sale Day 9

Jasmine M Freeman — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:45:00 GMT

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing. These ladies are dancing the happy dance! You want to know why? They just heard that all of the of the Workplace Tools in our store are 20% off today only. Now that is something to dance about. Boogie yourself right over!

One of the great products we highly recommend in this category of motivational and inspirational gifts is the 5 book. Here is an excerpt from this fabulous book.

5 Book excerpt

Where will you be 5 years from today. This is the perfect time of year to assess! Decide what’s next in your life and strategize how to get it.

You don’t have to take life the way it comes to you. You can design your life to come to you the way you want it.

This is your life, your one-and-only-life, and you don’t want to miss any part of it. So, what is it going to be? You decide. Starting today, you can make the next five years the most exciting, satisfying, productive and amazing years of your life so far – or just another five years.

The future is sending back good wishes and waiting with open arms. ~ Kobi Yamada

Get this book and map out your vision for the next five years of your life. What it looks like, what it feels like, how you will get there and then enjoy the journey! Get this book and many others for 20% off in our Workplace Tools section of the store today!

As a BONUS, all orders placed December 3 - 18 will be placed in a drawing for an extra special gift from Joan. All orders qualify as entry into this drawing.

Get Some Skin In The Game!

Gina D. — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:08:00 GMT

Today in our (sneak peak) huddle we are talking about failure and listening to a track from Robin Sharma's audio book, The Greatness Guide.

How do you personally feel about failure? Do you play poor me? Are you a victim? Do you agonize over your failures? Or do you look at your failures as another step toward your success? Failure is an essential ingredient of high achievement. Did you know that the more risks you take in pursuit of your dreams the closer you are to success and the more you will experience failure?

We hope you enjoy taking part in our huddle with us today. Please leave your thoughts on failure and success in the comments below or join our conversation on Facebook.

CAREER Pillar What does success look like to you?

Guest Blogger — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 01:28:00 GMT

Brian leads us this week in a Career Pillar during our daily huddle. We enjoyed discussing what success really is and we want to know in the comments section below, do you have it?

Thanks for stopping in and giving this a listen.

Pause Now to Consider Your Success Goals for Next Year

Joan Burge — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:18:00 GMT

NOTE: Monday Motivators will be taking a holiday for Thanksgiving (November 26).

Hello, Monday Motivators! If you think it’s still too soon to start planning your professional and personal goals for 2013, I want to encourage you to think again! As quickly as this year passed, so will next year. Your future will become the present sooner than you think. If you don’t set goals and map out a plan, you will be at the same place next year as you are today.

Considering how busy the holiday season gets, it behooves us to take time now – and not minutes or hours before the clock strikes midnight on December 31 – to give serious thought and meaningful consideration to what we hope to accomplish next year.

Perhaps you and your leader have already established the goals you plan to achieve. Outstanding! Even so, year-end is a great time to pause and reflect – and to assess how close or far you are from the desired results of your efforts. What could help you get there? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Attitude. First and foremost, assess how you feel about the goal or situation. Can this improve – and if so, how will you change your attitude? Remember, no one else can do this for you!
Focus. Especially if you’re juggling multiple projects of varying priorities, can you say with certainty that you are focused on those that matter most to your employer and, by extension, your continuing success? If not, ask yourself where the focus should be.
Commitment. Sometimes we need to renew our sense of commitment to the goals we’ve established for ourselves. Discipline is easy to talk about – but difficult to practice without the right motivation. What will inspire you to continue on your path to goal completion and career advancement? Do that very thing, and keep your commitment true.
Define your goal in detail. It is not good enough to just think of your goal or jot it on a little post it. If your goal is to take your family on a cruise next year, what kind of cruise? How many days? A high-end cruise or economical cruise? Do you want to go to the Caribbean or Alaska? Imagine you are on the cruise, what will it look like or feel like?

If your goal is increase your skill as an executive assistant, what does that look like? Be specific. (Caution: this is not where you would write how you will get there, this is what will it look and feel like when you are there.

These are just a few ways to keep your “eyes on the prize.” I encourage you to think about other opportunities or techniques to assist you in goal-setting or goal assessment as we approach 2013. Wishing you success in this and all your professional endeavors!

Joan Burge

“Success is the ability to visualize what you want to do next with your life—what you want to be, do, and have in life—and to enjoy that process of moving toward that vision, achieving it, and creating new visions.” – Norma Carr Ruffino

Visit our Store to begin your shopping!

40% off of all Joan Burge Books/CDs and DVDs from Thursday, November 22 through Monday, November 26. Shop now!

NEW: Star Wear Product Line at 10% off on Cyber Monday, November 26! Shop Star Wear now!

Discount prices will automatically be reflected in cart.

Reputation is Everything

Joan Burge — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:12:00 GMT

Hello! I'm still on the high left from having such a wonderful group of students here in Las Vegas last week. They all earned their Certified World Class Assistant Certificate-based Designation and I really learned a lot from observing each and every one of these amazing women. I hope you enjoy this podcast: Reputation is Everything. I'll share 5 tips on how you can create the reputation you desire.

2013 Course Dates & Curriculum Announced

Jasmine M Freeman — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 07:43:00 GMT

Thank you for your patience as we mapped out our training schedule for 2013. It doesn’t usually take us until November to make this announcement but there were a few reasons for the delay. After a lot of research we decided to move the venue of the World Class Assistant Certificate Program to...

NEWS RELEASE: Star Achievement Series Has Gone Public

Jasmine M Freeman — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:12:00 GMT

Hey there! Big news from our office! The long-awaited public offering of the highly-acclaimed and extremely successful, culture-changing, Star Achievement Series is here. You can get on our waiting list or inquire by contacting Jasmine Freeman at 800-STAR-139 today. Seats are limited and we only have one set of dates at this time. Thanks!

NEW: For the first time in 22 years, Office Dynamics’ flagship high-level, in-depth course for executive and administrative assistants is open to the public. This course is taught by Joan Burge, creator and master trainer of the Star Achievement Series with more than 39 years of administrative expertise and learning and development. Our nationally-acclaimed Star Achievement Series® Certification and Designation Course has been taught only on-site since its inception. This proven program has been updated 15 times thus bringing timely and relevant information to administrative assistants, executive assistants, and administrators in Fortune 500 corporations and mid- to small-size organizations across industries.

Benefits of attending this course

Equivalent or superior to a college course for administrative and executive assistants, Star Achievement focuses on competencies that are relevant and necessary to succeed in the Administrative Profession. This course is for those individuals who see this as a Career of Choice and want to perform at the top of their game.
Pre-course work will be assigned to prepare the student thus engaging them in the learning process before they arrive.
Interim course work is assigned between attending Level I and Level II. This provides an opportunity for students to implement what they learned and prepare for their next course.
Post-course work is assigned to ensure the student is transferring the Star Achievement concepts into their everyday work life.
Comprehensive Course Materials can be used as reference guides and for individual study. Joan Burge designed the course materials with follow-up activities and assessments to be completed outside of class time.
• Action Items and Follow-up Activities extend learning beyond the class room and empower students to self-develop.
• Star Savers™ provide quick tips that can be applied right away.
• Recommended Resources are listed for individual, continued learning.
2.2 CEUs will be awarded for completion of each Level.
Certified Executive Administrative Professional (CEAP) curriculum-based designation is awarded to those students communicating their interest to apply. Stringent requirements are in place for obtaining this special designation that is only held by 475 assistants nationwide. An Intent to Apply form will be sent to the student prior to attending their class. This must be signed by the student’s executive.
22 hours (per Level) of focused time with Joan Burge includes personal coaching, skill practice and evaluation during class, assessments, networking and sharing best practices with other high-caliber assistants, and high-energy learning activities.
Students can earn college credits through the University of Phoenix.
The course will be taught in an environment where student can be fully focused on learning. The JW Marriott is located 10 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip. This beautiful property near Red Rock Canyon is the perfect setting for students to open their minds to new ideas, network, and be their personal best.

Course Preview: Are you considering bringing the Star Achievement Series® to your organization? This will be a great way to preview the course and learn new tips and strategies.

Location: JW Marriott (in Summerlin) 221 North Rampart Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89145
Sleeping rooms will be booked through Office Dynamics as we are holding a special block.

Dates and Class Schedule:
Level I: Tuesday, April 9: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; one hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks
Wednesday, April 10: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; one hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks
Thursday, April 11: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; one hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks
Friday, April 12: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; one hour lunch and one 15-minute break

Level II: Tuesday, October 11: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; one hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks
Wednesday, October 12: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; one hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks
Thursday, October 13: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; one hour lunch and two 15-minute breaks
Friday, October 14: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; one hour lunch and one 15-minute break

Tuition: Includes: 4 nights hotel accommodations (Monday through Thursday), hotel taxes, course materials, 4 lunches, breaks, Certificate of Completion and CEUs, Certificate of Designation (based on student’s choice to apply)
Level I: $2,595.00
Level II: $2,595.00
Level I and II/package: $4,990.00 (Save $200.00 for registering for both Levels at once.) See cancellation policy.

Hear What Clients Say & Read More Benefits

For More Information & Course Enrollment Call 1-800-STAR-139

Space is limited. Register now!

