This document provides an overview of a training manual for administrative support skills. It outlines 12 modules that cover topics like getting organized, managing time, communication skills, and self-care. The modules include lessons on organizing email, files, paper documents, and voice mails. They also discuss keeping workspaces tidy, using to-do lists, and incorporating project management tools. The goal is to help participants strengthen abilities like prioritization, time management, verbal/non-verbal communication, and decision-making.

1. Administrative Support
Training Manual
Corporate Training Materials

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Module One: Getting Started .............................................................................................................4
Workshop Objectives ......................................................................................................................5
Module Two: Getting Organized (I).....................................................................................................6
Dealing with Email..........................................................................................................................6
Managing Electronic Files................................................................................................................7
Keeping Track of thePaper Trail......................................................................................................8
Making the Most of Voice Mail........................................................................................................9
Module Three: Getting Organized (II)................................................................................................10
Keeping Your Workspace Organized...............................................................................................10
Using a To-Do Book ......................................................................................................................11
The Extra Mile: Adding Project Management Techniques to Your Toolbox........................................12
Module Four: Managing Time...........................................................................................................13
Managing Your Time.....................................................................................................................13
Keeping Others on Track ...............................................................................................................14
Maintaining Schedules..................................................................................................................15
Module Five: Getting It All Done On Time.........................................................................................16
Prioritizing....................................................................................................................................16
The Secret to Staying on Track.......................................................................................................17
Goal Setting .................................................................................................................................18
Module Six: Special Tasks.................................................................................................................19
Planning Small Meetings...............................................................................................................19
Planning Large Meetings...............................................................................................................20
Organizing Travel .........................................................................................................................21

3. Module Seven: Verbal Communication Skills ....................................................................................23
Listening and Hearing: They Aren’t the Same..................................................................................23
Asking Questions..........................................................................................................................24
Communicating withPower...........................................................................................................25
Module Eight: Non-Verbal Communication Skills ..............................................................................27
Body Language.............................................................................................................................27
The Signals You Send to Others......................................................................................................28
It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It......................................................................................29
Module Nine: Empowering Yourself .................................................................................................30
Being Assertive.............................................................................................................................30
Resolving Conflict .........................................................................................................................31
Building Consensus.......................................................................................................................32
Making Decisions..........................................................................................................................33
Module Ten: The Team of Two.........................................................................................................34
Working with Your Manager .........................................................................................................34
Influencing Skills ...........................................................................................................................35
What to Do in Sticky Situations......................................................................................................36
Module Eleven: Taking Care of Yourself............................................................................................37
Ergonomics ..................................................................................................................................37
Stress Management......................................................................................................................38
Dealing with a Heavy Workload.....................................................................................................39
Module Twelve: WrappingUp..........................................................................................................40
Words from the Wise....................................................................................................................40

4. Page 4
Module One: Getting Started
It is8:50 AMand youjust arrivedatyour deskforwork.Your
manageris waitingforyouwitha concernedlookontheir face
and asks,“Is the salesreportready?I have to presentittothe
seniormanagementteamat9:00 AM!” You hesitate before you
respond.Thenyousay,“I thoughtthe meetingwastomorrow.”
You can imagine how the conversationgoesfromthere.
Welcome tothe Administrative SupportSkillsworkshop.Having
effectiveadministrative skillsare essential intoday’swork
environment.Beingorganized, punctual, andeffective inyour
communicationskills,bothwrittenandverbal are crucial if youwant to achieve yourgoalsinany
endeavoryoupursue.Thinkof it.The currentbusinessenvironmentisfilledwithmanysourcesof
information,andyouhave totake that informationandanalyze it,prioritize it,andprocessittothe
extentwhere valueisachieve forthe organization. Goodadministrative skillsreduce the riskof “things
fallingthroughthe cracks.”Great administrativeskillscreate exponential resultsthatspotpotential
problems,overcomeobstacles, andleverageresourceseffectively.
In thiscourse,youwill learnthe core skillsthatwill helpyouuse yourresourcesefficiently,manage your
time wisely,communicateeffectively, andcollaborate withothersskillfully.The practicespresentedin
thismodule will take time torootintoyourdailyworkroutine.However,makingthe commitmentto
consistentlyapplythe concepts everyday isthe keytochangingand adoptingnew behaviorsinashort
amountof time.
It must be considered that thereisnothing
more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful
of success nor more dangerousto handle
than to initiate a new order of things.
Machiavelli

5. Page 5
Workshop Objectives
Researchhasconsistentlydemonstratedthatwhencleargoalsare associatedwith
learningthatthe learningoccursmore easilyandrapidly.Withthatinmind,let’s
reviewourgoalsfortoday.
By the endof thisworkshop,participantswill be able to:
 GettingOrganized
 Manage theirtime more effectively
 Prioritize theirtime sotheycanget itall done.
 Complete SpecialTasks
 Verbal CommunicationSkills
 Non-Verbal CommunicationSkills
 EmpoweringYourself
 Deal betterwiththeirmanagers
 TakingCare of Yourself isa priority

6. Page 6
Module Two:Getting Organized (I)
Organizationbeginsatyourdata entrypoints.Emails,voice mails,and
interoffice mail are all channelsthatebbandflow withinformation
that require processingandorganization.Inthismodule we are going
to take a momenttosee how these variousentrypointsof
informationcanbe harnessedandusedefficiently.
Dealing with Email
Email isone of the largestsourcesof informationyouwill have todeal withonadaily
basis. Email isa useful tool if handled properly. Itiscommonpractice foran
administrativeassistanttobe in charge of theirmanager’s inbox. Thismeansyou,asan
assistant,have tomonitortwice asmuch email,andtypicallymanagerstendtohave
more emailsthanregularemployees.
Althoughhavingemail makescommunicationmucheasier,itdoespresentsome issueswhenitcomes
to organization.Determiningwhichemailsare importantorshouldbe deletedplacesyouinthe position
of makingdecisionsforbothyouand yourmanager.You cannot approachyour managerto askif this
email isimportantornot. That iswhyyou are there.Havinga technique thatenables youtoprocess
emailssystematicallyallowsforfaster decision-makingandorganizing.Below isaquickandeasy
technique youshoulduse toprocessemailsmore effectively.
The READ technique allowsyoutoprocessemailsinthe followingmanner:
 Read
 Evaluate
 Act
The ability to simplify means to eliminate
the unnecessary so that the necessary may
speak.
Hans Hoffman

7. Page 7
 Delete
The Act stepin the processisthe mostimportant.Here youdetermine the following:
 Do youreplyto the sender?
 Do yourelaythisinformationtoyou manager?
 Do youresource thisinformationforfuture reference?
 Do yourejectthe email anddelete it?
Managing Electronic Files
Major file folderstructure:
Storingelectronicfilesiseasy,butcancreate a havenfor outdatedandunorganized documents. Many
people take the same approachwith electronicfolderslike physical file foldersanduse themasplaces
to holdeverydocument,savingthemforjust-in-case.Thisisnotthe beststrategy,because memory
space on the serveror your computerisusuallyalimitedcommodity.Enormousdatafilesslow your
systemdownandcreate a vastsea of filestomanage.
Anotherissue withelectronicfilesisthe organization.Havingendlessfilesfilledwithrandomlynamed
documentsslowsyoudownwhenyouneedtosearchfora particulardocument.Withoutafile naming
strategy,youwill mostlikely have torelyonyourmemoryfor retrieval,whichisanothertime waster.
Takingthe time to setup your foldersandnamingbothfilesanddocuments withasystematicformat
makesorganizingandsearching yourfilesand documentsmore efficient.
Havinga filingstrategythatmanagesyourfile size andfacilitatesfasterretrieval isthe goal.Movingfiles
throughphasesof inactivityhelpsyou determine whento archive yourdata to external media.Finally,

