Practically Perfect PA

MAY 28, 2019

Not my circus, not my monkey (Original Polish translation: Nie mój cyrk, nie moje malpy) In simple terms this means ‘Not my problem’ but let’s be honest, ‘not my circus, not my monkey’ is a whole lot more colourful to say and will get you noticed when you say it. This thought or attitude draws […].

Project Management 113

Project Management Management Skills 113

Practically Perfect PA

NOVEMBER 10, 2015

Project management skills were always at the forefront and something I have strongly built on and now very interested in specialising in. Transition from an EA to a project support manager….watch The post EA to Project Support Manager appeared first on Practically Perfect PA. watch this space….!

Management 100

Management Finance Payroll 2011 100

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 22, 2013

Most managers will hire professional consultants for business improvement projects but will ask their assistants to make changes to the fundamental administrative structures without instruction or training. The purpose of the first stage of the DMAIC process is to define what the project actually is. the project goals.

Suppliers 100

Suppliers Project Management Training Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

DECEMBER 2, 2021

It is a term often used in project [.]. It is certainly something you will have come across if you have ever decided to research how to manage your time best and increase your productivity.

Management 321

Management Project Management 321

Practically Perfect PA

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

I use the collaboration tool to manage all of my tasks and projects, and I love how easy it easy to collaborate on projects with the other members of the [.]. Communicating your priorities better with the ‘rule of five’ One of my go-to tools for prioritising and managing my to-do list is Trello.

Collaborate 242

Collaborate Management Project Management 242

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 2, 2024

Transforming wasteful meetings into productive ones We all know that meetings are an essential way for teams to collaborate, share ideas, make decisions and progress projects. But we also know that many of those meetings are poorly run and unproductive and, of course, from an Assistant's point [.]

Collaborate 100

Collaborate Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

Reporting on confidential Assistant tasks As an Assistant, it's not uncommon to work on personal projects for your Executive, such as travel planning for client meetings, drafting confidential reports or organising calls with direct reports, that may not be included in your team's regular reporting. However, [.]

Travel 130

Travel 130

Practically Perfect PA

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

It not only allows you to gain access to high-profile projects but also enables you to showcase your leadership qualities in [.] Cultivating executive presence for Assistants Executive presence is a crucial attribute that Assistants can develop to enhance their careers and open doors to new opportunities.

130

130

Practically Perfect PA

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Navigating the implementation design process for Assistants We often encounter the need to streamline our workflow, manage projects efficiently, and collaborate seamlessly with our team members. In order to achieve this, we must start navigating the implementation design process for Assistants. This process involves three essential [.]

Collaborate 100

Collaborate Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 2, 2020

The role of the Assistant these days is pretty diverse; one day you will be assisting one Executive with personal tasks, the next you may be making business travel arrangements for a different person, managing a project, working on a big event or hiring a new Administrative team. Assistants are always pulled in so [.].

Travel 314

Travel Management Forms 314

Practically Perfect PA

MAY 18, 2023

You are expected to maintain multiple schedules and keep track of tasks that need attention, all while efficiently managing projects and handling unexpected [.] How to improve your Assistant salary As an Executive, Personal, or Administrative Assistant, you significantly impact the operations of your orgainsation every day.

Salary 130

Salary Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 1, 2019

Every business and organisation needs its employees to work together, to move projects forward and reach common goals. We have to work with other members of staff on projects and reaching common goals. Collaboration is an essential skill for everyone. However, for Assistants, collaboration is vital.

Collaborate 179

Collaborate Goals Skills Management 179

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

We take pride in our detail-oriented nature as it relates to all that we produce, from professional email correspondence to travel arrangements to company-wide projects and initiatives. As assistants, managing details to ensure things run smoothly is a big part of what we do.

Travel 191

Travel Email Management 191

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 22, 2019

One of the most common challenges I hear from Assistants who want to push their career forward is that their Executive’s do not trust them enough to hand overexciting projects and tasks. This is generally because the Executive struggles to delegate and likes to be in control of all of their work, or they don’t […].

Management 189

Management 189

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 11, 2019

The role of the Assistant these days is pretty diverse; one day you will be assisting one executive with personal tasks, the next you may be making business travel arrangements for a different person, managing a project, working on a big event or hiring a new Administrative team. Assistants are always pulled in so many […].

Travel 189

Travel Management 189

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 29, 2019

In most organisations, work often needs to be formally approved or signed-off by Senior Executives before the work can begin or the next phase of the project. Executives also have to accept leave requests, sickness reports, expenses, invoices, purchase orders and budget requests.

Budget 169

Budget Expenses Purchasing UPS 169

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 1, 2019

Although we do our absolute best to save our Executive’s time, more often than not, we find that they are still running around from meeting to meeting, working on last-minute projects, asking you to deal with urgent matters and postponing essential tasks.

Environment 167

Environment Skills Management 167

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Assistants are regularly asked to juggle multiple tasks and projects while reacting to other people’s urgent requests and deadlines. It is not an easy gig! When your To-Do list doesn’t stop growing, how do you plan what to do first? When you do plan, there will be the inevitable surprises, re-prioritisation of work and of […].

