Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 31, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 31 October, 2009 A twelve step program to survive as an Admin My grandson has started walking. He takes about 12 steps, squats and rejoices in his accomplishment, then he gets up and walks another 12 steps and squats again to repeat the process. Lets enjoy our day together.© 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 10, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 10 January, 2010 Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog I started a new blog called The Administrative Bloopers Blog When you have a moment come and visit me over there. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. 411 Look Up 411.ca Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 13, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 13 March, 2010 Are you prepared? I take the bus to work and I often see people getting on a busy bus and then going through their backpack or purse looking for their bus tickets and holding up the line. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. no tickets.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 28, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 28 December, 2009 Now that is dedication.Executive Assistant donates kidney to her boss My assistant sent me a link to a story about an Executive Assistant in British Columbia, Canada, who gave the gift of life by donating a kidney to her boss. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Gifts Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 12, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 12 July, 2010 Admin in the Spotlight: Interview with Lynn Holgate, 2010 Stevie® Award winner Lynn Holgate, an Executive Assistant at High Performance Technologies, Inc. Holgate is the Executive Assistant to the President, she also reports to the Director of Human Resources and manages a staff of four.

2010 100

2010 Interviewing Time Zones IAAP 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 10, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 10 January, 2010 What ever happened to the "us" in Service? Another time I was trying to find a full-serve gas station to fill up, but there was nothing to be found. It was expensive,but when I brought it home I had to do all the work to get it up and running. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 13, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 13 February, 2010 Dealing in real time. If I am told that I should have it in the next few weeks, or can expect to receive it in a couple of months, that doesn’t really help me with my follow up as it is not a definite date. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 31, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 31 January, 2009 Housecleaning in Word 2007: Customizing your Dictionary Something you should do every once in awhile is to clean up your dictionary in Word. I have the software at home, but havent gotten the gumption up to load it yet. 411 Look Up 411.ca Lets enjoy our day together.©

2007 100

2007 Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 31, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 31 May, 2009 Go with your gut feeling! EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes Administrative Professionals 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 7, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 7 February, 2010 When your voicemail goes awry. A good tip if you flub up your voicemail is to press # and it should give you prompts to get out of it. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 5, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 5 December, 2009 Do you like what you do? It works better if you have a whole pool of resources with different strengths to call upon. If you know what works best for you and if your job is 80/20 on what you like then you can put up with the small stuff like filing and filling out expense forms.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Interviewing Holidays 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 22, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 22 April, 2009 Happy Administrative Professionals Day! I am speaking this morning at an administrative event so looking forward to meeting some new assistants. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on.

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 23, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 23 January, 2010 I gave at the office Years ago when I was a child, I would canvass door to door with my sister for a charity for cancer research. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP AT&T 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 22, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 22 February, 2009 Protocol for addressing Canadian and foreign dignitaries A reader asked if I would post on the proper protocol to address Canadian dignitaries such as the Prime Minister or other Ministers in the government. This is a must-have resource. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 15, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 16 January, 2010 Calendar "ah ha" I was participating in a Harvard sponsored webinar with my boss the other day. The topic was on personal branding and they were making recommendations to executives on how to polish up their image. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

Calendars 100

Calendars IAAP Time Zones 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 27, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 27 February, 2009 Different spellings: British, Canadian and American I was proofing a document the other day, but since Ive been reading documents from the United States and Canada, I couldnt remember if behaviorial was the American or the Canadian spelling. .© Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes Google 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 22, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 23 August, 2009 Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" So how do you word your follow-up e-mail so as not to come across as impatient? Put it in your Outlook Tasks with a reminder to follow up. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. I hate waiting!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 9, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 9 July, 2010 Taking stock Whenever I finish a project I always ask myself, or get together with those who assisted me, and ask the question, "What went well and what could have gone better?" EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 11, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 11 July, 2009 The importance of having someone to talk to Recently, I met with a former colleague for an inpromptu lunch. I often reach out to my network to get answers to problems that come up at the office or just to lend a sympathetic ear. Lets enjoy our day together.© 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

IAAP 100

IAAP Time Zones Administrative Professionals International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 4, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 5 June, 2010 Playing nice in the sandbox When I was younger I had a bicycle with a chain that would skip a link after about ten pedals and then it would fall off. She could have cleaned the whole house in the time it took her to get her room tidied up. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 27, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 27 April, 2009 New Hire Overload I remember starting a new job at a law firm and on my first day I was handed a 3-inch white binder and told to read it. The Human Resources Director pointed me to a small office and I was left alone to read what must have been 200 pages. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 Administrative Professionals 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 21, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 21 February, 2009 Thats not my job! If a conference comes up and they are looking for someone to do the registration, we can step in and do that or we can organize it from start to finish. Who better than the admins to come up with something that works. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 1, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 2 July, 2010 We dont know what we dont know We really dont know what we dont know do we? EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on. 411 Look Up 411.ca Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 10, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 10 May, 2009 Getting your foot in the door. She saw the importance of this training to help her daughter know the workings of an office from the bottom up and the office benefitted from her educational training. She was a smart kid and picked up the tasks assigned to her very quickly.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 18, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 18 September, 2009 Atlanta, Georgia: The City that Smiles I recently arrived in Atlanta, Georgia to attend OfficeArrow s Lift Summit on Social Media. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 4 October, 2009 Confessions of a Micro-Manager Who would want to work for a micro-manager? And always checking up on you. Ask yourself what things really matter to you and ask questions to bring those things up in the interview. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

Management 100

Management Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 5, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 5 July, 2009 Psst! I was at the cottage with a friend and she was cranky and started to get wound up about something to do with her husband. By the end of the call her husband had caught her crankiness and it ended up with them both being angry. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 16, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 16 May, 2010 Whose meeting is it anyway? Do you ever get a meeting request and an agenda has not been provided, or if it is a teleconference the call-in details have not been given or the boardroom hasnt been booked for an internal meeting? 411 Look Up 411.ca 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Agenda 100

Agenda Time Zones International IAAP 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 10, 2008

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 10 November, 2008 We have a winner! EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 9, 2008

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 9 November, 2008 Contest! EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 27, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 27 June, 2009 A funny thing happened on the way to the office. My friend said it didnt seem to faze her and she quickly pulled up her skirt and kept talking like nothing happened. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 27, 2008

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 27 November, 2008 Can you afford not to take a vacation? I am busy, busy this week preparing to leave because I dont want to leave any loose ends and I want to cover off on anything that might come up in my absence. It will be a good time to clean up all the e-mails that will be in my Inbox.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 31, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 31 January, 2010 Taking the time to acknowledge someone and say thanks. No, its not e-cards (I am not a fan of e-cards as one more e-mail cluttering up my Inbox is not a welcome thing), but these are actual hard copy cards that you can customize and send out with your own special message.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 23, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 23 June, 2009 Colour Coding Works. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking Effective Meeting Minutes ► August (3) Pass it on. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Staples Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 21, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 21 November, 2009 The Little Engine That Could. The next time a new challenge or opportunity comes up at work, pay attention to what you tell yourself -- are you being positive or negative? Once you start doubting yourself, it is hard to bring yourself back up. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Self Esteem 100

Self Esteem Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 1, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 1 May, 2009 When taking initiative isnt the best thing. A colleague and I were discussing this very thing as we have seen it time and time again with new hires trying to succeed and who end up making some avoidable mistakes by jumping in too quickly and making decisions before having enough information.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 6, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 6 October, 2009 When you suspect a co-worker has a substance abuse problem. One day she just up and quit. One of the biggest issues surrounding substance abuse in the workplace are the lies required to keep up the front that everything is ok. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100