Star Achievement Series®
Course Agenda

Level I
Day 1	Be a Star Achiever™ (Attitude Module) Star Achieving Techniques™ (Skill Module)
Day 2	Star Achieving Techniques™ (Skill Module) Building a Star Partnership™ (Team Module)
Day 3	Building a Star Partnership™ (Team Module) Reaching Stardom™ (Strategy Module)
Day 4	Reaching Stardom™ (Strategy Module) Debrief Presentation of Certificates
Level II
Day 1	Be a Shining Star™ (Attitude Module) Give a Stellar Performance™ (Skill Module)
Day 2	Give a Stellar Performance™ (Skill Module) Expanding the Star Team™ (Team Module)
Day 3	Expanding the Star Team™ (Team Module) Contemporary Star Performer™ (Strategy Module)
Day 4	Contemporary Star Performer™ (Strategy Module) Debrief Presentation of Certificates

Space is limited. Register now!

Star Achievement Series®
Course objectives

Level I, Module 1 (Attitude)/Be a Star Achiever™
Overview:
A person’s attitude is a fragile, delicate thing. It can be easily broken by poor self-image, or it can become hard and cold. Attitudes are also susceptible to outside forces, such as family, co-workers and society. Yet they are the foundation upon which our work performance, productivity, relationships and health are built. When employees feel hurt, angry or put down, they cannot do their jobs well. Therefore, it’s important to help them guard and protect positive attitudes – among their most important assets to success in the workplace.

Participants will learn to:

Choose the attitudes they want and need to embrace for success.
Achieve and maintain positive attitudes about employers, managers, co-workers, customers and themselves.
Focus on self-change vs. changing others.
Overcome intimidating situations or people.
Recognize and conquer fears that hold them back from advancing in their careers.
Accept criticism as a tool to grow.
Deal with difficult people in a tactful and professional manner that gets positive results.

Level I, Module 2 (Skill)/Star Achieving Techniques™
Overview:
In today’s work environment, employees can no longer be merely “good” at the basics.
They must be brilliant at the basics! Core business skills, such as communication and time management, are keys to developing Star Performing employees with advanced skills that add even more value to the workplace. Today’s office environment is busier than ever before. Almost all employees are managing more projects and juggling priorities with increased pressure for high-quality work. Knowing one’s strengths and areas for growth, along with upgrading fundamental skills, are paramount in today’s fast-paced office.

Participants will learn to:

Embrace the Star Achievement philosophy.
Assess current skill levels, and identify areas for growth.
Record winning personal voice-mail messages.
Leave succinct voice-mail messages.
Write effective e-mails.
Cut the length of phone calls by 40%.
Tap into another person’s communication style to build rapport.
Execute and facilitate successful meetings.
Manage and prioritize tasks.
Challenge and improve current processes that no longer work.

Level I, Module 3 (Teamwork)/Building a Star Partnership™
Overview:
Managers rely on their staff for everything from project follow-through to ensuring internal and external customers are served appropriately. A manager’s daily effectiveness is increased or decreased depending on the staff’s skill, knowledge and ability. Employees are dependent on managers to provide clear, specific direction. They need managers to communicate their expectations well so they can effectively meet those expectations. Star Teams don’t just happen overnight; they are created. Most often, the responsibility for building a stellar team is placed upon administrative or support professionals.

Participants will learn to:

Embrace the qualities of good team players.
Clarify their manager’s expectations and perceptions.
Communicate accurate, timely and relevant information.
Initiate conversation with their managers.
Explore hidden communication and its effects on team relationships.
Give positive feedback to their managers.
Listen, not just hear.

Level I, Module 4(Strategy)/Reaching Stardom™
Overview:
Good skills, a positive attitude and strong team relationships are three keys to being a Star Achiever. There is a fourth key to reaching stardom – having a strategy for actualizing your professional self. It is your responsibility to set career goals, to build networks helping you achieve those goals and to reflect a professional image. In today’s highly competitive marketplace, when you might be equal in skills and attitudes to others, what will give you the competitive edge? What will make you stand out, shine and be different?

Participants will learn to:

Navigate their careers through goal setting.
Align professional goals with organizational and department goals.
Turn obstacles into opportunities.
Cultivate internal and external networks. Contacts count!
Expand their network.
Get their unique talents noticed at work.
Present a powerful professional image.
Enhance credibility through visible presentation.

Level II, Module 1 (Attitude)/Be a Shining Star™
Overview:
Work has become increasingly demanding in all professions, as emphasis in the workplace shifts from individual, specialized performance to multi-functional, generalized performance. Although many employees are in specialized positions, many more are moving into roles that require flexibility and diversified skills. Across industries and professions, employees are being asked to do more work, fulfill various roles, support multiple managers, and still maintain high levels of quality. As a result, interpersonal skills and the ability to manage one’s thoughts and behaviors become imperative.

Participants will learn to:

Identify and evaluate elements that may be creating stress at work.
Apply self-management techniques vs. stress-management tips.
Cope with specific types of difficult people.
Listen in order to understand another person’s point of view.
Create a win-win situation when handling conflict.
Listen for underlying issues which can reveal the heart of a conflict.
Develop a healthy work spirit, including:
- Keeping an open mind
- Gaining an even fuller sense of self
- Becoming a risk taker, and
- Being creative in the workplace.
Master their careers.

Level II, Module 2 (Skill)/Give a Stellar Performance™
Overview:
You present yourself to others constantly. You make connections by telephone. You send
visual messages to individuals who approach you. Every day you come in contact with many
people: co-workers, customers, vendors and other professionals. Your personal presentation style and speaking abilities will either enhance or detract from points you are trying to make.
Equally important is the ability to communicate your needs assertively. There is a fine line between being assertive and being perceived as aggressive. Your ability to communicate clearly with others can be one of your best business assets.

Participants will learn to:

Become more confident when speaking to and in front of others.
Handle challenging situations tactfully.
Project the image they want others to see.
Generate enthusiasm for their ideas.
Communicate their needs assertively.
Gain awareness of the potential risks of being assertive.
Help others see their side to resolve conflicts even more effectively.
Creatively problem solve.

Level II, Module 3 (Teamwork)/Expanding the Star Partnership™
Overview:
Teamwork can be seen in three levels or stages: 1) teamwork, 2) partnership and 3) synergy. It takes more than thinking you know someone to build a partnership. And it takes more than showing up for work each day and merely fulfilling the requirements of your job description. To develop a true partnership with the people you support and work with, you must know their characteristics and understand their work philosophies, preferences and habits.

Synergy becomes the ideal team relationship – one all Star Performers want to strive for. When synergy is achieved, more is accomplished by individuals working and thinking together than if they had teamed up, but worked separately, to achieve the same goal. In
other words, two heads are better than one! Synergy is thinking alike on many levels, but
also having an appreciation for each other’s differences.

Participants will learn to:

Adapt to and leverage their supervisor’s “manager” or “leader” orientation.
Encourage managers to change ineffective work patterns.
Build a partnership with the management team.
Be cognizant of their manager’s style.
Help their managers maintain a competitive edge.
Apply the “strength in unity” philosophy with peers to boost the bottom line.
Increase overall team productivity.

Level II, Module 4(Strategy)/The Contemporary Star Performer™
Overview:
Today’s Star Performing professionals pay attention to emerging work and world trends so
they can prepare for success and remain on the cutting edge. Trends in office technology, workforce diversity and quality requirements can and will impact productivity, effectiveness and the bottom line. Thriving on change is critical to personal and professional success. As organizations continue to experience change, they need employees who embrace the need for high-quality performance and efforts to streamline work. All levels of employees are becoming more involved in decision making, problem solving and leadership.

Participants will learn to:

Recognize predicted work trends and determine how they will affect the future.
Prepare skills and attitudes for the future.
Discover why people resist change.
Recognize the three related aspects of change that affect people’s reactions to it.
Optimize change using 10 proven strategies.
Apply the Star Performance philosophy to quality work.
Develop a “whatever it takes” attitude.
Emerge as respected leaders in the workplace.
Use creative thinking, and determine ways to become a supernova – a rising star!
Stay on the cutting edge.

Space is limited. Register now!

2013 Course Dates

Living Boldly Starts With a Mindset

Joan Burge — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:04:00 GMT

October 29, 2012

Hello Monday Motivators! Are you feeling the fullness of fall? It’s hard to believe Halloween is this week. In Las Vegas, Halloween is a big deal and there are lots of Halloween parties and events making October a fun month!

This week I want to share with you a few more tidbits from our conference.

Kathy Tosoian spoke on hands-on goal setting to reinvent yourself and your career. Kathy asked attendees to think about what they are passionate about. What makes them excited and jazzed about the day? How would we change a current life/career situation? With a blank canvas, paint our lives as we would like them to be. Dream but be realistic. We set ourselves up for failure when we expect the impossible, but we MUST stretch beyond what we think we can do.

In my opening speech on Be BOLD, I explained that our work gobbles up 40-60 hours weekly. On Saturdays we juggle errands, kids’ sports, and chores. We hurry and rush in everything we do, looking for more and more speed. Rarely do we pause, stop and breathe.

Living boldly starts with a mindset. It is about leading yourself in the 5 Pillars of life: Career, Family, Financial, Spiritual and Wellness. Being BOLD is not aggressive. It’s not abrasive. It’s action. It is compassion, caring, concern and love.

When we cultivate a mindset that says, “I lead. I am bold!” our entire life will change. By confidently forming our own life vision and becoming aware of our personal power resources, we can employ strategies to sidestep pitfalls along the way.
Mastering leadership is a way of life. It is continually mastering our craft rather than saying, “I’ve arrived.” When we operate in every area of life with exceptional leadership, it is because we have stimulated and utilized our leadership characteristics, responding to life’s situations within that context.
Debbie Gross taught us how to acknowledge each other when we are communicating. She said people just want to be heard so we can say comments such as: “Wow!” or “I completely get it.” Or “That’s very exciting.” She encouraged us to stay away from negative vocabulary such as:

• Unfortunately
• But
• I’m sorry
• Can’t
• I’ll be honest with you

I hope these tidbits stimulate your thinking on how you want to live your life this last week of October 2012!