8. Page 8
namingyourdocumentswith auniformpatternallowsyoutouse the search function onyourcomputer
more effectively,takingawaythe needtorelyonyourmemory.
The methodpresentedhere isarecommendation. Youcertainlycanmodifythistofityourindividual
needsandcircumstance.
Justrememberthe followingwhendevelopingyourownstrategy:
 Make itconsistent
 Use yourcomputer’sfile search function
 Make ittime sensitive
 Place yourarchive material onan external medium
Keeping Track of the Paper Trail
Evenin ourelectronicage,we still have tocontendwithpaperwork. Youmayreceive
lettersfromcustomers, invoices, orcontracts.Beinganassistant,youwill needto
manage and keeptrackof all the paperworkthatis circulatingaroundyourdesk.
Oftentimes,youwill needtoact onthe paperworkandsenditto otherdepartments
like accountingorHR. Othertimesyoumay needtoproduce a reportand have it
readyon a certainday for yourmanager.Havingan organizedmethodof trackingyour paperwork at
your desk helpstoreduce misseddeadlinesandlost paperwork.
A goodpractice is to create a filingsystem, usingeitheratraditional filingcabinetatyourdeskor a
Pendaflex folder.The strategyhere istostage outthe paperworkoverthe course of the week.Youwill
needaninbox,five foldersforeachdayof the week,afolderfornextweek’swork, outbox andared
rush folder.
Place the inbox ina cleararea on yourdesk.Review the paperwork inthe inboxanddetermine whatday
youintendtowork on the item.Place the iteminthe correspondingdayof the week.If youdetermine it
doesnotneedto be done thisweek,place itinthe NextWeek’sfolder.Asyouprocessthe workeach
day,eitherfile the documentsyoudonotneedto sendoutor place the documentinthe Outbox for
sendingin the mail orinteroffice system.
Note:The outbox conceptwill be elaboratedmore inthe lessonfororganizingyourworkspace inthe
nextmodule.
Use the RedRush folderasa communicationpiece forbetweenyouandyourmanager,whenanurgent
documentneedstobe addressed.Thistakesprecedence overotherjobs. Finally,atthe beginningof the
newworkweek,reviewyourNextWeek’sfolderandyourInbox andplanout yourwork forthisweek.

9. Page 9
Applyingthisstrategyconsistentlyisessential toitseffectiveness.
Making the Most of Voice Mail
Voice mail couldbe the mostmisused formof communicationinthe businessworld.
There are countlesswaysthiscouldbe accomplished.Here isalistof possible offenses:
 Callerhearsvoice mail greetingandwaitsuntil the beeptohangsup, leavinga
recordingof the hang up.
 Callerleavesamessage tocall back withnobackgroundinformation.
 Callerisobviouslyunpreparedtoleave amessage andisthinkingoutloudandramblingonand
on.
 Callerbeginsleavinginformationwithoutfirstwarningyou,causingyoutohave toreplaythe
message.
 Callerleaveswaytoomuchinformationintheir message.
 Callerlackscommoncourtesieslikeplease andthankyou.
These are justsome of the abusescommitted whenleavingavoice mail.Voice mailsshouldbe well
plannedandprofessional.Youmaybe askedtoleave a message fora seniorvice presidentorimportant
client.Beingpreparedisthe keytowell executedvoice mails.
Takinga systematicapproachto makingphone callsandleavingvoice mails will make the processmore
efficientandmake the bestuse of the time youare investinginmakingthatcall.
Here are some stepsyoucan take to ensure youare makingthe mostout of your voice mail:
 Plantimesduringthe dayto make your callsinsteadof beingrandom.
 Before youmake yourcallssummarize the nature of eachcall and write itdown.
 Have a preparedgreetingwith yourname,time of day,andcontactinformation
 Make yourmessage short
 Before givinginstructionsorinformationthe recipienthas towrite down,tell themtogeta pen
readyand pause fora fewsecondssotheycan prepare.
 Alwaysbe professional anduse commoncourtesies.

10. Page 10
Module Three:Getting Organized (II)
You are now readyto begin workingonthe data youreceived
throughthe variouschannelswe discussedinthe previous module.
Now it istime to organize yourenvironmenttobe more efficient.
Thismodule will give yousome greatsuggestionsonhow to
organize yourworkspace,your tasks, andthe people youworkwith
on projects.
Keeping Your Workspace Organized
Our workspace isa reflectionof yourorganizational skills.Havingacluttered
unorganizedworkspace sendsthe message toothersthatyoumaybe the type of
personthat losesthingsorisconstantlybehindonprojects.Takingthe time to
organize yourworkspace isa goodinvestment.Itnotonlyimprovesyourefficiency,
it sends the message toyourmanagerand peersthatyou are organized.
Here are some basicsuggestionstomake yourdeska true workspace:
 Onlyplace books,binders,andotherreference materialsonyourdeskthatyouuse on a weekly
basis. All otherinfrequently usedmaterialsshouldbe placedinadraweror cabinet.
 Keeppersonal effectstoaminimumonyourdesk.Perhapsone ortwo photosof your family,
favorite sports teamor petare enoughtopersonalizeyourarea.
Next,create a workflowpatternonyourdesktop.Thiswillkeepyoufromcreatingpilesof work to
accumulate atopyour desk. Here are some recommendations:
 Create a landingplace where youwill beginprocessingworkeitherfromlefttorightorvice
versa. Thisworkcouldcome fromyour papertrail foldersystemmentionedearlierorjustwork
youhave to complete.
Organizing iswhat you do before youdo
something, so that whenyou do it, it’s not all
mixed up.
A.A. Milne

11. Page 11
 Move yourfirsttask to the middle of yourdeskwhere yourcomputerandotheroffice supplies
are neatlyorganizedintraysorholders.
 Once the work iscomplete,place themin one of fourtraysat the otherendof yourdesk.These
trays are yourOutboxesmentionedearlierinthe previous module.
 Mark yourtrays “To be filed”,“Tobe mailed”,and“Tobe reviewed”or“Pendinginformation.
Try avoidingworkingontoomanythingsat once.Thiswill leadtomultiple pilesof workonyourdesk.
Using a To-Do Book
Havinga to-dobook or a plannerisa useful tool.Manytimesinmeetings,tasksare
givenandexpectationsare set.Itisbestto bringalonga bookthat has all your to-do
itemsscheduled.Thiswayyouare able to determine whenyouare able tocomplete
the task. Placingall of yourtasks inyour computeris a goodthing,but youcannot
take your computertoa meetingorwhenmeetingaclient.A to-dobookisa simple
wayto carry all yourpendingtasks.
Here are some simple tipsinkeepingato-dobook:
 Get a plannerthatis rightfor you.Thismeansthe size, features, andformat
shouldmake youfeel comfortableusingit.
 Use a bookmark or inserttab as a place holderforthe day’swork,makingit easyto access.
 Take your to-dobookeverywhereyougo.
 Whena task arisesimmediatelywrite itinyourto-dobook,forwardingtothe dayin yourbook
youexpecttocomplete the task.
 Avoidsqueezinginlastminute tasksinyourto-dobookorover scheduling.
 Negotiate,wheneverpossible,anotherdeliverable date.
The bestpractice inusinga to-dobookis remainingconsistentinitsuse:
 Alwaysconsultyourto-dobookbefore committingtoa task.
 Respectthe othertasksalready scheduledinthe book.
 Synchronize whatevertasksyouhave inyourcomputerwithyourto-dobookand vice versa.
If you followthese steps,youwillbe verysuccessfulinusingato-dobook.

12. Page 12
The Extra Mile: Adding Project Management Techniques to Your Toolbox
Adoptingprojectmanagementtoolsintoyourdailyroutine willhelptoorganize
your workmore effectively.Modernprojectmanagementstartedinthe 1960’s and
identifies five majorphasesof aproject: initiating,planning,executing, monitoring,
and closing.Withinthe planningphase are three importanttoolsfor managing
people, tasks, andcommunication.Becomingfamiliarwiththesetoolsandusing
themwill helpyouorganize those thatworkwithyouby theirinvolvementinthe
projectand influence.
Below isbrief description of eachtool:
 List of project stakeholders:atool thatidentifiesall people thatare affectedbyaparticular
projector have influenceeitherdirectlyorindirectlyoverthe project.Eachprojectshouldhave
a listof stakeholders.The listalsooutlineseachstakeholder’sperspective asitrelatestothe
project,whichincludestheirinterests, rights, andvalues.Knowingthisinformation asan
administrativeassistant helpsyourelate effectivelytoeachstakeholder.
 The work breakdown structure (WBS):a tool that identifiesall the peopleresponsibleforatask
or deliverable inaproject.The personislistedonthe WBSalongwitha descriptionof the task
to be completedandthe start andenddates.The WBS makesiteasiertoidentifywhodoes
whatin a project and holdthemaccountable forcompletingthe taskaccordingtothe dateson
the WBS.
 The communicationplan: a tool thatlistsall the project stakeholdersandperformers.Italso
liststhe methodandfrequencyof communicationbetween them.Thisplan willhelpto
structure howand whenyoushouldcommunicate withpeople,preventinglapsesin
communication.Thisisavaluable resource inyourtoolbox.
These three toolsrepresentafractionof what projectmanagementoffers.Learningproject
managementmethodologiesenhancesthe skillof the administrator. Youdonot have to pursue a career
inprojectmanagementinorderto studyit.Projectmanagementoffersmanytoolsthatare applicable to
almostany functionwithinanorganization.

