Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 5, 2008

Having a good workable filing system and an organized and uncluttered desk is critical to keeping and staying organized. Electronic Filing You also need to keep your electronic filing systems organized. There is nothing worse than madly looking on your desk and wracking your brain wondering where that piece of paperwork is.

Filing 100

Filing 2007 UPS AT&T 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 5, 2011

The assistants in our office operate on a buddy system and we try to coordinate our holidays to make sure there is the necessary admin support in each of our areas. There was an article in Office Arrow called Oh no the entire office is on summer vacation. It sounds funny, but it could happen if you don't plan ahead.

Holidays 100

Holidays Calendars Forms UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 11, 2008

I think we have to recognize that the IT Department are the experts in what they do and I have no doubt they know the hardware and operating systems inside and out. An IT person once reminded me, and I know it’s true, "We are so used to getting things done in seconds, that we get frustrated when the system slows down to minutes".

UPS 100

UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 15, 2008

If your document management system has the capability and has a place to put the file number along with the name, that will make it easier to find a document. No longer do we have our “own” filing system, but our files should be recognizable to all who need to read them. It is all about “finding” it again. Try to make it simple.

Filing 100

Filing Staples Fax Phones 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 15, 2011

Sometimes I wondered how I was keeping up, but at least I had my systems and knew where everything was and that is half the battle. Here is how I've been surviving: Keep Organized If it wasn't for the fact that I am organized, I don't know what I would have done. You wouldn't believe how much time is wasted just looking for things.

Stress 100

Stress UPS Administrative Professionals 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 21, 2007

I have also found that having a good bring-forward system is essential so you do not miss important dates or timelines. What works for me, may not work for you, but the important thing is to have some kind of system in place that will enable you to find things, and help you keep track of dates and important tasks.

Filing 100

Filing Phones Management UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 4, 2008

People came in to work in the morning and when they opened their e-mail thought, "How sweet," and opened an e-mail they thought was from a loved one and ended up shutting the whole company e-mail system down for a day. It is too easy to make user errors and reget it.

UPS 100

UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 2, 2008

Make the filing system easy for you, not complicated. On one job I was in I was fortunate to have the first day to myself to go over the filing system. Don't be too eager to change things until you do some exploring and get the lay of the land. Files may need to be cleaned up and put in proper order and new file folders made.

Filing 100

Filing Interviewing Fax Confidence 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 20, 2007

The good thing about this system is if your boss needs something quickly, you can go to the bellows and easily retrieve it from the appropriate tab as opposed to going through the pile of filing on your desk and hoping you find it quickly. In the short term she would put individual filing in alphabetical order in the appropriate tab.

Filing 100

Filing Legal Management 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 11, 2008

To most people filing isn't much fun But when locating a file is number one You need to know that you can find The file your boss has in mind If your company has a policy, follow those rules Otherwise, organize it in a way that's best for you Whether it's numerical or alpha is your choice to make But not having a good filing system is a big mistake (..)

Filing 100

Filing Policies 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 30, 2007

how to use the fax machine, information about the phone system, where the photocopier is located, who my contacts are in this position, who I can call for help, etc. I look over the filing system and become familiar with that. Every time I learn something new, I write it in the manual, ie.

Interviewing 100

Interviewing Fax 2007 Phones 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 28, 2008

Here is my list: Drafting letters Scheduling meetings Managing boss's time Transcribing tapes Typing correspondence and lengthy documents Organizing yourself and others Filing Setting reminders and following up Managing bring-forward system Making travel arrangements Typing expense reports Managing boss's e-mail account as well as your own Sending (..)

Fax 100

Fax Phones Expenses Filing 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 29, 2008

Organize your document management system creating folders and subfolders to organize things better. Use a drawer organizer so you can separate items and make things neat. This is a good time to close out old files and fix up some of the current ones. Do the same with Outlook. Make subfolders that you can drag and drop things into.

Filing 100

Filing Management UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 16, 2008

Bring things to their attention when they need it Keep a good bring-forward system to bring items to your boss’s attention. Your boss’s calendar is always changing, but it is a good idea to look ahead and be familiar with what is coming up.

Calendars 100

Calendars Restaurants Equipment Travel 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 9, 2008

I find this is a good back up system so we are both aware of upcoming appointments and commitments. You should be familiar with the special features of whichever calendar system you use and keep the communication open with your boss. This can also be accomplished by creating a rule for the dates to automatically go in both calendars.

Calendars 100

Calendars 2008 Filing Confidence 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 16, 2008

We have made impressive strides in that direction however with the use of e-mail, word processing, document management systems and the ability to scan documents. There is software already available to save e-mails directly into our document management systems and to put them in the correct file.

Carbon Footprint 100

Carbon Footprint Ergonomics Filing Etiquette 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 15, 2010

I have a similar system with my boss. I put travel in red and action reminders in yellow, but that is our own system and it works for us. but I don't use that system or know what the colours mean. January 16, 2010 Patricia said. Some people use the Outlook assigned colours and they each mean something.

Calendars 100

Calendars IAAP Time Zones 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 26, 2008

When I left we had just started using computers with DOS, a disk operating system. When I came back they were introducing the new Windows operating system. In Canada it was becoming increasingly difficult to find a job where you didn’t need to know both English and French. Also, the technology had changed drastically.