Happy Halloween from the staff at Office Dynamics.

Joan

Farewell Session – Letting Your Own Significance Amaze You – Joan Burge

Nancy Fraze — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 10:48:00 GMT

Joan showed a video of her in the beautiful Las Vegas Red Rock desert. There was bright colored flora and wonderful wild life. When she and Dave came out in 1999 from Michigan, she was sold on the beauty of the desert when the realtor took them over to the West side of Las Vegas near Red Rock Canyon. She was amazed, and twelve years later, she is continually mesmerized by the beauty and significance of the desert.

Throughout the year, the desert changes. She sees the views with clouds, snow, sun, wind, and it is all beautiful. The mountians are continually shaped by weather conditions such as flash floods, wild fire and wind.

We are like the Red Rock mountains. We are shaped by experiences, people and events, both good and bad. But there is a difference between us and the mountains: we have a choice. We can mold ourselves to be what we want to be.

So what gets in our way of mastering exceptional leadership and being bold?

distractions,
people (even our own family!)
our fears.

Even when things in the desert look stark, there is life in the desert. Vegetation grows! And even when we feel empty, we still retain that seed inside of us. We need to believe. We need the foundation of five strong pillars working well in our lives.

Mastering exceptional leadership is a lifelong process. Living boldly has no bias, it crosses over all generations! It has no age limit or expiration limit!

And, it takes time.

So we make some changes and we are doing well. Then we experience a slip. And we beat ourselves up over it.

Joan urged us to recognize that it takes a while. Behaviors don’t change overnight. Recommit. And in time, you will crave the new behavior as you start to feel good. The hunger to be on track will drive you back to recommitting. You will build momentum.

Don’t stop!

Keep going!

Keep practicing! You will get the hang of it.

Joan showed a wonderful video of a little boy encouraging other kids to learn how to ride a bike. When the lights came back up, she thanked us for joining her at the conference, and told us we could master exceptional leadership one day at a time, and we would find our significance by being bold enough to live our lives authentically.

Many lives were touched through this conference. Many careers were deepened and renewed. Friendships were made. Leaders were born. Dreams ignited. Resolve was strengthened. Leadership and boldness kindled from tiny sparks into bright burning flames of light.

After a standing ovation and long applause, with her words still ringing in our ears and our dreams burning in our hearts, we stepped out into the bright sun of that same desert Joan had described. With a fresh vision for excellence now focused plainly in sight, each of us departed for home, our lives and career purposed, strengthened and defined.

Be BOLD in The 5 Pillars of Life

Joan Burge — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:57:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators,

I have missed writing you the past two weeks and am eager to share with you many great tips and inspirational messages during the month of October. If you recall, we were hosting our 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence September 25 – 28 in Las Vegas. I am pleased to say the event was spectacular and our 270 attendees were delighted by the experience and gained much from the rich content our speakers provided. For me personally, I experienced a very special connection with this year’s attendees.

The week after conference, we had another big event to host: a book launch party for my new book for women of all walks of life. Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life is a memoir-type book of inspiration, courage, overcoming obstacles, faith and red lipstick! Actually, this event for about 100 women was held just 4 days after conference so my Office Dynamics Team was quite busy and they did an excellent job for both events.

So, what do I want to share with you first that will help you have an awesome week? Our conference theme was Be BOLD Mastering Exceptional Leadership One BOLD Step at a Time. I am not talking about leading others but out being a leader in your own life in the 5 pillars of life: career, family, financial, spiritual, and wellness. The most important person you can lead is yourself. Interestingly when we lead ourselves in the 5 pillars, we have a ripple effect on others and the world.

Career: Imagine if you move through your work day with a positive attitude and “can-do” spirit even when you are having a tough day. Coworkers, executives, and visitors will notice.
Family: Includes best friends and pets. If you nurture family time, extended family members will follow. Your friends will notice the bond you have with each other and will want that connection to their family.
Financial: If you pay off debt, save for your future, and manage your money, your life will be less frazzled. You will be able to ride the wave of economic changes.
Spiritual: meaning you lead with your inner source and the real you. You will be more fulfilled which energizes you and inspires those around you.
Wellness: If you ride a bike, walk or jog regularly in your neighborhood, your neighbors will see you and some will be encouraged to do the same. You will bring vitality to work and home.

This week, I challenge you to take one action step in each of the 5 pillars and see what a difference it will make for you personally and the effect you can have on others. I hope this 2nd week of October is spectacular!

Remember to share Monday Motivators with your peers and look for more life-changing tips later this month.

Joan

Professional Integrity: a Precious Commodity for Today’s BOLD Assistant – Lisa Olsen

Nancy Fraze — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:10:00 GMT

Lisa compared integrity to pantyhose. The feet on a new pair open on one side, but they were not ripped. Both sides were open. Turns out, the heel and toes are both open on purpose. It changed her entire outfit!

She discussed “aldesko” which means eating lunch while seated at your work station.

Root word: soundness, validity, wholeness. Lisa says it is more than that: it’s a bridge between character and conduct.

Integrity and The Parable of the Pie: it’s hard to bake just one piece. You bake the whole pie.

3 parts of the pie: Actions we take, Commitment to standards, Knowledge and how we apply it.

1. We have respect for the conduct that is essential.
2. It is our responsibility to continually develop professionally.
3. We are responsible to break the stereotypes of our profession.

She said the actions we take must line up. How we treat other people. What we do when no one is looking. Do we openly exchange ideas? Do we report things honestly?

What does integrity look like: Character, Authentic, Clear Values, Mature & Wise, Fair and Accountable; Self-aware; Reflective. Think about a lighthouse and what it represents: beacon, guide, always there, dependable, truthful.

When we allow those life lessons to refine us and work there ways through us, amazing things happen to us. Our character is strengthened.

People will see through us if we’re not authentic. Authentic people have strong egos rather than big egos.
Clear Values: You live by what you believe.

Mature & Wise: Recognize problems and seek solutions. They are responsible for the energy they radiate. They do not radiate negative energy. If you cannot keep a relationship friendly, keep the relationship smart.

Fair & Accountable: Recognize everyone’s value. Have human moments.
Self-Aware; Reflective: Pay attention. Watch and observe. Take time to think.

T: is it true?
H: is it helpful?
I: is it inspiring?
N: is it necessary
K: is it kind?

Assistants with integrity have FIBER! Whole BRAIN goodness!

Focus on influence, not position. Leadership is a choice we make, not a place we sit.

Embrace humility.

Master the art of influence: Enlarge others. (Help them see their skills and talents) Connect. (Both parties in a good relationship get good energy) Be responsible for the energy you radiate.

Ask yourself these two questions:
Q: What do you want people to say about you when you are not in the room?
Q: What do you think people say about you when you leave the room?

The goal is to have those answers be the same.

When you make a mistake, fix it. The workplace provides no shortage of opportunities to fix it.

Be in permanent beta! We are works in progress. We are never finished. Learn more, do more, be more, grow more.

Dedicate and commit to a lifetime of honorable values and continuous self-improvement.

Lisa's presentation was greatly appreciated by the participants!

State of the Profession – Joan Burge

Nancy Fraze — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:24:00 GMT

Joan’s last State of the Profession was given two years ago. She has reviewed her notes from that speech, and she notes the changes:

There are now four distinct generations employed in the workplace. We can benefit from all the generations. Bridge the gap with each other. It’s not them against us. It should be us trying to elevate the profession! There are benefits to all the generations.

Be Bold! If you hear people talking negatively about another assistant, walk away from the negativity or else speak up for that person to advance the profession.

There are more than 40 titles out there. No earth shattering new titles have come about. Joan would like “secretary” to be a retired title that just goes away. It takes the profession to where we aren’t anymore. We are strategic business partners.

Training and Development – organizations are investing more than ever before in specialized training. Companies are realizing that this is a career. Assistants invest in themselves and they need to see themselves as valuable. Brian Tracy says you need to invest in yourself, because when you do, you take that with you for the rest of your life. Assistants need to see themselves as valuable assets.

Succession Planning for Senior-level Executive Assistants – These need to be in place; companies are beginning to see the value of these as they anticipate the departure of their most experienced assistants within the next few years.

Competencies – Calendaring, travel, task organization, projects. These are fundamentals, foundations that are critical to be in strength. These core competencies are your stronger core foundation. Now you build on top of that.

Cross-training, Mentoring – Open your heart and be a mentor to others.

Need for coaching of executive assistants on increasing performance, professional presence, and raising their standards in the role.

Executives are tech-savvy, so how do they handle the assistant? How do they use them to an advantage in this modern day world.

Administrative stress levels are higher due to changing priorities and fast deadlines.

Impact of technology on executives and assistants. Assistants need to work with the same devices their executives use.

Virtual support – executives travel internationally and support is virtual.

Mindset – do you see yourself as in a career of choice?

Create a modern view of the administrative assistant.

Nurture active, vital vision of leadership. Propose ideas.

Powerful, vibrant, BOLD assistants. How will you manage yourself?

Things to work on:

Strategic thinking
Presentation skills
Establish your own brand (example: part of Jasmine’s brand is her calm demeanor)
Self-management (manage your thoughts and emotions) Use your passion and energy for work.

“Live it, be it, own it!” One person can make a BOLD difference, and that person can be you!

Unleash the Power of the Leader Within! - Linda McFarland

Nancy Fraze — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:17:00 GMT

Linda McFarland, speaker, author, and executive assistant, began her presentation with a funny video, saying we should, "Put your ducks in a row!" Linda showed a video of a momma duck and her brood of babies blown about by a wind and the momma duck's frantic and comical efforts to get them back into line.