13. Page 13
Module Four: Managing Time
Nowwe have to focuson organizingyourtime.Buildingeffective
time managementskillsrequiresdiscipline andconstantpractice.Itis
easyto become fraughtwithtasksthat are non-productive andtime
wasters.Thismodule willdiscusshow tobe a bettertime manager
withsome verysimple behaviormodification.
Managing Your Time
Time isa limitedresource atwork.Beinganadministrativeassistantmeansyouwill
be dividingyoutime withyourmanager.Yourmanagerwill askyouto do thingsand
take up yourvaluable resource.This,however,isthe nature of yourjob as an
administrativeassistant.
Developinggoodtime managementskillstakes discipline.Itisa conscience effortin
knowingwhatyouare doingforhow long.It isdefendingyourschedule andfending
off distractions.Wastingtime atworkcouldinfringe intoyourpersonal life like workingextrahoursor
takingworkhome.If you resolve tomake time managementyour goal,youwill be goodatit.
Do not be ashamedto letpeople knowthatyouare conscience of yourtime.Furthermore,if you
demonstrate respectforotherpeople’stime,theywill respectyourtime. Beingferventinmanaging
your time transmitsaproductive attitude toyourpeersandmanager.Whenyoufindyourself withfree
time at work,lookforways to make use of it productively.Gotoa peeror managerand askif theyneed
help.Theywill see thatyoucare abouttheirtime.
If you are easilydistracted,thenremoveanythingthatdistractsyoufromyour work area. Avoidthe
Internetortalkingwithpeersatlength.Constantlyfeedingthesedistractions will becomeabadhabit
and youwill be seenasunproductive andsubjecttoscrutinybyyourmanager.
Time managementisnotan art, itis a discipline.Use itwiselyandyouwill reaprewardsthatwill impact
bothyour workand home life.Use itunwiselyandsee how time will seemscarce.Remember,once time
Those that make the best use of their time
have none to spare.
Thomas Fuller

14. Page 14
iswasted,youcannot getit back.We all are giventhe same amountof time perday. Noone has more
and no one hasless.
Keeping Others on Track
Almostevery taskthatrequirescoordinationamongvarious personscouldbe
deemedaproject. A projectisa temporary endeavortoreacha commongoal by
several entities. Thiscouldbe interdepartmental, departmental,orexternal with
a vendor. There maybe times whenyouare calledtoleada projector
subproject. Keepingthose ontrack presents bothlogistical andpolitical
challenges.
In projectmanagement,the projectmanagerisskilledinholdingprojectperformers accountableand
producingtheirtaskon time andingood quality. Theyaccomplishthisbydocumentingthe name of the
personresponsible forthe deliverable(itemortaskowedto the project). The workbreakdownstructure
(WBS) documentisthe tool theyuse to monitorthe deliverablesof all project performersinaneasy-to-
readformat. We spoke aboutthistool earlier. Now youwill getspecificsonhow theyworkand howto
use them.
The keyto usinga WBS isthe level of detail youbreakdownthe task. Each taskin a projectshouldbe
brokendowntoa level whereindividual componentsand personal responsibilityare identified. The
start and enddatesare thenidentified.Togetthisinformationyoushouldmeetwiththe project
performerandtheirmanagerto solidifythe deliverable. The more detailthe better. If youare given
vague information,itwillbe difficulttoholdthe performeraccountable. Here are some questionsyou
may needtoask:
 Are there any tasksthisdeliverable is depended on?
 Is the personassignedthe onlyone workingonthistask?
If you geta yesto anyof these questions,thenrecordthisonyourWBS.
The nexttool a projectmanagerusesto holdperformersaccountable isthe communicationplan. The
keyto usingthistool isto establish predeterminedintervalsof communicationbeforethe project
begins. Setthisexpectationasyouhave the abilitytocontacteach performerwithoutappearinglikea
micromanager,whichcouldcause conflict.
Whencreatingyourcommunication plan,incorporate intervalswhere youcancommunicate witha
performerona weeklybasis (if aprojectisa quickproject,theneverycouple of daysisrecommended).
Thisway youare not reachingoutto themonlywhenthingsare fallingbehind. Inyourplan, schedule
meetingsforlargerprojects.

15. Page 15
The bestthingabout these documentsisthatyouwill distribute themtothe projectteamonce theyare
complete. Thispublicdisclosureof whodoeswhatandyour schedule of whenyouare goingtocall on
themfor updatescreate a natural desire togetthingsdone.
Maintaining Schedules
Maintainingyourschedule isaconstantchallenge.There are somanytraps
throughoutthe daywhere time couldbe wastedormismanaged.Knowingcommon
pitfallsthatrobyouof your time isa simple buteffectivewaytomaintainingyour
schedule.Here some commontime trapstowatchfor:
Avoid meetingrun-over. Thisisa commonarea where time iswasted.Meetingscan
easilyrunoverbyat least30 minutes.Dothisseveral timesadayand you couldlose
hoursof time thisway. Makinga consciousefforttoavoidmeetingrun-overisessential.Youhave to
make the decisionbefore youenterthe meeting.
To start, if youare not the meetingorganizer,before meetingbegins,tellthe meetingorganizeryou
mustleave ontime,andthensitas close tothe exitdooras possible toavoiddisrupting the meeting
whenexiting. If youare the meetingorganizer,before the meetingbegins,tell attendeesthatyouplan
to endthe meeting ontime,andthenendthe meetingontime
Avoid additional work that isunrelatedtothe activitiesyouare currentlyworkingon.Manytimes,a
simple task popsup, and itseemslike somethingyoucanhandle quickly,butonce yougetinvolved,it
takesup more time thanyou think.Unplanned orpoorlyorganizedtaskstendtocostmore time than at
firstglance.Sometimes itreallyconstitutes unproductive orbusywork.If yousee somethingpopupthat
needswork.Putitin yourplanner.
Do not volunteereverytime additionalworkisoffered.Constantvolunteeringaltersyourschedule.You
may feel pressure tovolunteerandsave the day,but youmightbe invitingmore trouble.Take alookat
your schedule before youvolunteer,andif youdohave the extratime go for it,but be cautiousnotto
overvolunteer.If youkeeponsendingthe message thatyouhave all the time inthe worldto doextra
things,thenyouwill have people dumptasksonyou.Your time isprecious.Demonstratethe
importance of yourtime to yourpeers.
Negotiate timeframes whenadditional workisgiventoyou.Be assertive anddefendyourschedule.
Avoidbeingpushedintotimeframesthatworkagainstyourschedule.Askquestionslike,“Whendoyou
needthisby?”If you mustwork onthistask immediately,negotiate the timeframe of adeliverable
alreadyonyour schedule.Manytimesyouare able tofinda lowerprioritytaskonyour schedule.
Decline work you know you cannot deliver.Manytimesyoumayjusthave to decline the job.If youare
unable toexchange the newtaskforone that is alreadyscheduledandyouknow youcannotdeliver
both,decline it.Justrememberdonotdecline ajobthenlaterbe caught standingaroundat the water
coolerfor20 minutes. Thiswilldamage yourcredibility.

