The experienced Executive Assistant/Secretary makes a major contribution to the success of executive operations. With a clear appreciation of the role and pressures faced by management, the assistant who “thinks like the executive” and takes responsibility, can create a powerful partnership that delivers results. This highly interactive and inspirational training class enables you to refresh existing skills, and introduces several new key techniques to develop your confidence and new skills. Throughout the class you will build on your communication, assertiveness, and decision-making abilities, and develop new confidence-building techniques. This practical class assists you in developing personal planning and organizational capability to further enhance your performance.

Participants will benefit from the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with other executive assistants, and develop new skills that will further enhance the support they give to their manager. This class goes beyond the basic principles of organization and time management, helping individuals make the transition from support role to partner in the Manager/Executive Assistant team, by developing their own managerial qualities.

Administrative and secretarial staff is the hub of the organization and it is their responsibility to implement the strategic policies of the organization. This course is designed to heighten their awareness of their importance to the organization.

·         Senior secretaries, executive secretaries and personal assistants to top-level management

·         Secretaries aiming for promotion to executive positions

The Structure of the Workplace:

·         Understanding corporate and organizational structure.

·         Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – what they are and how they work.

·         Organizational politics.

·         Organizational culture.

·         Types of organizations and their hierarchy.

·         Organizational structure.

·         Environments.

·         Business structures.

Team Working & Conflict:

·         Relationships with staff.

·         Ways to reduce role conflict.

·         Leadership.

·         Groups and teams.

·         Team danger signs.

Workload & Time Management:

·         Qualities required of a Secretary/Administrator.

·         Responsibilities and limitations.

·         How to delegate.

·         Prioritizing work.

·         Personal organization.

·         Planning aids.

·         Scheduling tasks.

·         Departmental targets.

·         Defining work objectives.

·         Setting targets.

·         Performance indicators.

·         Monitoring achievement of targets.

·         Organizing work schedules.

Filing and Retrieval Systems, Mail, Stationery and Supplies,

Standardized Forms, Telephone Answering etc.:

·         Filing of information.

·         Central Filing.

·         Departmental filing.

·         Methods of classification.

·         Systems of filing.

·         Electronic filing.

·         Follow-up systems.

·         File retention policy.

·         Computer data storage and retrieval.

·         Answering the telephone and greeting visitors.

·         Planning for business trips.

Business Correspondence and Formal Report Writing:

·         Planning and producing a report.

·         Business letters.

·         Memos.

·         E-mail.

Communication Skills within Office Teams:

·         Interpersonal skills and responsibilities.

·         The role of the Secretary/Administrator.

·         Face-to-Face communication skills.

·         Barriers to communication.

·         The multi-cultural society.

·         Non-verbal communication.

·         Listening skills.

·         Questioning.

Internal and External Customer:

·         Working Relationships.

·         Making Commitments.

·         Dealing with Disagreements and Conflicts.

·         Problem Solving.

The Role of Information Technology in the Office Setting:

·         Computers.

·         Software application packages.

·         Subject-specific packages.

·         The Internet explained.

·         Information retrieval on the Internet.

·         The World Wide Web.

A variety of methodologies will be used during the course that includes:

·         (30%) Based on Case Studies

·         (30%) Techniques 

·         (30%) Role Play

·         (10%) Concepts

·         Pre-test and Post-test

·         Variety of Learning Methods

·         Lectures

·         Case Studies and Self Questionaires

·         Group Work

·         Discussion

·         Presentation

This rate includes participant’s manual, Hand-Outs, buffet lunch, coffee/tea on arrival, morning & afternoon of each day.

Daily Course Timings:

    08:00 - 08:20       Morning Coffee / Tea

    08:20 - 10:00       First Session

    10:00 - 10:20       Coffee / Tea / Snacks

    10:20 - 12:20       Second Session

    12:20 - 13:30       Lunch Break & Prayer Break

    13:30 - 15:00       Last Session