Do you manage your career or are you letting other people or the winds of change manage it?

Nobody else controls your destiny but you. Do you have a plan? It’s okay if you don’t because we’ll make a plan today.

Self –awareness – What are your career goals? What challenges and excites you? What motivates you? What are your top three strengths? Are you a continuous learner? You always have to be up in your game. We drink from a fire hose every single day.

Rank these four animals in any particular order you wish to arrange them: dog, lion, elephant parrot.
Here is what this simple test of self-perception shows:
1st place - how you want to be perceived
2nd place - how you believe you are perceived
3rd place - how you like to be perceived by others in the future
4th place - how you actually want to me without influence of what other significant people in your life feel and think about you.

Learning more about yourself gives you a higher degree of perception about yourself.

Leadership qualities – They say that leaders are born, but for a fact leaders are made, and usually through adversity. Leadership potential exists in each one of us. You are a leader in your own right. The more experience you have acting as a genuine leader, the easier it will be for you. Genuine leaders take a stand and motivate others.

If I could wish for my life to be perfect, it would be tempting but I would have to decline for life would no longer teach me anything.” Allison Jones

Who is your hero? Whose hero are you?

Action plan – We talked about leadership qualities we want to develop and put them on a goal card. Find a role model, seek inspiration and a personal mission statement. These steps will help you determine your way.
Self-empowerment- determine what you want and take action; act ‘as if’ and you will become; be patient with yourself; apply positive self-talk; write down your goals; draw on the joy within you; honor and respect yourself; practice being empowered.

To grow into a true leader, and to take charge of your career, do the following:
Respect (yourself, and others)
Read
Empower yourself
Self-assessment
Positive self-talk
Experiment
Collaborate

Linda’s talk was inspiring! She challenged us to change our thinking, never give up, and always hope for the best and do the work necessary to take the next step toward success and fulfillment. She shared about the adversity she had personally overcome and how she took positive steps to a better future.

The Next Generation Assistant - Debbie Gross

Nancy Fraze — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 04:21:00 GMT

The second session began with Debbie Gross, Executive Assistant to the CEO of Cisco, asking, "What does it take for today’s assistant to exhibit leadership?" Why indeed, because, “The future is here now.”

Debbie began her presentation with a humorous video about a modern day assistant being sent back into the past of the 1950’s secretary. It was very creative!

“When you believe in something, believe it in all the way,” said Debbie.

Debbie urged attendees to be curious about others: children are innately curious. We are all curious. The key is to keep it alive. The moment we stop being curious we do not really live. The essence of “Avatar”, one of Debbie’s favorite films, was human curiosity. Be curious about others. Curiosity helps you be successful. It helps you figure your manager out and how to help them on a higher level. It helps you understand what makes them “tick."

Next, Debbie said we should be curious about ourselves. Ask the right questions about ourselves.

Then she discussed Creativity. Debbie said opportunities exist every day for administrative professionals to demonstrate Creativity. Break from the routine of doing what you’ve done all the time. Do something different! Don’t just hand over a Word doc. Use U Tube! Give a “wow factor” in everything you do.

In order to be a next generation administrator, we must be courageous. We have to take risks in our personal and professional lives. Ask for what you want. If you don’t ask you don’t get. And you’ll never know what you might have received! Take risks.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” T.S. Elliot.

Confidence. The Next Generation will need to build their confidence, in order to be able to live and work in that fashion. Can you get up on stage? Most administrators struggle in this area, apologizing speaking on a platform shyly as “not doing this very often.” Have the confidence to stand up and talk to our principals, our colleagues.

One of Debbie's most dramatic points was her instruction to attendees: "Disregard fear!"

When someone asks, “How are you today?” Instead of saying, “great” say “I’m on fire, baby!” and your confidence will rise.

Constant – being there for others. Unwavering dedication, loyalty, rooted down. The only thing constant is change. The only thing they can count on is you. Be on your team for your team members. Show up!

Debbie showed us a graphic of the Northern Star, which kept explorers navigating and on track in ancient times. We need to be constant like the North Star, and be constant in our careers and lives.

Leadership is when we act as a person capable of inspiring others. It is highly visible. It shifts and changes things around us.

We need to teach administrators to do our jobs, to release ourselves to do other projects. As we give them lots of stuff, we have time to do other things we haven’t had time to do.

Can you BE?
In the 1950’s we typed and filed. We were secretaries.
In the 1980’s we did more. We became assistants.
Now, we are administrative professionals.

Debbie's session challenged us to reach for leadership and to exhibit the characteristics of leadership every day.

Dream BIG

Joan Burge — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:36:00 GMT

Hello Monday Motivators!

Well, the big 60 came and went! In January, I had thought about having a special celebration/big party for my 60th birthday. I love to celebrate milestone birthdays, mine or someone who is near to me. At first, it seemed likes months of waiting for my special event. Jasmine and Michele helped plan the main event with fancy invitations, music, sit-down dinner, flowers, a huge star cake and more. (By the way, they did a fabulous job!) Family flew in from Ohio and California and many of my friends from Vegas arrived in their fancy evening attire. Saturday night, August 18, was like a fairy tale evening. I could not have asked for a more perfect celebration. Thanks to any of you who may have sent me an e-card, note, little gift, or card in the mail. Most of my out-of-town guests left Las Vegas this morning and now it is time for me to get back to work. A part of me is ready to settle down, have a little quiet in my home and get back on schedule with working out at the gym and eating nutritiously but I know it will take me a day or two to fully switch gears.

The message I want to give you this morning, August 20, 2012 – is that life flies by much too fast. What are you longing to do in your life? Is there a trip you have wanted to take? Have you ever wished you could have a big birthday party for yourself? Is there someone in your family who is hitting a milestone that needs to be celebrated? Is there something you didn’t get to do this summer with your kids that you should do before they are back in school?

It won’t be long and we will be coming down the home stretch for 2012. We have 4 ½ months left. What do you want to fill the rest of your year with that has meaning? What relationships at work do you need nurture?

At Office Dynamics, we will now be in full swing for our 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence and right after that, something BIG is happening. That is all I can tell you right now. You will have to keep your eyes open for more news.

What plans do you have for your career for the rest of 2012? When was the last time you looked at your professional development plan? Are you leveraging your talents and letting your inner light shine?

Many of you are getting your kids ready for school this week. In Clark Country, kids will start next Monday. As you head into this crazy week of preparation, last-minute school shopping, or just winding down from summer, I hope you make some time for yourself. Take some quiet time to dream about what you want to accomplish during the rest of this year. Remember, always dream BIG. You don’t know what you can accomplish until you give it a try. And just the fact that you tried something is a success.

Have a wonderful week.

Joan Burge

P.S. We are still celebrating! During the entire month of August you can receive 60% off of all Joan Burge authored products (books, CDs, DVDs) - shop now. Prices are already marked down and will remain this great steal until August 31.

Barriers Don't Mean The End

Joan Burge — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:02:00 GMT

Happy last Monday of July! Do you believe it? I certainly feel like I have been on the fast track this year and feel like soon I will be putting out my Halloween decorations. In fact, in my mass of catalogs that arrive in my mail, I saw the first one promoting Halloween decorations. Really? Can I please finish my summer?

Anyway, life is passing by quickly and I want to share something exciting with you and encourage you that while you may have to put your dreams or goals on the back burner, they are in your reach. You just have to be patient and never, never give up.

Office Dynamics launched its first e-book (Who Took My Pen … Again?) on July 25! This project was in my heart last winter 2011. It was on our project list for the first half of 2012. Well, others things came into play, business was moving fast, we had new projects that demanded our attention and time and before we knew it, the e-book was postponed. I was disappointed but after being in business 21 years, I know that is what happens. As months passed, the e-book was in the back of mind and Jasmine, too, was giving it great thought. Nancy Fraze, our third author who lives in California, was patiently waiting in the wings.

Finally, I decided we needed to move the e-book back onto the front burner. I must give tons of credit to Jasmine Freeman who jumped in with both feet and took control of the project. She found a local e-book expert, met with her a few times, attended some training, mapped out the entire path for the e-book links, and coordinated the entire project! So, thanks to Jasmine’s effort, the e-book was launched! We had a 2-day special on Amazon to celebrate the launch. Within only hours of it's release the eBook and the paperback versions of Who Took My Pen ... Again? Were numbers 1 and 2 on the Amazon Best Seller list in the category of Secretarial Aids and Training!

So what does all this mean to you? What do I want to share that you can apply this week at work (or at home)?

Never give up on your dreams. Be patient. So many give up when they hit roadblocks or barriers or become distracted with life.
Be open to new projects and opportunities presented to you by your leader or a team.
Test new skills.
Jump in with both feet.
Build networks every day as you never know when they will help you out. Jasmine had met the e-book expert, Peggy a while back and remembered her.
Set stretch goals for yourself.
Involve others at work in your goals.
Know when to bring a project or goal back into play. So while we had to move the project from an “A” priority to a “C” priority, I knew when we had waited long enough. At some point, you have to say, “Yes pull this forward and let’s jump in with both feet.”

What have you been sitting on for a while that you need to bring forward this week? Maybe you aren’t moving forward on a goal because you are afraid. You will never know what you can accomplish until you try.

Wishing you a great week and welcome to August.

Joan

Who Took My Pen ... Again? eBook Now Available on Amazon.com!

Can You Change a Person’s Bad Attitude?

Joan Burge — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 06:37:00 GMT

Happy Monday! I bet many of you are just coming back from a long holiday weekend. I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July as much as I did. Not it’s time to get back to work.