16. Page 16
Module Five: Getting It All Done On Time
Ultimately,itisourjobto deliverthingsontime.Prioritizingyourwork,
stayingontrack andaccurate goal settingare essentialelementstoyou
beingable todeliveryourprojectortaskson time.Thismodule will allow
youto explore techniquesthatincrease youreffectivenessinmeeting
your deadlines.
Prioritizing
Whendealingwithmanytasks, prioritizingyourworkbecomesanimportantstepto
perform.
Usingthe WRAPtechnique inprioritizingwillhelpyoustartyourday onthe right
foot.Avoidapproachingyourdayunplannedorhaphazardly.Once youtake the time
to prioritize the thingsyouhave tocomplete inyourday,youwill have asense of
direction.Let’stake alookmore closelyatthe WRAP technique.
Whenyoustart yourday,you shouldtake inventoryof the thingsyouhave tocomplete and Write them
on yourto-doplanner. Youmay have thingsonyour to-dolistalready.Thatisokay.Just addthe other
taskson them.
Once your taskis inyour to-dobook, Rank each task byimportance.Youmay use numbersorletter,but
do notexceedmore thanthree rankings. Youwantto be able to keeptrack of the most importanttasks.
Making yourrankingsystemfrom1-20 or fromA to Z, will make itineffective indeterminingwhichare
all the importanttasks.There are several questionsyoucanaskyourself tohelprankyourtasks. Here
are some examples:
 Whenis itdue?
 For whomisit for?
 Is itrelatedtoa specificproject?
Better to be three hourstoo soonthanone
minute too late.
William Shakespeare

17. Page 17
 Can thisbe done later?
 Is anothertask dependentonthisone tobe finishedbefore itcanmove on?
Once ranked, Anticipate howlongeach taskis goingto take.If you runout of time forall your tasks,
move those tasks,whichshouldbe lowpriority,tothe nextdayandrank themhigherbyone category.
Once the time is set, Performeachtask as planned,guardingagainsttime-wastersmentioninpast
modules.
Your prioritizedlistisyourguide forthe day.Remembertocalculate intoyourprioritizedlistthe time
youneedto attendmeetingsandthe time youneedtomake telephone calls.
The Secret to Staying on Track
Aside frommanagingyourschedule vigorously,youshoulddevelop behaviorsthat
helpyouenjoyyourwork.Becomingboredorfrustratedcouldeasilybecome
distractionsthatwill cause youtolose sightof your dailyobjectiveof beingeffective
and efficient.
Your workand home life shouldbe separatedasmuchaspossible.Leave yourhome
issuesathome and leave yourworkissuesatwork.Whenyoubeginmixingthe two
worlds,youwill experiencefatigueandperhapsunnecessaryconflict.These conflictsare major
distractionsthatwill easilytake youoff track,causingyouto missdeadlines.Letthe ride toand from
workbe yourtransitioningtime.Onthe wayto worklistentomotivationandinspirational messagesto
helpgearyouup for the day. Onthe way home,listentosoftorclassical music.Thiswill helpyou
become more relaxed.
Anothersecretisto schedule yourcreative workinthe morning.Thingslike writingaproposal or
presentationrequire creative thinking,andyouare most creative inthe morning.Youhave yourmost
energyand thrive inthe earlypart of your day.Once the afternooncomes,youwill probably have lost
mostof yourzip.Save work that is repetitiveormundane forthe afternoon.Taskslike runningareport
or filingrequire less energy.Tryingtoperform creative tasksinthe afternooncould becomeafrustrating
experience, causingyoutogetoff track.
Finally,trackprogress,checkoff thingsthatyouhave accomplishedandcelebratingcompletedtasksare
helpful inboostingyourmorale. Manytimeswe donotget the pat on the back or recognitionona daily
basisthat helpsmotivate ustokeepahighlevel of energy andproductivity.Take the time totrack and
celebrate yourachievements.Wheneverwe checkoff atask on our to-dolist, achemical reactiontakes
place inthe brainthat givesusa good feeling.Thesechemicalsare called endorphins.Yougetthemall
the time whensomeone tellsyouthatyoudida great jobor whenyoutake a momentandlookoverthe
jobyou justfinished.Helpyourself bytriggering thesechemicalsonyourownby celebratingsuccess,
because becomingdistractedorboredleadstolosing track. Avoiditbyfollowingthesesecrets.Thinkof

18. Page 18
it.Wheneveryoudosomethingyoulike anditgive youasense of accomplishment,the time goesbyfast
and youget a lotdone.The same holdstrue for yourwork. Make it a fun thingtoaccomplishtasksat
work.
Goal Setting
There are manywaysto set goals.Whendealingwith projectortask relatedgoals,
makingyouaccountable toothersis a huge motivatingfactorinreachingthe goal.
Many timeswe setgoalsfor ourselves,butrarelyshare themwithothers. There isa
temptationnottomeetthe goal since no one iswatchingexcept you.DARTgoal
settingisdesignedto helpyoumaintainmotivationinreachingthe goal. Itrequires
youto define ordeterminethe goal, announce the goal,adjustitandtime lockit.
Definingthe goal isprobablythe easieststep. Write downwhatyouwantto
accomplishandreview it. Askyourselfif itistoovague. If it is, thenyou may need
to write itagainto be more specific.
Next,announcingormakingapublicstatement aboutthe goal youwant toachieve putsnatural
pressure toachieve the goal. If youtell yourmanageryouwill have the reportdone bythe afternoon,
youwill doall you can to meetthatgoal. If youtell yourprojectteamyou will have the taskcompleted
by a certain day,you will feelaresponsibilitytothe teamlike the runnerfromthe marathonteamI
mentionedearlier.
In addition,whenyoupubliclystate yourgoals,youare invitingfeedbackthatmayhelpyourevise your
goal to be better. Forinstance,youmaystate that youwill complete ataskby a certaindate. However,a
colleague mayinformyouthatan issue existsthatmayhinderyourprogress. Thisisinformationthat
shouldhelpyourevise yourgoal withabettertime frame.
Settinggoalsdoesnothave to be dauntingtask. It shouldbe quickandeasywithplentyof opportunity
for obtainingfeedbackfrom yourpeersandmanager. DARTisdesignedtohelpyouhityourtarget.

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Module Six:Special Tasks
As an administrative supporter,youwill be taskedinorganizingspecial
and unique tasksthatwill require precise organizationandexecution.
Thismodule will give youthe basicsinhandlingseveralspecialtasksyou
may encounter.
Planning Small Meetings
Small meetingscouldeitherbe productive ortotal waste of time.Peoplemay
come unpreparedtoshare or participate.If yourmeetingdoesnothave clear
goals,objectives, andaclear time framesforeachtopic,youwill surelylose
control of the meetingandwaste time tryingtokeepthe groupontrack.
Havinga set approachto planningsmall meetingswill assure thatyouwill setup
your meetingtobe the mostefficientandeffective.Here isaquickcheck listforplanningasmall
meeting:
 Purpose defined:yourmeetingshouldhave apurpose.Whatisthe reasonforthe meeting?
What isthismeetinggoingtoaccomplish?Definingthe purpose will evenhelpyoudetermineif
a meetingisnecessary.Manytimesthere are meetingscalledtoshare updates.Thiscouldbe
accomplishedwithasimple presentationsentviaemail. Subjectingprojectteamstoconstant
update meetingsdecreasesthe powerof meetingingeneral. Save yourmeetingtime for
brainstorming,problemsolving,etc.
 Objective ofthe meetingdetermined: state whatthe resultoroutcome of thismeetingwill
produce.Forexample,youcouldsaythatthe objective of thismeetingistobrainstormideason
overcomingthe shortage of widgets.If youhave severalobjectives,settime limitsfordiscussing
If you’re a hard-working, flexible, task-
oriented, computertype with overseas
experience, go to the frontof the line.
Carol Kleiman

