The Definitive Personal Assistant & Secretarial Handbook

coach'
Self-limiting beliefs
Tools to change/ eliminate negative gremlin voices
The law of attraction
The power of experiential learning
Continual learning
Methods of learning
Appraisals and feedback
Tips on how to receive constructive criticism
Personal development plan (PDP)
Goal setting
Reticular activating system (RAS)
Steps to help you achieve your goals

05 Dealing with difficult people and managing conflict
A problem-solving technique
Assertiveness
Ground rules for discussions
Strategies to help you deal with conflict and difficult characteristics of bosses
Respond instead of react
E-mail rage
Real-life case studies on how to deal with difficult bosses/ conflict
Different types of management style

06 Time, organizing and stress management
Time/ task management
Prioritizing the workload
'Time thieves'
Organizational skills
Top tips for managing deadlines
Stress management
Mindfulness-be mindful and focused in the moment
The CORE model
Time management and lowering stress levels
Advice on stress from assistants around the world

07 Organizing meetings and events
Before the meeting: prepare and plan!
During the meeting/event
After the meeting: evaluate

08 Perfect Presentations
Preparation
Confidence
Content
Practice
During the presentation
Ending the presentation

09 Ergonomics: your health and safety
The work station
A tidy desk leads to a tidy mind
Principles of posture
Ergonomic health breaks

10 Powerful networking
The neuroscience of networking
What is networking?
The benefits of networking
Where to network
The secrets of power networking
Remembering people's names
What to talk about while networking
General points
Create an internal network for assistants

11 A chapter to share with your boss
Communication
What bosses should know to work effectively with their assistants
The law of expectations: communicate your expectations clearly
How to motivate your assistant
Focus on the development of your assistant

12 Confident minute taking
Definition
Personal benefits of taking the minutes
Preparation
During the meeting
After the meeting

13 Harnessing the power of digital tools and social media
The first step to using social media is to sign up
The second step is to create a professional, credible profile
The third step is to get people to connect with you/follow you
The fourth step is to keep on communicating and building relationships
Social media time management
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Other useful tools and tips
Apps
What you can use social media for

14 The successful assistant
Compassionate communication
Keeping up to date
Organizing for success
Yourself and others
Networking and career development
The future of the assistant

Index

The following appendices can be downloaded from: www.koganpage.com/DefinitivePAHandbook
You can also access them from: www.suefrance.com using the password from the Introduction

1 'U-SOFAR' technique to help you control your subconscious mind
2 Personal strengths assessment form
3 Personal development plan (PDP)
4 Preferred communication style
5 Pro forma for goal setting
6 Problem-solving technique
7 Positive adjectives /action verbs
8 Mindfulness and meditation techniques
9 (Blank) minute-taking template
10 Example of an informal agenda
11 Generic checklist for organizing meetings and events
12 Business case for creating an internal assistant network
Figure 6.1 (Blank) task-prioritizing matrix
Figure 6.2 Task-prioritizing matrix guide