As I travel and meet all kinds of people in the workplace, I am often asked if you can change someone’s attitude. We know we can change our own attitude any time we wish. But what about others? While you may choose to surround yourself with positive thinkers, you can’t always avoid working with (or sometimes, living with) negative thinkers. Therein lies a problem: What can you do to change a person’s inherently bad attitude, in part so it doesn’t affect you? And should you try? Here are a few observations that can help:

People are who they are. Like spouses or children, they don’t “change” because you will it. So exerting your influence and expecting the response you want is foolhardy at best and potentially disastrous for your relationship at worst.
Try to empathize, even a little. Remember: Life is not fair, and it can
be harder on some than others. People who feel defeated or alone in the world still have to wake up each morning and eke out a living like the rest of us. We don’t have to know the exact reasons behind their troubles to see the cloud that surrounds them at work, and to pause a moment and wish that weren’t so – for their sakes more than ours.
Reach out as you’re able. Make an effort to connect and be friendly – more than once, if need be. People with poor attitudes tend to be protective and distrusting – and may not initially welcome your friendship, perhaps because they fear there are “strings” attached. Be gentle in your persistence. It’ll reinforce your sincerity, likely earning their trust and a better attitude in the process.

When a person’s bad attitude cannot be tempered by the above methods, yet still needs to be addressed for the benefit of the workplace, you need to consider constructively confronting the situation. Many times, informing people of their bad attitude in a positive way (i.e., “I thought you’d want to know the impact that X, Y or Z is having on the rest of the department, because I’m confident that’s not how you meant to be perceived…”) can help influence change. Ask yourself, “Is their attitude a daily event or due to behind-the-scenes circumstances?”

Have a great week.

Joan

Set Your Goals Sky High and Fly!

Joan Burge — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 08:41:00 GMT

We love to dream big here at Office Dynamics. That's no secret. We wantt you to do the same.

I am feeling very motivated. I recently spent a wonderful week in Columbus, Ohio teaching my Star Achievement Series® to 23 engaged administrative professionals. On the last day, I was teaching goal setting and it reminded how important it is for us to clearly identify our goals whether in our personal, professional, family, health, or spiritual life. We talked about our belief in ourselves, the belief to achieve, luck, and not setting our expectations high enough. Often when I am speaking on goals, people will say, "I don't want to set my goals too high. I might not achieve them." Can you see where the problem with this thinking lies? The subconscious doesn't work that way. In other words, your subconscious moves toward the target you set. You will not fully know what you are capable of achieving unless you try. An example would be if you said, "I want to save $3,000.00 over the next year to put in an emergency fund." Your brain will look for ways to save $3,000.00 not $4,000.00 because you didn't tell it you wanted to save $4,000.00.

When you set your goal, be clear on the details such as if your goal were to take a cruise next year. What kind of cruise? Where do you want to cruise to--Alaska, Panama Canal, the Caribbean? Do you want a luxury or economic cruise? How many days will you cruise? How many islands will you stop at? I find people are vague when they identify health goals. They say, "I want to be healthy." Well, what does healthy look like to you? Does that mean you can run 3 miles in 30 minutes without being completely breathless? The clearer your goal, the better chance you will achieve it.

Then you have to write a plan. How will you get there? If you do not have a plan, it will take you much longer to reach your goal or you may never reach it. So, I hope these tips help you this week but also what are your plans for this summer? It is already June 25. Summer is passing quickly! Have you taken that vacation or camping? We only have 9 weekends before Labor Day.

Wishing you a great week.

Joan

Photo credit iStock Photo

Jump Out of the Fish Bowl

Joan Burge — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:37:00 GMT

Good morning, Monday Motivators!

After a great weekend, I am finding it hard to get myself going this morning. Summer weekends seem so different to me than winter weekends. I am more relaxed and am outside every chance I get. Also because the days are longer, I find myself pushing chores or personal office work until later and later in the day so I can do more joyful things during the day. Then before I know it, it is 8:30 p.m. and I am rushing around to get the nitty gritty done. And then it’s time for bed. This is why I find Mondays in the summer harder to get into my work mode on Monday than any other time of year.

Do you feel like your growth is stunted?

I want to share with you a quick excerpt from Experience Life! Magazine that I recently read and shared at our Office Dynamics daily staff team huddle, which by the way are awesome. It is from Alan H. Cohen, author of Why Your Life Sucks (interesting title, huh?).

“Did you know that goldfish are kept tiny by their little tiny bowls? If we let them swim in a lake, they’d grow 100 times larger. It’s the same with humans, writes Cohen. We have all been hypnotized into thinking that we are smaller than we are . . .

You are not dependent on someone else to move you. You have the power to move yourself. You can step into a broader domain and grow to your full potential.”

For our daily huddle, I gave everyone a picture of a goldfish jumping high out a fish bowl as a visual to place by their desk.

What can you start doing now to more forward?

This week, let’s think about:

What is holding me back from pursuing what I want to accomplish; whether at work or at home?
Why aren’t I planning that dream vacation?
Why aren’t I pursuing that special class I want to take?
What is getting in the way of me spending time being fully focused on my children (maybe it’s my mobile device and addiction to being connected all the time)?
In taking a look at my relationships with people, do I need to be more patient? Or giving? Or understanding?
What keeps me from talking to my manager about something he or she does that prevents me from being fully effective?
Why I am afraid to be everything I was born to be? (This is the BIG question.)

Picture yourself doing at least one thing this week that represents you jumping out of your fishbowl.

Joan

Photo credit: iStockphoto.com by ayala_studio.

Don't Blow It - Deal With It!

Joan Burge — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:06:00 GMT

Hello, Motivators!

I would like to bring up some simple tips that we all know, subconsciously, yet sometimes we need to bring them to the forefront. Remember that you can easily blow your career by losing your cool at work. So know ahead of time what might cause such incidents and think about ways to deal with them civilly and compassionately:

You feel left out. Lack of acceptance among peers provokes anger and hurt feelings, potentially limiting your effectiveness on the job. What can you do to feel more a part of a team effort?
Your boss nit-picks. A critical boss is one of the key frustrations for employees, who often adopt a do-no-more-than-necessary attitude. But this can lead to more criticism, and start a vicious cycle. Can you find ways to calmly deal with criticism?
You don't get the recognition you deserve. While management guide after management guide touts the necessity of showing appreciation to employees, employees often don't get credit for the hard work and extra hours they put into their jobs. How can you help your manager take notice of your efforts?
You're the subject of a vicious rumor. False rumors are hurtful and employees fear they will cause irreparable damage to their reputations or careers. Do you know who you should talk with to combat a hurtful or harmful rumor?
You have an incompetent boss. Most of us want to admire and respect the people we work for, but when that person is inept, we risk losing our enthusiasm for our jobs and respect for the company. Can you find a mentor or build a support system of your own at work?

If this hits home for you, practice patience and the above tips. Wishing you a great week!

Joan Burge

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Investment Its More Than You Think

Jasmine M Freeman — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:32:00 GMT

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

When you think of "investment" we automatically think of dollar signs. Don't limit yourself to such a small portion of of what investing means. To invest means to believe in you. To pick up a book on a subject you want to learn more about, take a class at the gym, volunteer at your local soup kitchen - you discover more about yourself by taking the time to step back from routing living to do these types of things, such as to set a goal and attain it.

We hope you enjoy today's chapter excerpt!

Invest (in yourself)

Be a Perpetual Student

If your manager or organization does not choose to invest in you, that doesn’t mean you are not worth the investment. You of all people should know that the most. Choose to better yourself.

“Learn how to maximize the enormous potential that lies in your mind and body. This includes learning how to set goals, manage your time, remove fear and doubt, adjust your thinking, create new habits, squash bad habits, how to take care of your health and focus.” – BrianKim.net

You will only get out of work (and life!) what you put into it. Become a student of life, and seek to gain as much wisdom, learning and experience as you can. Don’t rest on your laurels! Yes, yesterday’s success was great, but you cannot rest there forever. We were made for growth, work, and achievement. Fresh experiences and learning keeps us vibrant, healthy, and challenged.

Wishing you all the best and looking forward to hearing the ways that you have invested in yourself.

How have you invested in yourself, personally or in your career?

Comment below and be entered to win!

Jasmine Freeman, Contributing Author, Who Took My Pen ... Again?

Are You a Future Focused Executive Assistant, Really?

Jasmine M Freeman — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:47:00 GMT

Welcome to the Who Took My Pen ... Again? Annual Blog-a-thon for Administrative Professionals. If you are just tuning in, here's the scoop! We are holding 4th Annual Blog-a-thon for the Administrative Profession. We hold this blog-a-thon each April and the goal is to make assistants aware of the resources available to them and build a community of administrative assistant and executive assistants who want to learn and grow and flourish in their career of choice! To learn more about the blog-a-thon and how you can win great prizes check out the Administrative Professional's Blog-a-thon Page for the full message.

Today's chapter excerpt is from the chapter titled Future Focused.

Do you ever feel like you are “spinning your wheels” and going nowhere? Take a step back and look at what you are doing as a whole and maybe you will figure out why you feel this way.

When you have a multitude of priorities, projects, tasks, action items – whatever you call them – how do you get it all done and feel accomplished and still feel like you have direction to accomplish the even greater goal?

Today I’m going to share with you an excerpt from the book, Who Took My Pen … Again? from the chapter titled Future Focused. We still need to pay attention to today and what we are working on but that feeds the future as well. I hope you enjoy!

Future Focused

HOW?

Pay Attention to the Present.

Every day there are indicators of what might be coming down the road. Whether one pays attention and has her antenna up while doing other things is a different story. You have to intentionally listen, read, observe, and absorb.