20. Page 20
each objective.If the objective iscomplicated,thenuse the entire meetingtime toresolve it,
but try writinganagendathat will keepyouontrackof the topicsyou needtocover.
 People to attendidentified: once yousetyourobjective,thenyouare able todeterminewhoto
invite.If majordecisionsare goingtobe made,theninvite the rightaudience.
 Checklistof suppliescreated: youmay needflipchartsandotheritemsor resourcestofacilitate
the meeting.
 Organize the resources:make sure all resourcesonyourchecklistare available andinworking
order. Make appointmentswiththoseyouneedtomeetinordertoacquire the resource.
 Reserve a place or room: make sure youcontact the keeperof the roomschedule.Reservethe
room well inadvance toavoidbeingblockfromthatroom.Make sure yougetconfirmationof
the reservation.
 Notifythe attendees:sendameetinginvite tothose attendingthe meetingwithatleastafew
days’notice.Try avoidinglast-minute meetings.Inyourmessage,state the meetingpurpose,
objective andplace itwill be held.Be professional inyourinvitationandavoidbeingtoocasual.
Planning Large Meetings
Planningforlarge meetingsposesdifferentchallengestothatof small
meetings.Inlarge meetings, youwill have todeal withvendorsandother
external entitiesthatyouwill dependontohelpexecute yourplan.
Anotherissue iscoordinatingthe travel arrangementsof those whoare
travelingtothe event.There are many detailstocoverand itreally
cannot be done all byone person.The FASTstrategyhelpsyouorganize who,what,where,whyand
howfor yourlarge meeting.Let’stake alook.
 Form: in thisphase,youwill formyourmeetingprojectteam.There are manythings tothink
aboutand organize,and doingall onyour ownis takinga bigrisk.Gain approval fromyour
managerto enlistthe helpof othersinplanningforyourevent.Once the teamisformedyou
shouldcreate projectandbudgetplans.
 Acquire:in thisphase,youwill acquire the necessaryinformationtobeginsolidifyingyourplan.
Here you obtainquotesfromyourvendors,caterers,entertainmentprovider,printing costs, and
hall or hotel venue.Inaddition,youwouldacquire alistof resourcesyoumayneedtobring
fromwork like reportsora presentation.
 Secure:in thisphase,youwill confirmthe neededresourcesforyourlarge meeting.Make sure
youget these itemssecuredinadvance;waitingtill the lastminutecouldresultinyounotbeing

21. Page 21
able to secure the resource. Make sure yousecure the venue,caterer,attendees,
transportation, hotel accommodations, andthe date forthe event.
 Take: in thisphase,take the time toarrive earlyand verifyall issetupaccordingto your plan.
Thisis whenyoutestany audiovisual equipment,andthe presentation.Youshould take the
name of the managerof the venue andgetto know themjust incase youneedto contact them
for an issue orproblem.The same istrue for the catererand the entertainmentprovider.Take
theirnamestoo.Finally,take downlessonsyoulearnedfromthiseventforplanningfuture
events.Thisishowyougetbetterat planningforlarge events.
Large eventsdonothave to be complicated.If youfollow the FASTsteps,youshouldbe able tohandle
thisprocesswithminimal stressone stepata time.
Organizing Travel
In today’sbusinessenvironment,manyemployeesbooktheirowntravel
arrangements.Withthe adventof the Internet,makingflight,carrental,andhotel
accommodations canbe easilydone atthe cubicle.Beinganassistantmayrequire
youto book travel foryourmanager or otherhighrankingleaders. Becoming
familiarwith certaintravel arrangementInternetsiteswill helpyouorganize travel
easier.
Internettravel sitesare agreat tool forarranging travel tootherlocationsawayfromyour site.Events
like training,conventions,salesmeetings,boardof director’soffsite are examplesof travel toalocation
away fromthe site where Internettravel are veryuseful.If yourtravel groupisnumerous,youmaywant
to call a particularhotel atthe destinationsite andnegotiate agoodrate.
For travel to yoursite, youshouldestablisharelationshipwithalocal hotel.Youcancall yourlocal
hotelsandnegotiate acorporate rate forthose travelerscominginfromothersites.Obtainawritten
agreementonthe rate. It isalso a goodpractice to visitthe hotel andvisuallyinspectthe property.Here
isa listof thingsyoushouldlookforwhenvisiting:
 Parking
 Safety
 Cleanliness
 Proximitytorestaurants
 Hotel amenities
You coulddo the same withyour car rental agent.The Internethasmade travel arrangementseasierto
organize because theytypicallyuse emailstoconfirmall arrangementsandyouare able toaccess the

22. Page 22
reservationyourself andmake adjustmentsasnecessary.Travel agentsare become lessusedby
companies.

23. Page 23
Module Seven:Verbal CommunicationSkills
Your jobas an administrative supporterwill place youinmany
situationswhere youare speakingwiththe leadersanddecision-
makersof the organization.Havingsoundverbal communication
skillsisessential ininfluencingthose aroundyou.Thismodule will
give youtechniquestoensure youare communicatingeffectivelyand
influentially.
Listening and Hearing: They Aren’t the Same
Listeningandhearingare twodifferentconcepts. We take ourabilitytohearsound
manytimesforgranted. Hearingisthe humanbody’sabilitytoregistersoundinthe
brain. Soundwavestriggernervesthatsayyouheard a cat or dog,etc. Listening,on
the otherhand,is our conscience effortin understandingwhatisbeingheardand
actingon it.
For example,if youare ata parkwithmany children,youwillhearthe soundof
childrenplayingandscreaming. Youmaybe talkingwithafriendatthe same time you
are hearingthe commotion. Atthispoint,youare hearingthe children. However,
whenyourchildfallsandiscrying,your brainunderstooditwasyourchildand youreact by gettingup
and lookingforthemtoattendto theirneeds. Youwere listeningforthatcry or shoutforhelp.
Active listeningrequiresanintentional focusonwhatisbeingsaidandprocessingthe information. We
can easilydefaulttohearingif we are notcareful. Forexample,youmaybe talkingwithsomeone and
your eyesstartfocusingonthe TV inthe background. Once your eyesbecome disengagedfromthe
talker,youare mostlikelyinhearingmode.
To be a betterlisteneryoumustbuildgoodhabits. Keepingeye contactandstoppingwhatyouare doing
are the firstmajorstepsingood listeninghabits. Forexample,youmayhave someoneapproachyouat
your deskwhile youare workingonsomethingonthe computer. Youmay be reluctanttodisengage the
computerandcontinue the conversationthatway,butyoudo thisyou maymissimportantinformation
and youare sendingthe wrongmessage tothe persontalking.
Effective communicationis20% what you
know and 80% how youfeel about what you
know.
Jim Rohn

24. Page 24
Whensomeone approaches youtotalk,dothe following:
 Disengage fromwhateveryouare doingandface the person
 Do not answerthe phone whenitrings,unlessthisone youwere waitingforandaskthe person
if you couldanswerthe phone
 Use a note pad to jotimportantthingsdown
 Summarize the conversation
 Keepeye contact
 Askquestions
 Avoidthinkingaheadorfocusingonwhat youare goingto saynext
These behaviorswill sendthe messagethatyouare listeningandimprove retentionof information.
Asking Questions
Questionsare a veryhelpfultool forusto gatherinformation. Inthe lastlesson,we
discusshowwe can demonstrate we are listeningby askingquestions. Thereare
twolevelsof questioning,including close-endedquestionsandopen-ended
questions. Eachhastheirpurpose,butwe have to be wise inhow we use them.
Close-endedquestionsevoke asingle orveryshortresponse. Here are some
examples:
 What isyour name?
 Do youlike this?
 Do youwant to do this?
Close-endedquestionsare goodwhenyouare lookingforaspecificanswer. Thisalsohelpscontrol your
discussion.
Open-endedquestionsevokealongresponse. Whenyouaskanopen-endedquestion,youmayhave to
be preparedto listenintently,because the informationyouare lookingforisembedded inthe answer.
Here are some examples:
 How doyou feel aboutit?
 What are yourthoughts?