Management 164

Management 164

Practically Perfect PA

DECEMBER 18, 2018

We covered a lot of skills including minute taking, event management, organising business travel, project management and everything in between! We focussed really heavily this year on increasing our content around the key skills Assistants need to develop in their role this year. Here are […].

2018 181

2018 Skills Project Management Travel 181

Practically Perfect PA

DECEMBER 17, 2019

We covered a lot of skills including minute taking, event management, organising business travel, project management and everything in between! We focused really heavily this year on increasing our content around the key skills Assistants need to develop in their role this year. Here are our […].

2019 130

2019 Skills UPS Project Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 25, 2019

It is becoming more and more common for Assistants to manage staff and lead teams on projects. Many Executive Assistants manage teams of other Assistants and Administrators, and we all know it can be tough keeping Assistant’s careers on track and keeping them motivated. Here are our tips on how you can keep your team […].

Management 150

Management 150

Practically Perfect PA

NOVEMBER 23, 2017

They are doers who take on lots of different projects and manage lots of different tasks. When I talk to people about some of the traits that are typical in an Assistant there are two that come up quite often. They are people pleasers and pretty agreeable types. They will usually say yes more often […].

Management 189

Management UPS 189

Practically Perfect PA

NOVEMBER 13, 2017

When you’re a remote worker, such as a PA, EA or VA, time management is essential to your business success, as often you’re billing on an hourly basis or for the time spent on a specific project. But time management isn’t limited to just knowing where your time goes – it also means ensuring your […].

Management 186

Management 186

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

These collaboration tools are bound to help make communication, project management and sharing ideas easier, faster and a whole […]. There are so many fantastic platforms available that will really help you work collaboratively especially if you work in a small business or a start-up.

Collaborate 124

Collaborate Project Management Management UPS 124

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 26, 2017

A few years ago I was working as a PA within a large team of highly qualified, talented and very very confident project management consultants. I felt like a complete fraud, despite the fact that I had lots of thoughts on the subject and had worked on similar projects in other organisations.

Confidence 202

Confidence Suppliers AT&T Budget 202

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 26, 2019

Using Airtable you can create visually appealing spreadsheets to calculate data, store information and make lists but also use it as a Customer Relationship Management tool, task tracker or project planner. What does […].

Management 100

Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 20, 2017

A huge challenge we face as assistants is moving from a position of support staff, where we take on any task assigned to us, to a more proactive position where we source our own work, take on projects that we think will make a difference and make decisions based on the best interests of the business and our Executives. She was totally right.

Suppliers 203

Suppliers AT&T Training Goals 203

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 31, 2017

Make a channel for a project, a topic, a team, or anything—everyone has a transparent view of all that’s going on. This is a great way for assistants to keep in touch with their Executives while working remotely and it can be a great way to communicate when working on a team project. What does it do?

Social Media 145

Social Media Phones Email Management 145

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 26, 2017

Administrators can be involved in many types of projects eg office move, conference, product launch, staff recruitment, Christmas function. Ideas of what needs to be covered to ensure the effective implementation of the project should be discussed. Large table (like the Board room table).

2016 180

2016 2015 Administrative Professionals Facebook 180

Practically Perfect PA

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

Users can make notes on a meeting, share important emails during negotiation, or share tasks related to any contact or project. It is really useful if you are working on a project as everyone can collaborate across the platform, they can share emails and keep track of any tasks. How does it benefit assistants?

Negotiating 100

Negotiating Project Management Email Collaborate 100

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 11, 2017

Ask them how things were done ‘back in the day’ Give them projects that require knowledge of procedures that have been in place for a long time. Solo projects are also good for office downers working in a team may not quite play to their strengths! To combat this make use of the fact they have been at the company for ages.

AT&T 182

AT&T Facebook Interviewing UPS 182

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 25, 2017

I have worked on reception, secretarial, event and project management teams during this time and had almost every title from Receptionist to Director of Administration. I enjoy connecting with different people on various projects and my role allows me to do this daily.

2016 140

2016 2013 Mentoring Project Management 140

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 31, 2017

Make a channel for a project, a topic, a team, or anything—everyone has a transparent view of all that’s going on. This is a great way for assistants to keep in touch with their Executives while working remotely and it can be a great way to communicate when working on a team project. What does it do?

Social Media 100

Social Media Phones Email Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 22, 2015

Put yourself forward for cross-departmental projects. It is much easier to get to know someone if you are working on a project together. Once the project is complete make sure you keep in touch with every member of the team including those in other departments.

Networking 100

Networking Skills Email Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 10, 2014

As some of you will know I used to work in a department full of ‘change management professionals’ Their job was to initiate projects that would improve procedures or systems within other departments. Here is my favourite tool to use when it comes to change management projects: Stakeholder Matrix.

Management 100

Management AT&T Skills 100

Practically Perfect PA

JUNE 13, 2017

Or the secretary who implemented an on-line time booking system for admin tasks so her work was more evenly spread and the team could see if she had availability to take on a project without calling her. As a key member of the team you are perfectly suited to support others in their enterprising projects.

Collaborate 194

Collaborate Purchasing 2017 Confidence 194

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 25, 2017

I have worked on reception, secretarial, event and project management teams during this time and had almost every title from Receptionist to Director of Administration. I enjoy connecting with different people on various projects and my role allows me to do this daily.

2016 100

2016 2013 Mentoring Environment 100