Read and Anticipate the Domino Effect.

This means that when you read something, engage your brain and tune everything else out. This is quite difficult today when people are engaged in five things at once — dining with friends or family while reading emails at the same time, texting someone, and uploading a video to Facebook. You cannot totally absorb information if you are distracted with other actions. If you read in USA Today about economic downturns in your industry, you should anticipate that changes will be coming to your company. What is some of the news circulating within your organization that you should be paying attention to? Of course, you have to separate rumors from facts. It’s like seeing the dominos all laid out before the first one ever moves.

Listen.

Listening is a mental process. It takes effort. Hearing takes no effort unless you are hearing impaired. When you listen, you tune out internal and external distractions. When your manager talks to you about a meeting she just attended, is there anything in what you heard that might indicate additional projects will be coming your manager’s way which means you will be busier? If your manager lightly talks about a big organizational initiative that will be occurring in the next year, what might that mean to your manager, the department, and you? It’s like having a crystal ball.

Stop What You Are Doing.

While you definitely should be paying attention to the current task at hand, there are times when you purposely stop and look at what projects, trips, and special meetings are on the horizon for your executive and yourself or your department. If you manage multiple people, be in touch with each one and initiate conversations whereby they will talk about what they know is coming up that you do not know yet. It is as if you are standing above your work area and looking down at everything from a big picture perspective. It’s like being an air traffic controller in the tower, watching many planes take off and land.

Conversations with administrative peers are very helpful. Since assistants are focused on the goings-on of their manager and the related direct reports, assistants can often provide insight to upcoming projects, meeting, special events, or travels. On the other side, where appropriate, you should openly share what you know that will help other assistants.

Share your ways of being Future Focused below by adding your comments and be entered to win one of our wonderful prizes!

Jasmine Freeman, Contributing Author, Who Took My Pen ... Again? Secrets from Dynamic Executive Assistants

Did you know 50% of the proceeds of all books sales for Who Took My Pen ... Again? will be donated to the research and treatment of children's cancer.

Decision Making Skills

Joan Burge — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:10:00 GMT

Why is it that at the time we make a decision we believe it is the best, right answer or choice. Then days, weeks or months later, we regret the decision we made. We say to ourselves, “What was I thinking? However, based on the information I had at the time, I felt I made the best choice.” We will never be perfect at making decisions but we definitely need to take each bad decision or poor choice, learn from it, and commit to making better decisions in the future.

Decision Maker

Decision-making skill is key for productivity and growth. Your decisions take you on different paths depending upon the decisions you choose not to make as well as the actual decisions you make. Do not underestimate that even the smallest decision could change your life forever. [Read Andy Stanley’s book, The Principle of the Path for additional information on how to get from where you are to where you want to be.]

Decisions are made daily, often without even realizing it. Some decisions are habit forming. You make the decision once, and then repeat it again and again until you no longer hear yourself think or deliberate about it. An example is choosing to have a pastry at morning break daily. Your “decision” will affect your health, even your future, but you don’t even think about it any longer. 9:00 a.m. and you go get your pastry!

When making a decision you may consider, “What would my leader do?” Having the knowledge of what your leader would do in certain situations will allow you to make a more educated decision. This in turn will free up your leader’s time. The more you do this kind of thinking the more empowered you become and the stronger the connection is with your leader and the organization’s need for you – a true cognitive being – as their business partner.

In order to make a decision on anything you must first understand the objectives and the situation surrounding the issue. Whether you are making a decision that affects your manager’s travel itinerary or involves purchasing a software package, you need to consider the objectives and purpose intended. You must set aside your own bias and needs to see the big picture. Many people are poor decision-makers because they only consider “what’s in it for me?” and they look no further. That is very short-term thinking and people around you will begin to assess that you are only in it for your own selfish and self-serving motives. That may get you a few plums, but that will not get you the prize!

There will come a time in your decision-making journey of learning where you will have to remove the training wheels. You will have to make decisions and play them out, taking responsibility for them and being confident that you will be accountable for whatever happens. This doesn’t mean you need to “know everything” beforehand; it means you will take responsibility, shepherd them, and adjust as necessary along the way. Also, make sure you watch to observe the results, so you can learn from the results and do even better next time.

What is your decison making process?

Joan Burge, Contributing Author, Who Took My Pen ... Again? Secrets from Dynamic Executive Assistants

Administrative Professionals Can Be Courageous

Nancy Fraze — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 06:17:00 GMT

Today's chapter excerpt is from the chapter titled [Be] Courageous.

[Be] Courageous

Here’s a personal story: Years ago, my biscuits came out so painfully bad I couldn’t serve them to a dog, let alone people. They were like brown rocks, hard as hockey pucks and tasteless, too! My cooking embarrassed me and I lost confidence.

It occurred to me one day that I needed to risk failure again and again, and be okay with that. So, I got the ingredients for many batches of biscuits and told my poor husband, “We’re having biscuits every night until I get this. I apologize in advance.” Poor man; he got hockey pucks for at least two weeks until one night, along with not over kneading the dough and fully pre-heating the oven, I also rounded the baking powder up rather than scraping the measuring spoon flat. The results were perfect, flaky, light golden biscuits! (I don’t know who was happier: he or I!)

Facing fear always involves facing the fear of rejection. Most people in their early years gain acceptance by blending in with others. During school years, this group synergy brings a belonging, a place of acceptance and with it, a feeling of safety.

Then the working years begin, and we take that desire for belonging and comfort with us. Instead of wanting to stand out (in a good way, based on our talents and skills!) we desire safety and crave acceptance. Soon, the fear of failure holds us firmly in its grip. We give up confidence and trying new challenges in favor of blending.

Yet most of us once learned how to ride a bicycle, to swim, to drive a car, perhaps even play a sport or musical instrument, which required that we begin as novices and work up in skill to a level of mastery.

Where, oh where, did we lose that acceptance of ourselves as novices? Why did we give up our ability to grow our skill to a level of mastery?

Acknowledge Your Fear

Everyone has fears, whether they admit them or not. But what kind of fears might an executive assistant have? Fear of losing the job, vocalizing something that upsets the manager responsible for signing annual performance reviews, fear of standing out or stepping up, fear of the unknown; of taking on a new task …

How about fear of your idea not being accepted or a manager thinking your idea is frivolous? What about holding back, not offering up that good idea or suggesting a new approach, so you detract from adding value.

Assistants are on the front line and so they see and hear a lot their executive may not even be aware of. Executive assistants have a sixth sense about things and therefore, their ideas can be very valuable. You can save your leader, department, or organization time and money by being courageous.

Learn, study, and practice strategies for communicating your ideas in a confident manner.
Be okay with rejection. (Babe Ruth had 8,399 career at-bats and 1,330 career strikeouts, which is only a .342 career batting average! It’s considered phenomenal.)
Not all your ideas are going to be accepted and that is okay, but find out why not, so you can learn the reason behind the rejection.
Arm yourself with facts. It’s difficult for someone to disagree with you when you have facts to back up your idea or suggestion.
Consider the worst-case scenario, then “do it anyway.”

In closing, ask yourself today what are you afraid to try. Is it:

Giving a presentation to peers
Speaking up for yourself
Sharing an idea with your manager
Learning piano
Requesting approval to attend the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence
Making scratch biscuits

I have one suggestion for you: do it anyway!

Nancy Fraze, Contributing Author, Who Took My Pen ... Again? Secrets From Dynamic Executive Assistants

After 22 excellent years, I’ve reached the salary cap–so, now what?

Guest Blogger — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:29:00 GMT

by ALICE BUMGARNER, MODERATOR on MARCH 14, 2012 2:47PM

in ADMIN PRO FORUM

Question: “I have been with my firm as a legal secretary, purchaser, database manager, etc. for 22 years. I have always received excellent reviews and raises. However, at my last review, I was told I was getting to the cap for legal secretaries. I’m at a loss … I work anywhere from 40 to 45 hours a week (at my regular pay for 37.5 hours). I pick up others’ slack, I do what no one else wants to do, and now I’m told I’ve reached the cap and I probably won’t get any more raises. How is a person supposed to respond? I feel as though I’m being penalized for being a loyal, hardworking employee. Any suggestions?” —Capped legal secretary

This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com:

http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/30576/after-22-excellent-years-ive-reached-the-salary-cap-so-now-what

Administrative Blog-a-thon Begins April 2!

Jasmine M Freeman — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:36:00 GMT

We are blogging for the administrative profession! Join our Administrative Professional Blog-a-thon

April 2-30, 2012

Hello! April is a time we cherish here at Office Dynamics. The first quarter of the has passed and soon we will be celebrating administrative professionals around the world during Administrative Professionals Week! Well, here at Office Dynamics part of our celebration of YOU is to hold an April Blog-a-thon for the Administrative Profession.

What is a Blog-a-thon? A marathon of blogging. We are commiting to blogging for you every weekday during the month of April.

What's the point of a Blog-a-thon? The point of our Blog-a-thon is to engage you as the reader in a conversation surrounding relevant topics and material to the administrative profession. We will provide you daily with new content to help you in your career and we are welcoming you to be a part of this conversation by adding your insight, experience and questions each day.

How do I participate in a Blog-a-thon? We are excited you want to be a part of this amazing event! All you have to do is "add a comment" to any of our blogs. If you scroll past this blog you will see some open boxes to add your comment. Please do so here and hit the appropriate buttons. You've just entered yourself one time today for our prize drawings! To continue to enter yourself to win, browse the blog and comment, more and more. Please keep your comments relevant and value-added to the subject matter.