25. Page 25
 Why doyou thinkthat?
 What are yoursuggestions?
Open-endedquestionsare well placedinconversationwhere youwanttogetto know someone likea
businessclient. Open-endedquestionsgive youmore informationtoprocess.
Whendeterminingwhichtype of questionsyouare goingtoask, askyourself if shortor longanswers
are whatyou need. If youare preparingfora meeting,have yourquestionsreadyinadvance. Itisalsoa
goodpractice to developfollow-upquestionstoo. Forexample,youmayaskthe initial question,“What
are some ideasinresolvingthisissue?” A goodfollow –upquestionmaybe,“Whydoyou thinkthisisa
goodidea?”Close-endedquestionsare alsouseful. Forexampleyoumayask,“Do youlike thisidea?” A
mix of both questionsallowsyoutogatherinformationandopinionsquicklyandefficiently,but
rememberthatplanningyourquestionsaheadof time isagood practice. Finally,bringplentyof paper
to take notes.
Communicating with Power
Beingan administrative assistantwillplace youattimesinfrontof the
meetingroom,relayinginformationorleadingadiscussion. Powerful
communication requiresseveral keybehaviors. People willassessyourability
to speakinlessthantwo minutes. Unorganizedand unplanned
communicationreducesyour effectiveness.Furthermore,itcouldbe a
distractiontoyour audience.
Communicatingwithpowerisnottoo difficult. Itdoesrequire some know-how andpractice. Here are
some thingsyoushoulddoto communicate withpowerwhendeliveringapresentation:
 Planbefore youtalk
 Developagoal for whyyouare talking
 Use goodposture andbody language whentalking,keep yourhandstothe side, orstrategically
placedinfrontof you. Do not wave themaroundconstantly
 Be concise inthe delivery
 Avoidspeechfillerslike ahh’sandumm’s
 Use storiesoranecdotestoget yourpointacross,the audience will alwaysrememberhowyou
made themfeel more thanwhatyou said
Increase yourcommunicationpowerwhenhavingregularconversationsinandoutof the meetingroom
by doingthe following:

26. Page 26
 Listenmore thantalk.You have two earsand one mouth. Listentwice asmuch as youtalk.
 Askquestionsof yourlisteners
 Avoidarguments whendisagreementsoccur
 Watch your bodylanguage aswell asyour listener’s,adjustyourbehavior
 Take notesof keyinformation
 If you make a promise,keepit
Communicatingwithpowertakestime andpractice todevelop. However,the greatestfactorin
developingyourskillsisbeingprepared. Take the time towrite thingsoutandpractice sayingthemin
private. If yourgoal is to be concise time yourtalkand adjust. If your goal isto remove speechfillers,
thentape yourself practicingyourtalkandplayit back. Beingconscience of ourmistakeshelpsusto
improve themastime goesby.

27. Page 27
Module Eight:Non-Verbal CommunicationSkills
Our bodylanguage dictatesmuchof whatwe are feelinginside.
Understandingeffective bodylanguageisessential foran
administrativesupporterinbuildingrelationshipsthroughoutthe
organization. Inthismodule youwillexplore bodylanguage,which
will helpyoumonitoryourown bodylanguage aswell asthose
aroundyou.
Body Language
Our body language isa large portionof how we communicate. The positionof our
arms, the expressiononourfacesbothtell whatwe are reallyfeeling inside.
Tryingto hide itmakesit evenworse.
The bestdeterrenttonegative bodylanguage istoknow thatbodylanguage isa
large factor inhow you communicate information.
Bodylanguage comprisesalmost55%of whatwe are sayinginour communication. We cannothide it.
We have to make an efforttoaddressour feelingsandemotionsbeforewe engage apersonin
conversation. Notaddressingitmaysendthe wrongmessage tothe recipientof yourmessage.
In the nextlesson,we will identifysome of the negative bodylanguagethatwe maymistakenlysendto
our recipient.
The most important thing incommunication
is to hear what isn’t being said.
Peter F. Drucker

28. Page 28
The Signals You Send to Others
Negative bodylanguage comesin manyforms. Belowisalistof some common
bodylanguage thatsendsthe wrongmessage.
 Keepingdistance
 Foldingarmstightly
 Leaningor turningaway
 Usingonlyfleetingeyecontact
 Small pupils
 Tappingfootor drumming fingers
 Tighteninglips
 Hunchedposture
 Fidgeting
 Clenchinghands
 Fiddlingwithobjects
 Lookingoveryourshoulderoravertingtheirgaze
 Shruggingshoulders
 Negative groominggestures,suchaspushingtheirnail cuticlesbackorpickingfluff off their
clothes
 Lookingat the floor
 Fiddlingwithcollar
 No touching,notevenaccidental
Half the battle of addressingnegative bodylanguageisawareness. The otherhalf isbeingconscience of
it whenyouare doingit. Before engagingwithsomeone,trytocheck your emotions. Are younervousor
upset?Are youfrustratedor bitteraboutsomething? Addressingitaheadof time will helpyoube
betterprepared.
Here is a quicknote on positive bodylanguage. Inordertodemonstrate positivebodylanguage,dothe
opposite of the listof negative one. That’sit.

29. Page 29
It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It
Our tone isoftentimesdifficulttodetect. Thatisbecause itisusuallyaresult
of ourenvironment. Manytimeswe are inthe middle of gettingsomething
done or concentratingona task and we are notin the interactionmode.
Perhapswe are havinga stressful dayandwe are stewinginitto the point
that we are frustrated.
These conditionsaffectourtone. We may be willingtohelpsomeone,butitcomesacrossas outof
obligation. Noone likestobe helpedoutof obligation. Itmakesthemfeellikean inconvenience. Being
short inyourresponsesorsighingare the tonal messageswe sendtoour recipientthatwe are bothered
and do notwant to reallydowhatthey are asking.
In orderto addressthisyoucoulddo the followingSMILEtechnique:
 Smile first
 Make eye contact
 Initiate the conversation
 Lightenup
 Energize the conversation
Do not take yourself soseriousthatyouforgetthata majorportionof what youdo as an administrative
assistantisto interactwithotherpeople. Byyouhavingthe righttone andattitude wheninteracting
withotherswill helpyouadvance yourcareer.
Rememberthatyourtone ismore influential thanyourwords. Thisistrue especiallyoverthe phone. In
fact, yourtone overthe phone ismore of a factor than yourwords,because youlack the influence of
your bodylanguage. Evenif theycannotsee you,you shouldsmile intothe phone. Itmakesadifference.

30. Page 30
Module Nine: Empowering Yourself
Beingan administrative supporterleaves plentyof roomfor
empoweringyourself. Oftentimes,youare expectedtoact
independently, make decisionsandresolve issueswithlittleorno
guidance. Inthismodule,youare goingtolearn how to empower
yourself throughassertiveness,consensusbuilding,conflict
resolutionanddecisionmaking.
Being Assertive
Beingassertive doesnotmeanyouhave tobe pushy. Dictionary.comdefines
assertive asbeingconfidentlyaggressive orself-assuredorpositive.Whenyou
are an administrative assistant, youwill encountertimeswhen youhave tobe
assertive. Thismeanspushingback, andbeingclearonwhat youneedtoget
done.
Here are some five tipswe call the Five B’sto becomingordemonstratingmore assertivenessinyour
worklife:
1. Be involvedinthe conversation.Whenyou make a decisionorstate an opinion,include
yourself inthe state. Forexample youmightsay,“Idisagree orI have a differentpointof view.”
You mightsay,“I like the ideaor I think thisisgreat.”In any case,place yourself inthe
conversation.
2. Be brief.Beingtothe pointdemonstratesconfidence inwhatyouare saying. Whenyousaytoo
much,people will tendtolose focusandquestionyou. Thisistrue alsofor written
communicationlikeemail. Givingtoo manydetails weakensyourmessage. Avoidthisif youcan.
3. Be positive withyour bodylanguage. We spoke earlieraboutbodylanguage. Negative body
language sendsamessage of low confidence. Make goodeye contactand be willingtoengage in
dialogue evenif itisadifficultdiscussion.
If youthink youcan, you can. And if you
think youcan’t, you’re right.
Mary Kay Ash