Temping 100

Temping Resume Networking Medical 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 1, 2010

Thank goodness I get three tries to pick the right one before the system locks me out. On some sites there is an option to "Remember my password," which is helpful until your system crashes and you lose everything and then how are you ever going to remember what the password was in the first place since you havent had to enter it in a year?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones 2010 IAAP Filing 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 20, 2008

A simple system is best as they are normally on the move and cannot take the time to figure out elaborate filing systems. Always be in communication and agreement with them however on what is best before forging ahead and changing everything. Otherwise, you will have a very frazzled and frustrated executive on your hands.

2007 100

2007 Clothes Management Filing 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 15, 2007

Burning it on a CD might work just as well Recycle paper from the printer areas (be careful not to recycle confidential waste: either shred it or put it in secure bins) Ensure your office has plenty of recycle bins by each desk - as well as large recycle bins for cans, glass, newspapers and mixed waste paper Recycle your kitchen office garbage.

Environment 100

Environment 2007 Equipment Travel 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 16, 2007

It helped to have that support system. A woman I worked with was a shy person who would never speak in public but through the encouragement of her peers she ended up chairing a conference and doing a wonderful job. I found the resource section on the website to be very good and up to date.

IAAP 100

IAAP Resume Administrative Professionals 2007 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 4, 2008

I think with the education system not taking spelling as seriously as it used to and with the use of Spell Check, we are just not noticing anymore or taking the time to look it over carefully. That is something that rarely would have happened years ago. Poor spelling and grammar would never do.

Keyboards 100

Keyboards Forms UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 13, 2008

I was used to listing all my duties on my resume: maintaining a filing system, answering the telephone, typing correspondence, etc. And no need to list your duties as that is considered old-style resume writing. This was radical for me.

Resume 100

Resume 2004 Legal Medical 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 3, 2008

People are usually searching for information about secretarial functions such as the "bring-forward system", "making travel arrangements" or "Help! They usually have questions in their search query that will give me an idea on what to write about. I need to take minutes".

Google 100

Google 2007 Travel UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 30, 2007

This will be a reminder system for me and when it comes time for my next review then I can read over these emails and remind myself of some of my accomplishments so I will be better equipped to fill out a more thorough and well thought out self evaluation.

2008 100

2008 2007 IAAP Email 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 22, 2008

Lynn Crosbie a Medical Assistant at a Research Hospital says, “Every time I learn something new, I write it in my manual, i.e. how to use the fax machine, information about the phone system, where the photocopier is located, who my contacts are in this position, who I can call for help, etc.

Fax 100

Fax Interviewing Medical Mentoring 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 12, 2009

Bring Forward System or Using Tasks in Outlook Have a system to follow up on items your boss has asked you to do or things you know you need to do. I love this system and at the end of each day I go through my folder and pull out what I need for the next day. I also use Tasks in Outlook to follow up on electronic items.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International 2009 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 17, 2008

Maintaining a good bring-forward system is important to have things ready when needed. Having a good filing system and keeping the file list up to date is something every assistant needs to be able to do. Be prepared and think ahead. Be good at tracking things down.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones Filing IAAP 2008 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 10, 2008

A good bring-forward system is a must for this as you will want to bring forward items they will need for meetings and conference calls. Keep an organized filing system and file list. Put reminders in their Tasks or Calendar of anything you know is coming up with enough lead time so they will have time to complete it.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2008 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 20, 2010

Posted by Patricia Robb at 7:53 PM Labels: Administrative Assistant , buddy system , professional assistant , work buddy Reactions: 0comments: Post a Comment Newer Post Older Post Home Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) Join me for a Webinar, Sept. It can also improve team work and general office dynamics. 23, 1 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 7, 2010

But, as I learned the hard way it doesn't work on all systems. Yes, I did mean "awry" and not "array" thanks for pointing that out and glad you are paying attention :) Patricia February 13, 2010 Louis said. This happens to me at least once a week and I use that exact same technique to rescue myself.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 21, 2009

When you need it later: The Bring-Forward System I always have the perfect answer. . ► June (3) ► May (7) ► April (4) ▼ March (5) When working isn't fun: Ho hum, ho hum, it's off t. How to get Office fat fast. the next day!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 1, 2009

When you need it later: The Bring-Forward System I always have the perfect answer. . ► June (3) ► May (7) ► April (4) ▼ March (5) When working isn't fun: Ho hum, ho hum, it's off t. How to get Office fat fast. the next day!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 1, 2009

Until you remember on your own what year you are in, this is a good back up system. It is not a good idea to use on a letter because once you open and print it, it will automatically update to todays date, which may not be what you want if you are using the letter as a history of when you sent it. Happy New Year everyone! 23, 1 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones 2009 IAAP 2008 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 29, 2008

Using a Bring-Forward System to Help Organize Your. . ► June (3) ► May (7) ► April (4) ► March (5) ► February (7) ► January (8) ▼ 2008 (215) ► December (3) ► November (6) ► October (5) ▼ September (5) Cystic Fibrosis Using an electronic Check Box - Check! Why I love my job?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 16, 2010

Check: Do you have a system for prioritizing your workload? Managing messages in bulk, but still in a consistent fashion, can help save time. If you don’t have e-mail folders, create some and sort messages as they are received. Manage: Use paper sticky notes or the computer desktop version to prioritize tasks.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100