What can I win? We will be making prize announcements as we dive into the Blog-a-thon. One thing we can tell you is that we'll be sharing our newest book, Who Took My Pen ... Again? with you as one of our fantastic weekly prizes!

World Class Assistants Experience Real Results

Joan Burge — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:49:00 GMT

Hello!

While training another wonderful group of World Class Assistants last week I learned so much as I opened my ears to what these assistants were saying. Each of them had attended my World Class Assistant Part 1 program and they were now back for Part 2. Before we get started on the material I ask them each to share a succes story on how World Class Assistant Part 1 has impacted their life. The results really are astounding. I took note of what they were saying to share with you today. First let me share a picture of my wonderful World Class Assistant Part 2 Graduates.

Congratulations to each of them for earning their Certificate-based Designation,

Certified World Class Assistant!

World Class Assistant™ Graduates See Results at Work

Strategic Business Partner segment

Developed a better relationship with my executive
I better understand the scope of my leader’s work
Improved communication leading to better partnering
Making more decisions on my leader’s behalf
Conducting training for our managers on how to maximize their assistant’s time and talents
My executive and I implemented Friday morning planning meetings
My executive values me – my leader now makes time to have morning meetings with me

Communications segment

Better communication among assistants leading to increased collaboration
Appreciating that my peers have different communication styles leading us to work together as team
Changed negative words or saying no to positive communication leading to an improved relationship with my leader
Gained respect from one of my leader’s direct reports who always gave me a hard time
Shared the communication style assessment with my executive and he took to his staff to improve communications among the team

Professionalism and Confidence

Broke the stigma that this was not a reputable profession and now our managers see the assistant as a reputable career
I set healthy boundaries with others
Stepped out of my shell
Leading our admins in goal setting sessions and hosting video conference meetings
Initiate conversations with my leader and am not afraid to ask important questions

Increased Productivity

My CEO is more effective; we are “getting things done”
Increased confidence has lead me to create harmony among our administrative community
Holding brown bag learning lunches with administrative peers
Break through between our two offices from “us and them” thinking to “we are all one team”
Assistants are cooperating and collaborating on our executive’s calendars

World Class Assistant is an Office Dynamics International Program
OfficeDynamics.com; 800-STAR-139

Professional Image Impacts Your Brand in Every Situation

Joan Burge — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:34:00 GMT

“You leave a calling card with every interaction. It is either a positive calling card or a negative calling card.” These wonderful words are from Laurie Lampman, Manager of Legal Administrative Talent & Services. Laurie is a newly-Certified Star Achievement Series® trainer and will be teaching our program in her organization.

Think about your last interactions the past few days—whether with your leader, a co-worker, client or vendor. I always tell administrative and executive assistants, “You are on stage every day. As soon as you walk in the door, walk into your executive’s office, walk into a meeting room or pick up the telephone, you are on stage. People are forming perceptions about you whether right or wrong.”

Laurie shared a few phrases from a slideshow with me that she created showing an example of a positive and negative calling card. They are simple and powerful.

Positive included professional, approachable, responsive, team player, friendly, positive attitude.

Negative included just the opposite, i.e., unprofessional, unapproachable, etc.

Think about it. What would your calling card say? What would it say in a particular situation? Or with a particular person? It should always be positive no matter the situation or the person.

Executive Assistant Best Job of 2012

Jasmine M Freeman — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:02:00 GMT

You already knew this, right? We read this story at U.S. News on February 27, 2012 of the best jobs in 2012 and as one of the best jobs this profession was cited to see "significant growth over the next decade." Here is their article.

The Best Jobs of 2012: Executive Assistant

From U.S. News & World Report By Miriam Weiner

The Rundown:

The "assistant" role within the office environment has evolved drastically with the ever-increasing reliance on technology. Assistants are now asked to perform a variety of clerical tasks that were once reserved for managerial and professional staff. This is especially true for executive assistants, who lend high-level administrative support to company executives. While the basic duties still stand—taking messages, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings—executive assistants are also often put in charge of supervising other clerical staff, reviewing incoming memos, and even conducting research and preparing statistical reports. In short, it's the executive assistant's job to make sure the top branches of the company run smoothly.

[See The Best Jobs of 2012.]

The Outlook:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 12.6 percent employment growth for executive assistants between 2010 and 2020. An additional 156,000 jobs will need to be filled within that time period, either for executive secretaries or executive administrative assistants.

Money:

According to the Labor Department, the median annual salary for an executive assistant was $43,520 in 2010. The best-paid 10 percent earned roughly $67,000, while the lowest-paid made approximately $28,740. The profession's best-compensated usually work for the Postal Service, for computer manufacturing companies, or for the federal executive branch. The highest paid in the field work in Santa Fe, N.M., the New York City area, or the San Jose, Calif., metropolitan area.

[See our list of The Best Business Jobs.]

Executive Assistant Salary Range:

75th Percentile Wage: $54,750

Median Wage: $43,520

25th Percentile Wage: $34,920

Education and Preparation:

Because executive assistants work alongside company executives, employers are increasingly seeking applicants with college degrees, and degrees directly pertaining to the company's specified business or industry will give applicant's an advantage over the competition. Many organizations (such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals) offer certifications in office skill proficiency. Executive assistants must also possess writing and communication skills, as well as the ability to work with such computer technologies as word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, and database management. New hires will most likely receive on-the-job training in the specific technologies that the company uses. Employers also look out for strong interpersonal skills, as well as organization and management skills, initiative, and most importantly, good judgment.

On Landing an Executive Assistant Job:

The members of the Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals (who wish to remain nameless) have plenty of advice for aspiring executive assistants. "Employers are looking for someone who can handle change, challenges, and tasks with an open mind and willingness to adapt to the surroundings," says one member. A bachelor's degree, administrative certifications, and prior experience will also help applicants to land a job. But what most AEAP members stress is honesty. "Be confident, not arrogant. Be who you are, not who you think they want you to be. Be respectful," advises another member. AEAP members say honesty and trustworthiness are key traits for which employers are looking. However, here's what one member wants to remind all aspiring executive assistants of: "Your appearance counts for a lot. Make sure you look sharp."

[In Pictures: The 10 Best Jobs.]

What is an Executive Assistant Job Like?

Executive assistants are full-time employees and are expected to work a standard 40-hour work week, although the hours could be longer depending on the executives' schedules. Assistants will spend much of their time sitting at a computer, which can cause problems such as eyestrain, back pain, and repetitive motion ailments like carpal tunnel syndrome. Executive assistants also encounter stress on a regular basis, since this job involves a lot of multitasking. However, executive assistants rarely experience boredom while at work, as their daily tasks vary broadly.

*We really like this last line because it's so true! What are your thoughts on this report as an EA or AA? Do you see this being one of the best jobs in 2012?

Your Personal Style at Work

Joan Burge — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

If you’ve read Monday Motivators for any length of time, you know I often encourage professionals to remember that their workspace is a reflection of their desire to succeed. Others in the office do take notice, and they judge your effectiveness and advancement potential upon what they see.

Today I'll be talking about:

Adding a 'Touch of the Personal' in Your Workplace

For example, if you’ve decorated your cubicle with a collection of Beanie Babies, or if you’ve hung amusing posters like those found in college dorms, changes are higher-ups will not take you seriously as a person whose workspace is more business and less casual.

That said, a “touch of the personal,” as I like to call it, is still an important part of a success-focused workspace. Let me explain.

My workspace is very professional, as you might imagine. A place for everything, and everything in its place! Whatever items I use most often are located within easy reach to improve efficiency. It’s clear to anyone who walks into my office that I mean business- and that’s exactly the professional image I wish to portray.

And yet, it’s not a sterile environment, devoid of any personal meaning to me. Far from it! A large photo of my children, when there were quite young, hangs where I can see it. I have a few tastefully framed photos of family members to remind me each day what matters most- and why I’m pleased to work so hard.

I even have on my desk an item made by one of my grandsons. It’s a small red box in the shape of a heart, and on the top is written the word “Nana.” I love to see it every day! It makes me smile- and does me good.

These few items are always enough to catch clients’ eyes; they often ask me about them, and in that way, we develop a rapport beyond the workplace- one that transcends the professional to personal.This is networking at its best.

So today, assess your workspace. What does it say about you- as a professional and as a person? Does it help or potentially hinder your career goals? Make an effort to start organizing and decorating your work area so it portrays you as you want to be seen- and as the star you truly are!

Joan

Who Took My Pen ... Again? SIGNING books!

Joan Burge — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 06:21:00 GMT

The book is here. The book is shipping (every day we send mounds of packages out). We are signing books! Many of you called in your order and specifically asked for us to sign your book. Of course we'll do that! So here is a picture of Joan and Jasmine signing books for you! Do you have your book yet? What do you think?

Administrative Assistant Conference Speaker Pam Cradic

Joan Burge — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:35:00 GMT

Welcome to our Speaker Series! We have dedicated several blogs to informing you about our administrative assistant conference speaker line-up. With each message we'll introduce a speaker and share with you a little bit about them as well as why we chose them to be a presenter at the 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence.

Please allow me the pleasure of introducing our speaker highlight today...

Pam Cradic, Learning Analyst, Talent Management

and Learning Integration, Humana, Inc.

Pam is a Learning Analyst at Humana Inc. currently implementing a program to Humana associates which provides structured social learning, peer coaching and knowledge sharing through online mentoring. Her experience in building a business case for this formal mentoring program provides an excellent story for her to share as she believes knowledge sharing keeps associates engaged and motivated to bring their “A” game to work every day.

