A Great Day's Work

Communication

Assessment Tools Can Increase Our Self-Awareness

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Recently, I had the opportunity to join assistants at the Executive Assistants Organization (EAO) Educational Retreat held in Carmel, CA, to present a workshop on communication.  What a delightful weekend shared among peers in a beautiful setting.

17658_603118563166076_1024430879622574231_nThe tips and tricks to communicate more effectively shared in this workshop came from the DISC training certification program I attended several years ago with a colleague in Southern California led by Bonnie Burn.  During the DISC training certification program, we learned about a tool that could help individuals to interact more effectively in the workplace.

Do you ever wonder why your boss or coworkers don’t see it your way or do you feel like you are the only person who cares about the details?

Successful administrative professionals know their strengths and know how to work most effectively with others.  They have learned to approach others in different ways by flexing their communication style to meet the needs of the other individual. [Read more…] about Assessment Tools Can Increase Our Self-Awareness

Karlena Rannals Talks Career and IAAP

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KarlenaStudio2 0924Most everyone has met someone throughout life they admire.  One of the individuals I admire is a career-minded administrative professional, who has made a difference in so many different ways.  Meet Karlena Rannals, CAP-OM.

I recently had the opportunity to connect with Karlena and asked her a few questions about her career and IAAP.

Tell us about your career as an administrative professional.  Like many in our profession, working in an office environment was not something that I set out to do.  I started out (very young) working the back office at a bank.  I then went to Japan on an accompanied tour with my spouse and ended up working as a secretary.  I was the only American in the office as all others were Japanese nationals.  The Major that I worked for gave me a lot of latitude to make the job meaningful.  When I returned to the U.S., I moved to California.  I went to a temporary agency and landed the assignment at the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District.  That was 33 years ago. [Read more…] about Karlena Rannals Talks Career and IAAP

Who You Are is How You Are: Making Quality Presentations

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TBianco_4801_4x6_72-RGBMeet Terri Bianco, former public official, certified trainer, executive coach, facilitator, and published author.  I reached out to Terri last month and asked if she would share some of her professional training insights with you.  She agreed. Here’s what she said.

In my work as a trainer, I stand before groups of people and “present.” I present knowledge, facilitate activities, talk through PowerPoint slides. It’s my work, and I love it.

I’ve heard that giving a speech before an audience causes great fear, just below the fear of dying. I guess I can see that. Many years at Toastmasters® cured that for me. And I’m also a natural-born ham!  In thinking about the act of presenting, however, I realize that you and I are presenting all the time. We’re just not necessarily on stage, but we are delivering to an audience nonetheless. Anyone who answers a phone, composes an email, answers questions from customers, gives reports at meetings, or counsels a coworker is “presenting.” [Read more…] about Who You Are is How You Are: Making Quality Presentations

Are You Stuck in the Past?

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9278558_sBy the end of 2014, I will have reported directly to five different executives/managers in a 12-month period of time while being employed simultaneously by two employers.  Did you get that–FIVE different executives/managers!  That’s a lot of change for one employee to wrap his/her arms around.  It can be somewhat tricky figuring out how to work effectively for so many different incredible people in a lifetime let alone in one calendar year.

I don’t profess to be an expert in organizational leadership and change, but I do know that my goal this year has been to support change, move forward, and thrive.    I have chosen to remember the past, live in the present, and look forward to the future.  Here’s what I have learned through deliberate, purposeful reflection over the past 10 months. [Read more…] about Are You Stuck in the Past?

Are You Using Meetings To Get Noticed?

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15404366_sWhether you are a presenter or a participant, meetings offer employees the opportunity to get noticed.  What meetings are you sitting in?  Who is sitting in those meetings?  If you have not given meeting attendance and participation careful and strategic thought, now is the time.

Meetings are a critical operation of business.  What’s interesting about meetings is that we can learn more by listening than talking.  However, if we remain silent and continue to sit in silence, our thoughts, contributions, and ideas are not shared or noticed among our co-workers.

