Executive Personal & Administrative Secretaries (EPA'S ) Development Program

INTRODUCTION

In modern business circles, the Executive PA holds a key position of influence and a powerful partnership with the senior management team. Success in this role has a direct effect on the success of executive operations. The executive PA who understands the role and pressures of management and even thinks like the team will achieve improved performance, outstanding results and respect from superiors and the executive team.

WHY TRAIN WITH US, REALLY?

This highly interactive course is designed to empower ambitious individuals who are looking for ways to enhance their performance, broaden their role and develop the managerial aspects of their position.

The course is a mix of direct tuition with both large and small discussion groups. Some practical elements are included so that thoughts and evaluations can be shared and compared. Each day has seven hours of tuition, divided into four blocks of 2, 2., 1.5.and 1.5 hours.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, you will be expected to acquire and be able to exhbit in the workplace:

• Best practices in the role of the modern executive PA
• Understanding what your boss needs from you without being told
• Improving your professional with your boss
• Techniques for dealing with multiple bosses
• Strategies for dealing with micro-managers
• How to prepare for the arrival of a new boss
• How to effectively organize your workflow
• Event management and party planning techniques
• Maximizing your value in the organization using performance appraisals
• Working effectively with communication styles
• Diary and email management strategies
• Using a timeline to plan and prioritize your projects
• Using internet tools and LinkedIn to maximize your personal brand
• How to say "no" assertively without causing offence
• Improving office systems to make your job easier
• Effective skills for influencing management
• Practical win-win negotiation
• Job search strategies for the overqualified PA

Key areas to be covered in the programme

Key areas to be covered in the programme and documentation

Defining and Developing the Role

• The executive PA – your vital partnership with management
• Defining the responsibilities and authority of your role
• Identifying ways of broadening your role and creating opportunities to increase your responsibilities
• Developing the managerial aspects of your role – essential management skills
• Planning for development – identifying and overcoming barriers to your success
• Finding and working with a mentor

 Effective Communication

• Interacting with others and networking for success – getting yourself seen and heard
• Developing and advancing your relationship with your manager/director
• Improving your communication skills – negotiating, influencing, persuading and delegating

Developing Confidence

• Trusting your initiative and judgment
• Saying “no” constructively
• Prioritizing and communicating the demands of different parties

Developing and Improving Key Skills

• Improving your confidence and assertiveness
• Developing an awareness of basic Project Management activity scheduling tools e.g. Gantt charts
• Practicing effective time management skills
• Concentrating, thinking, listening and making decisions under pressure
• Presenting your views and ideas effectively in meetings and to management
• Problem solving tools for managing difficult situations and people

Creating co-operative relationships and outstanding teamwork

•  Building on your personality to develop a highly professional presence
• Dealing with unproductive and inappropriate behaviour styles
• Achieving ‘buy-in’ for your suggestions/ ideas - building rapport
• Managing and working within your team - acknowledging diversity and uniqueness
• Managing colleagues and managers to successfully achieve results

Practical exercise : : Using a behavioral communication style model to assess team effectiveness and overcome challenges

Dealing with conflict in the workplace

• Spotting conflict in its early stages
• Exploring your reactions and understanding the different options open to you
• Overcoming your fear of confrontation
• Learning how to express your disagreement with tact and confidence

 Practical exercise: Exploring the impact of conflict and moving towards win-win  solutions

Managing your Time

•  Goal setting
• Prioritizing your time
• Planning wisely
• Tackling procrastination
• Crisis management
• Organizing your workspace
• Delegating made easy
• Setting a ritual
• Meeting management
• Alternatives to meetings

Managing your manager

• Changing your manager’s perception of you to ensure a successful partnership
• Applying coaching to clarify your and your manager’s needs
• Ensuring you and your manager work in a  time efficient manner
• Recognizing the communication styles of colleagues and managers
• Cultivating a trusting relationship between you and your manager
• Increasing your productivity with effective manager management

Leadership roles for Executive Assistants

• Exploring factors for successful leadership roles
• Building on your natural talents to find  opportunities for role growth
• Developing greater self confidence so others will have confidence in you
• Developing ‘leadership language’ skills to raise your profile
• Determining which leadership attributes  you already posses

 Practical exercise: New generation leadership styles and characteristics

Getting Results

• Benefiting from key motivation techniques – motivating yourself, your subordinates and your boss
• Achieving results through others
• Managing stress and pressure that comes with change and challenge
• Measuring your performance based on objectives, standards, responsibilities set and achieved
• Preparing for your appraisal

Networking towards growing your role

• Extending your sphere of influence
• Developing your networking skills to benefit your manager and organisation
• Taking control of your administration role with renewed energy and focus
• Consolidating your action plans and implementing new strategies

Writing for your manager

• Confidently writing and ghost-writing for your boss(es)
• Gauging appropriate style and tone
• Gaining recognition as your boss’s back-up and representative

Reports

• Identifying different reporting formats
• Learning how to effectively structure reports
• Identifying the correct display of graphs, charts and tables

Media releases

• Structuring a media release using six key points
• Effectively critiquing a press release
•  Avoiding the common mistakes people make when writing a media release

Effective minute writing

• Identify requirements for effective meetings
• Preparing agenda
• Identifying methods to record minutes
• Identifying the best minute style and template for your meetings
• Writing effective minutes using a proven three-step technique

Business cases

• Organizing your business case
• Using the principles of good proposal writing that will gain attention
• Writing to ensure your proposal will be accepted

Job descriptions

• Recognizing the importance of a well written job description
• Writing effective job descriptions which cover both the quantity and quality aspects of a job
• Identifying the essential components, included in a job description

Performance appraisals

• Learning how to write an encouraging performance appraisal
• Handy phrases to use when writing a performance appraisal
• Noting the difference between a mediocre performance appraisal and a well written performance appraisal

Policies and procedures

• Learning the essential components and appropriate formats for writing policies and procedures
• Identifying the difference between a policy and a procedure
• Writing  an effective manual for your role

Proofreading

• Using a checklist to ensure 100% correct proofread documents

Writing for the web

• Identifying key components of having proper  content, the right style and formatting for easy scanning
• Critiquing various websites using a simple web writing checklist

International Diplomatic Protocol

• Ceremonial & protocol
• Visits & delegations
• Administrative functions
• Conferences & meetings
• Social etiquette
• Forms of address
• Facts, opinions & their presentation
• Initializing, planning & controlling
• Summaries, reports & appreciations
• Internatinal relations
• Governmenot-to-government communications
• International diplomacy
• Preparing for your appraisal
• Action planning

Course Benefits to you

•  Creating opportunitiesfor your personal development and accepting the challenges when they arise

• Managing yourself, your subordinates and your boss more effectively
• Developing the managerial aspects of your role
• Improving your confidence, assertiveness and communication skills
• Developing key tools to become more effective and productive in your role
• Managing the stress and pressure in an increasingly challenging environment
• Networking with your peers from across industry and benefiting from group feedback