Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 1, 2009

I like working with someone who has initiative, wants to do a good job and is keen to contribute to the team, but is there a time when initiative is not a good thing? .© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 1 May, 2009 When taking initiative isnt the best thing. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 17, 2010

Prioritize the tasks you need to do for the day/week/month and then do them one item at a time. But I did it by keeping a notepad by the phone and each time I started a task I would write it down. In a very short time I started to see what the problem was -- telephone calls. Having a to-do list can be a life saver.

Environment 100

Environment Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 20, 2010

The team members were pleased with the work and it was agreed that the Finance Director should pay the invoice from the Recreation Account. The language of minutes Discussion and questions ensued -- The team members agreed -- It was decided -- The following points were made. Then the action makes perfect sense. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones Agenda IAAP 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 20, 2010

It can also improve team work and general office dynamics. If you dont have that in your office, why not suggest it to the other assistants? Having a buddy can take some of the stress off and give you assurance that you have someone you can depend on. 23, 1 p.m. (for 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 28, 2010

CountryCode.org is a comprehensive guide to make phone calls from anywhere to any country in the world. Hello Patricia, You have some great resources at [link] Given your interest in country codes, I wanted to make you aware of my site, [link] for possible inclusion as well. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 9, 2010

I breathe a sigh of relief when I get someones assistant on the phone or receive an email from them. Knowing assistants and having a working relationship with them is very important and can make the difference when you need to set up a meeting or if your boss needs to have a quick phone call with their boss. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 7, 2010

They said it works with most phone services. I have never used this escape route, but was reminded about it at a webinar I participated in recently and will keep these instructions close at hand. I thought I would pass this tip along in the event you find yourself wishing you could take your words back. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 16, 2010

Doing too many things can actually waste time. Check: Are phone calls planned? For each one, write down what you hope to accomplish with the phone call to help you stay focused. I run the outlook journal and it logs the time I spend with a given task. Manage: Create a list of calls to be made and make them all at once.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 9, 2010

Did I phone to get my electricity turned on? The meetings were stress free and I was able to depend on my checklists and templates. Now I am on holidays and preparing for a big move to a new home. You can be sure I have checklists for that as well. Yes, it is ticked off on the checklist and the lights did turn on when I pressed the switch.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 1, 2010

If you are part of an administrative team you can use your meetings to share knowledge with each other or give tips on something new you have discovered. Administrative newsletters or bulletin boards where you can post tips or suggestions is a good way to learn. (for 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 19, 2009

When I receive an initial request for a meeting, I use a meeting form and write down the information I need: who is requesting the meeting, what is the purpose of the meeting, where it will be held and a phone number or an e-mail address and dates that are available. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 10, 2009

Of course before I recommend anything I try it out so I picked up the phone and it asked me what I was looking for and what city and province. I chose details and was given the street address and phone number and I still had the option of having my call put through to the store number. You can use google to get similar information.

Google 100

Google Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 18, 2009

They are a team of office professionals for office professionals. .© 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. It was an amazing conference. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 8, 2009

What dates and times does he or she have available (keeping in mind time zones for away meetings)? Secure the date and time in his or her calendar, taking into consideration travel time if outside the office. Does your boss need to be at the meeting? Can someone go in his or her place if they are not available?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Calendars 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 5, 2009

I have a network of assistants that I call friends, although some are just phone colleagues, but we help each other. The assistant/boss relationship certainly is one of the closest working relationships with some comparing it to that of a work wife. GET TO KNOW YOUR CO-WORKERS. and find out early on who you can go to and trust.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Interviewing Holidays 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2008

If they are a team player then that filters down to the staff, but if they are the King of the Hill, then that also starts to filter down and people start to feel more important than they should and a lot of power struggles start happening and back-biting. If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 13, 2010

I mentioned this to our team of admins at one of our meetings so when one of my co-workers found out how to do something they thought to share it with the team. I might be doing something that works really great, but just assume others know about it so dont say anything to anyone. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP PowerPoint Email 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 19, 2009

The last online course I took was under $70 and was interactive using both the computer and a speaker phone for audio. I have found them to be really helpful. They can be contacted at: Louis@lastminutetraining.ca If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Training 100