31. Page 31
4. Be direct.If youbeat aroundthe bushor try to findotherwaystosay things,thiswill affectyour
assertiveness. Donotbe afraidof beingdirect. Be tactful inhow you say it,butmumblingand
graspingforthe rightwordsconstantlyshowslackof confidence.
5. Be calm in conflict.Don’t lose yourcool. Conflictisanormal part of our worklife. Knowingthis
will helpyoureactto itwithcalmness. If we are easilyrockedbyconflictyouwill lose your
assertivenessbecauseyou will wanttoavoidconflictatall costs.
Beingassertive takestime todevelop. Practice alittle ata time. Youwant to avoidbecominga Sherman
tank andrun everyone over. Thisisthe extreme,anditcouldaffectyourabilitytogainconsensus. We
will discussthisinalaterlessoninthismodule.
Resolving Conflict
Conflictisnormal. Mostof us are passionate aboutourbeliefs. We wantsomuch
to achieve ourgoalsthat sometimeswe runrightintoconflictoverit.The first
thinginconflictresolution istoknow thatitwill happen.Avoidingconflictis also
unhealthy asitleadsto harboringemotionandpassive aggressiveness. Itis
betterto engage inconflictandthenmove onto resolvingthe issueorgaining
consensus.
There are twostagesto conflictresolution. First,we needtocontainthe damage. Second,we have to
move to a resolution. The secondpartwill be discussedinthe nextlessonunderbuildingconsensus. For
now,we wantto focus ondamage control. The biggestenemytoconflictresolutionistime. Donotlet
time pass. Give some time toletthe emotionssettle,andthenengage thatperson assoonas you can.
Call them,sendan email, orwalkoverto theirarea.Be the biggerof the two. Make the firstmove. Say
to yourself,“Thatif Ido not move,noone will.” Whenyoudofindthem, askthemif now is a good time
to talkis. They maystill be upset. If theyare upset,seta time laterthat dayto meetwiththem. If they
are okaywithyoubeingthere,thenfollowthe stepstomendingthe relationship.
 Conflictidentified:state the issue oractivitiesthatmade the encounterbecome heated. You
mightsay,“I thinkwe may have losttrack of the purpose of the meeting”or“I believewe have
strongviewpointsonthe subjectanditshowed.”
 Addressthe otherparty’sconcern:youmightsay, “I know youare notin favorof (insertissue).I
respectthat.”
 Listentothem:use your bestlisteningskillsandletthemvent aboutthe situation.
 Mend relationships:tell the personthatyourrelationshipwiththemisimportantandyouvalue
them. Apologizeorat leastleave ongoodterms.

32. Page 32
Duringthistime,youmay wantto avoidtryingto resolve the issue thatcausedthe conflict rightaway.
Leave that fora differenttime. Fornow,yourgoal isto patch the relationship. Later,youwill trytobuild
consensusinorderto move forwardbeyondthe conflict.
If you experience agroupconflict,performthe same technique. Getthembackin the meetingroomand
have themventand getthingsoutrespectfully. Take notesandadjournthe meetingforalatertime to
buildconsensusatthe groupleave.
Buildingconsensusisthe topicof our nextlesson. Let’sexplore thisprocess.
Building Consensus
Dictionary.comdefinesconsensusasageneral agreementorconcord.Sometimeswe
viewconsensusastotal agreement. Thisisnotthe goal of buildingconsensus. Ittakes
negotiatingandproblem solving.Youmayrun into problemswithyourpeersor
projectteamingettingeveryone onboardonan ideaor youmay be resolvinga
conflict. Inanycase, buildingaconsensusisaskill worthdeveloping.
Beloware PEACE techniquestobuildingconsensus:
 Problemdefined:itisdifficulttobuildconsensuswhenyoudonotknow what youare tryingto
overcome orachieve. Definethe problemasa goal to achieve. Have the participantsgive you
the goals. Encourage those whoare not participatingtodoso. Rememberyouhave togeta
general agreementformall.
 Everyone ventsthoughtsrespectfully:youwill findthatpeople will wanttosaythingsagainst
opposingideas. Encourage themtoframe theirventingpositivelyandallow themtodoit.
 Alternative solutionsexplored:have the participantscome upwithvarioussolutionstothe
problem. Thenreduce the alternativestoa shortlist.
 Choice ismade:before thisisdone, make sure everyone agreesthatthe alternativeselectedis
the bestfor the teamand theywill supportit. Make the choice.
 Everyone agreesto supportthe solution:geteveryone’sapproval verbal andpubliclyinthe
meetingroombefore youadjourn.
Buildingconsensustakestime andcouldhappenoverseveral meetings,dependingonthe complexityof
the issue. Nonetheless,bringingthe teambackto the table to reacha consensusshouldneverstop.
If your role inthe team istoo involved,youmaywantto getsomeone whoisnota part of the team to
helpfacilitate the consensusbuilding. Avoidgettingthe vice presidentorsome otherhighranking
employee. Thiswillshootthe processdown. Theyhave tofeel comfortable ventingwithoutany
restrictions.

33. Page 33
Making Decisions
Many timeswe are faced withsituationsthatrequire us tochoose amongother
options. Mostof uswant to make the right decision. However,we donotwant to
spendtime doingso. Paralysisbyanalysiscouldbecomeaproblem, makingus
inefficientandhesitantinmakingadecision.
As an administrative assistant,youmayface timeswhenyouhave tomake a decision
on behalf of yourmanager.Below are some basicelementstomakingadecision:
 You musthave two or more optionsexist inordertomake a decision
 Brainstormingall possible alternatives foreachoption
 Weighingthe prosandcons of eachalternative anditsoutcome
 Narrowdownthe alternativestoa shortlist
 Evaluate the remainingalternativesforrisk,stakeholderimpactandyourcomfortlevel
 Decide onan alternative
 Monitoroutcome of selectedalternative
 Alwayshave abackup planreadyincase firstalternative doesnotworkout.
If you are lookingtomake the perfectdecisioneverytime,youmaybe settingyourself upfora
frustratingtime. We cannotalwayspredicteverythingthatisgoingtotake place once a decisionis
made. Careful planningandweighingof optionsisthe bestmethodtoreachingasolution. Gutinstinct
couldleadyouintotrouble. Donot make those kindsof decisionsforyour manager.Itcouldcost them
dearly. Finally,alwaysdocumentyourprocess. Thiswayyouhave somethingtorefertowhenaskedwhy
youchose that option.

34. Page 34
Module Ten: The Team of Two
Workingas a team withyourmanagerisessential inkeepingthe
linesof communicationopenandbuilding rapport. A goodand
positive relationshipwithyourmanageristhe foundationand
supportstructure that givesyouthe abilitytofunction
independently. Inthismodule,youwill learnthe basisof building
a good relationship withyourmanager.
Working with Your Manager
Your bestrelationshiptobuildisthe one withyourmanager. Beingan
assistanttothemis a crucial part of theirsuccess. Goodcommunication
withyourmanageris essential andkeepsyouontrack.
Workingwithyourmanagerrequiressome of the followingtotake place in
the relationship:
 You mustbuildtrust
 You mustremainprofessional
 You mustcommunicate constantly
 You mustalwaysspeakpositivelyof yourmanager
 You musthave a highlevel of integrity
 You mustkeepthings confidentialwhenappropriate
These elementstake time tobuild. Buildingtrustcomeswithahighdegree of qualityinyourwork. What
and howyouproduce speaksvolumesof you. Thisinstillstrustandgivesyourmanagerthe peace of
mindthat youknowhow to do thingsright. Remainingprofessionalisessential. Itistemptingtobecome
more personal withyourmanager. Avoidsharingtoomuchdetail aboutyourhome life orother
Coming together isa beginning. Keeping
together isa process. Working together is
success.
Henry Ford