From this point forward, I would like to encourage you to think differently about meetings. [Read more…] about Are You Using Meetings To Get Noticed?

Are You Promoting Your Accomplishments?

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If I work hard, people will notice. If I skip my vacation this year, my manager will reward my commitment to the team.  Surely management has noticed that I am the first one to arrive to work in the morning, and the last one to leave in the evening.  My boss knows everything that I do for him/her throughout the day. The executive team knows who the A+ players are in the workplace.  Do you believe these office myths?  I hope the answer is NO!

13323055_mIn today’s workplace, workers cannot be passive, shy, and reluctant to share their accomplishments and successes. Today’s workforce needs to share their accomplishments and successes with managers, peers, and through social media regularly.  It is through sharing information that we are able to be in the driver’s seat of our career path.  Do not wait for the annual review period because you may not get the chance because of economic downturns, layoffs, manager reassignments, and company reorganizations. [Read more…] about Are You Promoting Your Accomplishments?

Mistakes Happen—How You React Is Up To You

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10302064_s“How could you have missed that typo?” “What do you mean no lunch has arrived for today’s board meeting?” “I have a flight in just minutes. Why has my passport expired?” Mistakes and accidents happen in and out of the workplace each day. How you react is up to you.

Over the years I have made a conscious effort to gain knowledge, seek experience, learn from mistakes and the mistakes of others, observe intently, and learn skills that will help prepare me in my career as an executive assistant. I believe this chosen career has better equipped me to calmly handle unexpected surprises, mistakes, and accidents that occur not only in the workplace but also in life. [Read more…] about Mistakes Happen—How You React Is Up To You

Making Your Online Presence Work for YOU!

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reputationHow are you using social media technologies to create a powerful online presence? Social media technologies continue to be a chosen communication tool used by many professionals. However, what’s missing with the launch of these online technologies is a good guide on how to best use these technologies effectively. Individuals and professionals seem to be left on their own to determine what to share, what to post, and what to tweet.

Over the years, I have studied and read dozens of books related to social media technologies, completed a master’s thesis and project related to this topic, and given numerous presentations on “Social Media: The Do’s and Don’ts of Branding Your Online Image.” What I have learned is that people generally communicate with good intensions, but are simply uninformed on how to best use these communication tools. [Read more…] about Making Your Online Presence Work for YOU!

How Would You Rate Your Customer Service Delivery in the Workplace?

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10337420_sThere are many companies known throughout the world for their exceptional customer service. Those companies include: Trader Joes, Ritz-Carlton, Zappos, Nordstrom, American Express, Walt Disney, Southwest Airlines, Amazon, FedEx, and many others.  Not only do these companies have structures and processes in place to deliver exceptional customer service, the employees are committed to serving their customers.

Administrative professionals have the opportunity each day to “Wow!“ their customers. Do you deliver exceptional customer service to both internal and external employees? How would you rate your customer service delivery in the workplace? [Read more…] about How Would You Rate Your Customer Service Delivery in the Workplace?

Your Personal Elevator Speech–Got One?

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601033_sWe each have just seconds to make a great first impression.  How are you spending those initial seconds when meeting someone for the first time?  Have you prepared in advance a personal elevator speech?

Imagine for a moment you are seated at a table for a business social gathering or fundraiser, and you are seated next to a celebrity, the CEO, one of the board of directors, or a wealthy investor.   Again, imagine for a moment that you just stepped into an elevator for a job interview, and the CEO of the company is standing right next to you. What do you say? What do you do? Perhaps, the most comfortable reaction is to turn the other way or start pretending to be engaged in work on your smartphone.   However, what would happen if we always had a well-thought-out, short 30-60 second elevator speech prepared to seize opportunities to introduce ourselves and make a great first impression. [Read more…] about Your Personal Elevator Speech–Got One?