Training Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 12, 2008

Be a team player. I can honestly say that even though it was a hard time to go through, I ended up getting a much better job and a better opportunity and can look back on it as a good learning experience. My former boss gave me an excellent reference on paper and by phone. Dont try and hide and stay below the radar.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 11, 2009

I can tell you my friends and colleagues got a lot of phone calls in those early days and it was a wonderful resource and help to me. This is where a strong assistant team is nice to have. Perhaps, you are reading this and thinking some of these things can be a big time commitment. (for 411 Look Up 411.ca

IAAP 100

IAAP Time Zones Administrative Professionals International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 10, 2010

If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 28, 2009

If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Gifts Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 15, 2010

I use this all the time on my calendar and my boss's calendar, and it helps us both to know which events are phone calls which he can take in the office or on the road (yellow) or which events will require travel (blue). I LOVE the color feature. If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list.

Calendars 100

Calendars IAAP Time Zones 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 5, 2009

I am sure after that call her husband got off the phone and kicked the dog or was cranky with a sales clerk at the grocery store. It ended up that the phone lines were down because of a thunderstorm in town and he had been trying to reach her since early that afternoon. What happened? Crankiness and bad moods can be passed on.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 27, 2009

The sooner they are up to speed, the sooner they will be able to contribute to the team and that helps everyone. I basically know how to answer the phones and take messages. Be kind to your new hires and available to answer their questions and help them learn the ropes. I just started at a law firm this week. It is overwhelming. (for

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 Administrative Professionals 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 8, 2009

I think it is preferable for those who do set it aside to include all support staff as most offices now work in teams and everyone should be rewarded for a job well done. Is your office doing anything for Administrative Professionals Day? If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals Time Zones IAAP 2009 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 1, 2008

I can interact where I am now, but I have to get up and go if I want to speak with someone and then when I get there I may find they are busy or on the phone so I have wasted my time. Of course there is a down side to being able to do that. (for If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 1, 2010

Even if you phone the bank they need your secret passcode or they wont speak to you about your account. It's been the most efficient way for me to keep track of them since it's so handy to get to and I 'back myself up' by putting the log-in info for my outlook account in a notes area on my cell phone. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones 2010 IAAP Filing 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 8, 2009

I recently went on a professional development day and one of the speakers spoke about the importance of respect for our co-workers and team members and how that should be reflected in our communications with them. Or at least that is what happens to me. If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2009

The best situation is if you work together as a team, but how can you get there? You are not doing yourself a favour because believe me, being a micro manager is hard work. You feel you have to do everything yourself and you can easily burn out. If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list.

Management 100

Management Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 12, 2010

If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list. 411 Look Up 411.ca

2010 100

2010 Interviewing Time Zones IAAP 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 22, 2008

An e-mail like the one I received would have been better delivered face to face or by phone in order to get the tone of what the person was trying to communicate. I stop the flow and pick up the phone. It is amazing how quickly a matter can be handled on the phone or in person. This little tip has been a huge time-saver for me.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International 2008 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 5, 2010

If you find some are outdated please let me know so I can remove them from this list. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 17, 2008

Be protective of your boss’s time. Be professional on the phone and greet people who come calling, but not everyone needs to get in to see the boss. Be very selective and guard their time. Try to anticipate the need so you can have the file or the answer your boss needs, before he or she even knows they need it.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones Filing IAAP 2008 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 13, 2008

This can also be a good time to strengthen your relationship with your team members. It doesnt have to be a long conversation, just a short introduction and if you work in a large company you might want to say which department you work in. You may also come to understand your co-workers better and find common interests. (for

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 14, 2009

Another time I wanted to try a career in the travel business. I have become familiar with time zones, airport codes and international holidays to avoid. I am sure I could have done well as I have learned nearly everything there is to know about getting someone from point A to point B. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 17, 2010

There is value in getting to know people, even if it is just over email or the phone. Important relationship building In all these cases I had much better results because I had established a relationship with the venue contact. Once they start to have a relationship with you they are much more open to trying to help you. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Negotiating International 100