With over 17 years of experience as an Executive Assistant both at Hyatt Hotels and Humana Inc., over 10 years in leadership roles with the International Association of Administrative Professionals and a Certified Professional Secretary rating for 5 years, Pam brings the administrative professional’s perspective to the story. Through the course of her experience in building her business case for a formal mentoring program at Humana, and earning her MBA from Sullivan University, Pam has been able to transition into Humana’s Talent Management and Learning Integration Team as a full time Learning Analyst.

Building a Business Case:

Turn Lemons Into Lemonade Your Way

Senior Executive Administrative Professionals are frequently faced with problems or projects that require a solution but no clear path which demonstrates how to effectively solve the problem. As an “inner circle assistant” you will be able to demonstrate value to your executive and to your organization with a bold approach to problem solving—building a business case.

Following this presentation you will be able to:

Develop a functional problem statement
Research best practice from similar organizations
Get all the right people involved
Craft a business case that provides leadership with clear-cut options
Propose solutions that make sense for the organization, and which demonstrate ROI

By learning how to build a business case you can empower yourself to be the value proposition that your organization cannot live without!

Administrative Assistant Conference Speaker Linda McFarland

Joan Burge — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:45:00 GMT

Welcome to our Administrative Assistant Conference Speaker Series! We have dedicated several blogs to informing you about our administrative assistant conference speaker line-up. With each message we'll introduce a speaker and share with you a little bit about them as well as why we chose them to be a presenter at the 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence.

Please allow us to introduce...

Linda McFarland, CEO Assistant Overland Storage,

Author, Coach, Speaker & Trainer

With extensive hands-on experience supporting high level executives, Linda has mastered her “never-panic” demeanor. She has held executive assistant positions with a variety of start-up and Fortune-listed companies. She is performance-driven, a strategic thinker, and intuitive problem solver. Linda coaches, mentors, develops and trains administrative professionals. She is co-author of the book “Sitting on a File Cabinet, Naked, With a Gun: True Stories of Silicon Valley CEO Assistants” and has a progressive record of achievement developing and training administrative professionals.

Be BOLD! Linda will share stories, tips, and ideas to give you incentive to start making cognitive decisions. She will inspire and empower you to take ownership of your career and guide you to the path of success in your career and as a business partner with your executive.

Here is what attendees will learn in Linda's general session...

Unleashing the Power of the Leader Within

Linda McFarland brings her professionalism and humor to unleash the power of the leader within. Take charge of your career and break through your self-imposed limitations. Don’t leave it to fate or your leader. It is up to you to make things happen. Be BOLD! Linda will share stories, tips, and ideas to give you incentive to start making cognitive decisions. She will inspire and empower you to take ownership of your career and guide you to the path of success to becoming a business partner with your executive.

I hope you can join us to hear Linda speak! Last year she won the Professional Image, Shining Star Award - Linda was elected by her peers at the event.

Part Time Assistant with Full Time Workload

Guest Blogger — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:17:00 GMT

From our friends at Business Management Daily:

I’m supposed to work part time, but the load is full time

by ALICE BUMGARNER, MODERATOR on FEBRUARY 15, 2012 2:39PM
in ADMIN PRO FORUM

Question: “I work in a small office of 10 employees (an insurance company). I work 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; all the other employees work full time. At times I need to pass work to others to handle in the afternoon hours. When I take the issues to the supervisor, she directs me to distribute the work to other employees, which they don’t appreciate. I get that. But my absence in the afternoon means that others are fielding my return customer calls. Regarding accountability and productivity, I feel that my boss and owner want to see completion of a full-time work load in 62.5% time. Any advice on the best way to handle this? —B.B.

Check out the full conversation at Admin Pro Forum.

Administrative Assistant Conference Speaker Debbie Gross

Joan Burge — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:22:00 GMT

Introducing...

Debbie Gross, Chief Executive Assistant to John Chambers CEO, Cisco

Debbie has over 20 years of experience in the administrative field. She joined Cisco Systems in March, 1991 as the executive assistant to John Chambers, then Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations. As the company has grown from $1.2 billion in annual revenues to $22 billion, her responsibilities have grown together with Chambers’. In 1995, when Chambers became President and CEO, Debbie Gross assumed the lead role leading Cisco’s broad 1000+-person administrative team.

She has been instrumental in promoting Cisco programs that support administrators, and is a strong proponent of best practice sharing and career development through mentoring programs, process and policy improvements councils, and training opportunities including being a member of the UCSC Extended Campus Board for Curriculum Development, as well as teaching within the Administrative Professionals program there. She has also held a board member position for the last two years with the Administrative Professionals Conference (APC) and is certified to teach both the Level I and Level II Star Achievement Series an administrative program created by Joan Burge, Office Dynamics.

She is a member and one of the original founders of the SVCA (Silicon Valley Catalysts Association) which is a 30 member organization of Executive Assistants who support CEO’s in the Silicon Valley.

What is Debbie going to share with us? Debbie actually has two sessions! A general session, The Next Generation! and The WOW Factor! Communicating for Success. You can read more about each session below.

The Next Generation Administrative Professional

What skills will an administrative professional need to have to do the job effectively in the next 5 years, what about in the next 10 years? As businesses continually advance in terms of technologies, new strategies and different ways of working in the global world, the administrative professional will also need to evolve. What will it take to be “the Next Generation” administrative professional?

Debbie will explore in depth the key competencies that the “Next Generation” administrator will need to have to keep up in tomorrow’s business world. She will show you how to tap into that sense of Curiosity, Courage and Confidence while remaining Constant as the Northern Star. She will stretch the imagination in terms of the administrative role of the future including the tools we may use and the skill sets we may need.

The Administrative Profession is heading towards a new Frontier! What will it take for you to BE The Next Generation!

The WOW Factor! Communicating for Success

Do you have a hard time saying “No” to others? Is it challenging to tell someone that you have an issue with their behavior or actions? Do you wish you could be more successful in getting what you need or want from your principal or peers?

Debbie will share with you how you can increase your effectiveness and obtain “Star” power in your administrative role through the use of the WOW Factor of Communication! You will discover some key strategies of communication that will assist you in getting successful and positive outcomes in your day to day interactions with others and she will show you how to influence those people in your life that you have no authority over to get what you need.

As you can see, Debbie has expansive experience and exhilerating content! We'll be back on Tuesday with our next administrative assistant conference speaker highlight, Jennifer Joseph.

Office Dynamics

Translating Admin Experience to Recruiters

Career and Family Balance: How She Does It

Can you really have career and life balance?

What are your thoughts on balancing career and family? Do you have tips to share?

Monday Motivator: Earn More Money

Fun and Helpful Videos for Assistants

Meet Jasmine Freeman!

Administrative Assistants Event Planning Tips

What's It Like to Work with Administrative Expert, Joan Burge?

The Soft Skills Necessary for Project Management

The 10 Success Tips for Administrative Assistants

Q&A with Joan: Administrative Profession Ask Anything!

A free Q&A call with our in-house expert on the administrative profession, Joan Burge.

What did you think of today's call. Do you have a question you would like to ask Joan? Please share in the comments section below.

Live a Showcase-Worthy Life (Secrets of Dynamics Executive Assistants)

Luck vs. Planning for Success

Registration is now open for the following:

Pillar Huddle: Living A Fulfilling Life

Love Your Career: Showing Up Fully and Completely

What do you tweet when your company’s a tough sell? Discussion

What do you tweet?

Love Your Career: Do you have a career or a job?

The Power of Visuals

After The BIG Dream

The Future of Administrative Professionals

How do I move from administrative assistant to executive assistant?

12 Days of Christmas Sale Day 9

5 Book excerpt

Get Some Skin In The Game!

CAREER Pillar What does success look like to you?

Pause Now to Consider Your Success Goals for Next Year

Reputation is Everything

2013 Course Dates & Curriculum Announced

NEWS RELEASE: Star Achievement Series Has Gone Public

Star Achievement Series® Course Agenda

Space is limited. Register now!

Star Achievement Series® Course objectives

Space is limited. Register now!

Living Boldly Starts With a Mindset

Farewell Session – Letting Your Own Significance Amaze You – Joan Burge

Be BOLD in The 5 Pillars of Life

Professional Integrity: a Precious Commodity for Today’s BOLD Assistant – Lisa Olsen

State of the Profession – Joan Burge

Unleash the Power of the Leader Within! - Linda McFarland

The Next Generation Assistant - Debbie Gross

Dream BIG

Barriers Don't Mean The End

Can You Change a Person’s Bad Attitude?

Set Your Goals Sky High and Fly!

Jump Out of the Fish Bowl

Do you feel like your growth is stunted?

What can you start doing now to more forward?

Don't Blow It - Deal With It!

Investment Its More Than You Think

Invest (in yourself)

Be a Perpetual Student

How have you invested in yourself, personally or in your career?

Comment below and be entered to win!

Are You a Future Focused Executive Assistant, Really?

Future Focused

HOW?

Pay Attention to the Present.

Read and Anticipate the Domino Effect.

Listen.

Stop What You Are Doing.

Share your ways of being Future Focused below by adding your comments and be entered to win one of our wonderful prizes!

Decision Making Skills

Decision Maker

What is your decison making process?

Administrative Professionals Can Be Courageous

[Be] Courageous

Acknowledge Your Fear

After 22 excellent years, I’ve reached the salary cap–so, now what?

Administrative Blog-a-thon Begins April 2!

We are blogging for the administrative profession! Join our Administrative Professional Blog-a-thon

April 2-30, 2012

World Class Assistants Experience Real Results

Congratulations to each of them for earning their Certificate-based Designation,

Certified World Class Assistant!

Star Achievement Series®
Course Agenda

Star Achievement Series®
Course objectives

World Class Assistant is an Office Dynamics International Program
OfficeDynamics.com; 800-STAR-139