35. Page 35
personal issues. Thiscouldcause conflictof interest. Of course,if youhave a personal issue thataffects
your job, youcan discuss itwithyour manager,butremain professional aboutit.
Fostercommunication.Findouthowyourmanagerlikestocommunicate. Theymaypreferemail over
voicemail. Itisyourgoal to determine the best formof communication. Manytimes,yourmanagermay
getboggeddownwithissues,trypulse checksthroughoutthe daytokeepcommunicationflowing.
Alwaysspeak positively aboutyourmanager.If youhave issueswithyourmanagerdiscuss itwiththem
directly. Avoid ventingaboutittocoworkers. Thiscouldgetback to yourmanager, jeopardizingyour
trust. Work witha highdegree of integrity. Alwaysdothe rightthing. Yourperformance reflectsonyour
manager. Many timesyoumay be includedinasensitivediscussingaboutthe organization.Nevershare
those thingsoutside of your manager’soffice.
The nextlessonwill giveyousome tipsonhow to influence yourmanager.
Influencing Skills
As an administrative assistant,youmayfindtimeswhereyouthinkyourideasare
viable andworthimplementing. However,you needtogainyourmanager’sbuyin.
Influencingyourmanagerispossible andenablesyoutoexpandyourcareerina
direction thatcouldleadtoa promotion.
There are stepstoinfluencingandbyno meansare you to manipulate yourmanager.
These stepsare meantto foster relationshipsthathelp yourmanagersee yourpoint
of viewandconsideryourideas.
 Builda trustingrelationshipwithyourmanagerasdiscussedinthe previous lesson. Thisis
achieved throughyourintegrity,qualityof workand commitmenttoyourjob.
 Aligningyourgoalswithyourmanager’sgoals helpstocreate commonground. If yourgoalsare
to move to anotherdepartment,andyourmanager’sisto developasalesprogram, thenyour
goalswill conflict. Alignyourcareergoalsonthe successof yourmanager’sprojects. Thisway
youwill workas a team.
 Assume positive intentbyyour manager.Bythiswe mean to alwaysbelieveyourmanagerhas
your bestinterestatheart. Whenyouassume positive intent,youwill be more openand
acceptingof your manager’sactionsanddecisions.
 Try not to change your manager.Youmay be temptedtotry to improve youmanager’s
demeanororpersonality. Attemptingtodo thiswill cause yourmanagerto rejectyouand
questionyourmotives. Acceptyourmanagerforwhotheyare. Workwiththeirfaults. We all
have them.

36. Page 36
 Learn fromyour manager.Nothingexpressesmore gratitude whenyoulearnfromsomeone.
Your managerneeds positivereinforcementtoo. Seeingyouadopttheirmanagementstyle,or
otherpracticessaysyou respectandfindvalue inyourrelationshipwithyourmanager.
Influencingisnotaboutmanipulation. Itisaboutplacingothersfirstandshowingthemhow important
theyare to you.
What to Do in Sticky Situations
It isa realitythatthingscouldgowrong betweenyouandyourmanager. We should
alwaysassume positiveintent,butwhenmatterscause youtofeel uncomfortable,it
isbestto try to move thisdiscussiontothe rightpartiesat work.
Firstof all,if yoususpect yourmanagerof doingsomethingillegal,reportthattothe
properauthoritiesatwork. Coveringupsuchthingscouldlandyouinjail for aiding
and abiding.
However,there maybe times whenthingsare more subtle. Actionslikeharassment,verbal abuse, and
vindictiveness are thingsyoushouldnottolerate. Here isthe FourD approach to handlingasticky
situation.
 Discuss,calmly,withyourmanagerthe issue andask for itto stop
 Document eachtime yourmanager repeatsthe offenseif theydonotrespondtoyour request,
then
 Discuss withyourmanager’ssupervisor
 Deferthe matter to humanresourcesif yourmanagerdoesnot respondtotheirsupervisor
At anytime youfeel the situationisoutof control,skipthisprocess,goimmediatelytoyourhuman
resourcesdepartmentandgettheminvolved. Theyare there tohelpyouinthese typesof situations.

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Module Eleven:Taking Care of Yourself
As we come to a close on thiscourse,a veryimportanttopicis
yetto be taught. Many of us spendmore hoursat work than
we do at home withour families. The workenvironmentcan
be a source of wellbeingora source of stressand unhealthy
living. The lastmodule inthe workshop focusesonhow you
can keepyourself healthybothmentallyandphysically.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics isdefinedasthe appliedscience of equipmentdesign,forthe workplace,
intendedtomaximize productivitybyreducingoperatorfatigueanddiscomfort.
Since youspendmostof yourtime at work,it isessential thatyourworkareais
comfortable. Repetitivemotionorbeinginthe same position forhourscouldcause
discomfort. Here are some tipsonmakingyour workplace more ergonomic:
 Make sure youhave a mouse padwitha cushionfor your wrist. Thishelpspreventcarpal tunnel
syndrome,whichis scartissue formingaroundthe tendonsinyourhandat the wrist.
 Make sure your seatisadjustedwhere yourfeetistouchingthe ground.
 Make sure your computermonitoristiltedinadownwardangle. Thispreventsthe raysfromthe
screenfromgoingstraightinto your eyes.
 Use a footstool to preventyourlegsfromgettingtired.
 Make sure youhave enoughlightingaroundyourworkarea.
If you have a special physical need,talktoyourhumanresourcesdepartmenttosee if theycanhelpyou
withisaccommodation.Youmay needtobringin a doctor’snote.
Health is a state of complete physical,
mental, and social well-being, and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
World Health Organization, 1948

38. Page 38
Anotherfactorto your comfortat workis stress. Inthe nextlesson,we will explore some waystoreduce
stressat work.
Stress Management
One of the definitions of stress isphysical,mental,oremotional strainortension.
You knowwhenyouare understress.Nothingisworthmore thanyourhealth.
Keepingyourmindandbodyfree fromstressrequiresaconscience effortonyour
part.
Here are some suggestionstokeepingahealthieryou:
 Get plentyof exercise. If youdonotexercise,parkyourcar farthestfromthe buildingandwalk
briskly,take the stairsasmuch as possible and walkata fasterthan normal pace around the
office.
 Get plentyof restandsleep.
 Learn to compartmentalize yourworkandhome life. Leave homeissuesathome andwork
issuesatwork.
 Remainpositive
 Stretchat leasttwice a day. Take yourhands andplace themon your hipsandleanback slightly
until youfeel yourbackstretch. Take your rightarm and cross it infrontof you,thentake your
otherarm and gentlypushonthe elbow of yourright arm. Repeatthisforyourleftarm. Geton
your tiptoesthenrock back on yourheels. Repeatseveral times.
 Maintainyour workschedule.
 Leave earlytowork and avoidtrafficif possible
 Make sure youspendtime at home withyourfamilyandmeetingtheirneedstoo.
 Laugh wheneverpossible.
 Helpothers
Make yourjob a safe haven. Keepgoodrelationshipswithyourcoworkersandmanagerandyouwill
experience lessstress. Nextletustake a lookonhow to manage a heavyworkload.

39. Page 39
Dealing with a Heavy Workload
Heavy workloads are inevitable. One daywe maybe lighton workand thenthe
nextwe are hit witha huge project. A good wayto deal with heavy workloadsis
to have a planin place. We shouldavoidbeingcaughtoff guard. Here are some
ideasyoucouldapplyto yourownwork environment:
 Have a setof close coworkersyou prearranged tohelpyouif theyhave
the time available. Perhapsthree orfourcontacts. Perhapstheycan helpyouwithyournormal
dailytasksinstead.
 Planto divide the workintomanageablechunks.
 Planon settingshorttermgoals.
 Planan approach to the work. You maybe temptedtodive rightintothe work. It isbetterto
take a momentandprepare anapproach to how you wantto do things.
 Prepare yourfamilyif youneedtoworkovertime oronthe weekendstogetthingsdone. Give
ample warning.
 Plana short vacationafterthe work isdone.
Of course,youcan customize thistofityourwork environment,buthaving noplanwill leadtostress.
We have come to the endof the trainingcourse. Thankyoufor participatingandworkingsohardduring
these fewhourswe spenttogether. We wishyouthe bestof luckinyour positionasanadministrative
assistant.

40. Page 40
Module Twelve:Wrapping Up
Althoughthisworkshopiscomingtoa close,we hope thatyour
journeytoimprove youradministrative skillsisjustbeginning.Please
take a momenttoreview andupdate youractionplan.Thiswill be a
keytool to guide yourprogressinthe days,weeks,months,and
yearsto come.We wishyouthe bestof luckon the restof your
travels!
Words from the Wise
 Yogi Berra: In theorythere isnodifference betweentheoryandpractice.In
practice there is.
 Dwight Eisenhower:Plansare nothing;planningiseverything.
 Jonas Salk: The rewardforwork well done isthe opportunitytodomore.
This feeling, finally, that we may change
things- this is at the center of everything we
are. Lose that... lose everything.
Sir David Hare