Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 17, 2008

Here are the top qualities that an assistant must have: Be organized. Can I say that again – BE ORGANIZED! An assistant’s job is to organize the boss and in order to do that we must be organized ourselves. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Be one step ahead of your boss.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 5, 2010

Does your boss ever organize a meeting behind your back? He will have a quick conversation with a staff member and set up a meeting, but not tell me anything about it. Posted by Patricia Robb at 9:52 PM Labels: Administrative Assistant , Arranging meetings , professional assistant Reactions: 3comments: Jodith said.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 13, 2010

I like to be prepared and I find life just works better for me at home, work and even on the bus, when I am organized and ready for whatever is coming up. I organize my desk so everything is within easy reach and makes sense to the way I like to work. I too, love to be organized and it only makes sense to be prepared.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 10, 2009

Would you take a job just to get your foot in the door of an organization you really wanted to work for, even if it was a position that you didnt want to make a career out of? You should stay in the position for long enough to make what youve learned stick to be fair to yourself and the organization who hired you. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 12, 2009

He can ignore e-mails, but it is hard to ignore me :) When you are copied on an e-mail, read the whole message, don’t just skim it. If you have been asked to do something and don’t fully understand what is expected of you, don’t be afraid to ask questions. There could be a message for you.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 19, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 19 December, 2009 Meetings Plus: Taking them offline I organize a lot of meetings in a day, week, month; heck, even into next year. After the meeting happens, then I can safely throw it in the recycling bin or shredder as appropriate. Lets enjoy our day together.©

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Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 10, 2008

The argument could be said that the role of the assistant is to assist and keep your boss organized so we shouldnt complain when we have to do it. I have found the best way to cope is to keep yourself organized. Here are some things I would suggest to help: Have regular meetings with your boss.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 16, 2010

If you don’t have e-mail folders, create some and sort messages as they are received. Manage: Consider these points as you organize your workload. Check: Do you plan for tomorrow? Check: Are phone calls planned? It reduces confusion by improving organization and leaves your work space clean.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 12, 2010

The Stevie® Awards is a prestigious award honouring the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. The fact that they have a category for Support Staffer of the Year is recognition of the important role support staff play in any organization. Morgan Chase & Co. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 6, 2008

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 6 September, 2008 Going Checklist Crazy I am organizing a Board meeting and I have checklists and to-do lists coming out of my ears. Being organized helps de-clutter any task and makes it more manageable and doable. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 11, 2009

And sometimes it isn’t, but from my experience if you read an administrative or executive assistant job description there is usually a phrase something like this, “providing administrative support.&# Whatever you are doing as an administrative assistant, don’t be afraid to try new things and expand your knowledge.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 1, 2010

One person can be great at software programs and know all sorts of tricks to get things done quickly and another might be excellent at organizing and managing their email account. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Dofasco Steel has long used the phrase "Our strength is in our people" and how true that is.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 16, 2010

The person sending out the request for the meeting and asking for dates would usually be considered the meeting organizer. If you are not the organizer, you still have a responsibility to provide available dates in a timely manner, set a reminder to make sure there is an agenda and if there isnt, email to ask for one.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 19 September, 2008 Using a Bring-Forward System to Help Organize Your Boss Of all the articles I have written, the one I wrote on the bring-forward system by far gets the most views. As an Executive Assistant to a busy CEO, I have to organize my boss and I needed a bring-forward system to meet his needs.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 14, 2009

I love the planning, organizing and running around that goes into bringing a conference from a thought to a successful event. You wonder how we do it all between our personal and professional lives, but we manage and I think it has to do with the fact that we are organized. February 18, 2009 Zelma De Souzasaid.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 10, 2009

I find the best way for me to keep my Inbox organized is to immediately deal with the e-mail when it arrives. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking stock We don't know what we don't know ► June (1) Playing nice in the sandbox ► May (2) Whose meeting is it anyway?

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Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 31, 2009

ALL WORK NO PLAY, ALL PLAY NO WORK When I told my boss I had started a blog and was naming it Laughing All The Way to Work, he didn’t get it and said, "That doesn’t sound very professional Patricia." I hope you enjoy them as much as I did in the telling. My current boss says we get along like a house on fire.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 8, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 8 November, 2009 Preparing your boss for meetings away from the office or at home I had a good tip from my boss that I have used to help me prepare him for meetings whether they are away or at home. What is the purpose of the meeting? Does your boss need to be at the meeting?

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Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 17, 2010

Now that I knew what was taking the time, I could do something about it and make adjustments to organize my day better. Keep your desk organized with a place for everything. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. What I learned very quickly was that I had to finish one room at a time. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 15, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 15 March, 2009 When you need it later: The Bring-Forward System My boss likes me to keep him organized and the way I do that is to have a system to bring forward items, which I then bring to his attention when he needs to see it. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2008

The head of your organization can often set the tone for how the rest of the office functions. Everyone helping each other and working together to achieve the goals of the organization. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Lets enjoy our day together.© 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 13, 2009

In some organizations raises are tied to how well you do and it is also a record that is kept on your personnel file. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking stock We don't know what we don't know ► June (1) Playing nice in the sandbox ► May (2) Whose meeting is it anyway?

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Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 13, 2008

You also dont want to get too relaxed and drink too much because even though you are at a party outside the office, these are still the people you work with and if you have plans for your career then what you do at the office party counts. The office party can be a good time for some networking with the different people in your organization.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 9, 2010

If I deal with someone and can see that they have organized something well, I will make sure to ask them about it. 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.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

Each organization we work for will have their own acronyms that we have to get familiar with fairly quickly if you want to know what they are talking about. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. And who bothers writing out the words e-mail, TV, ASAP or FYI when everyone will know what you mean anyway?

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Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 8, 2009

Is everything organized and in the proper place so when you need it you can just grab it? EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking stock We don't know what we don't know ► June (1) Playing nice in the sandbox ► May (2) Whose meeting is it anyway? 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 29, 2008

EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking stock We don't know what we don't know ► June (1) Playing nice in the sandbox ► May (2) Whose meeting is it anyway? Using a Bring-Forward System to Help Organize Your. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m. Minute taking made easier.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 21, 2009

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. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Our job is not just one thing, but many different tasks and it changes every day. Someone who says, "Thats not my job!"

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Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2009

Show your boss that you want to contribute to their success and to the organization. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking stock We don't know what we don't know ► June (1) Playing nice in the sandbox ► May (2) Whose meeting is it anyway? 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Management 100

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Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 5, 2009

At first I am taken aback, wondering what the heck happened, and then I get angry and because I couldnt get it off my chest with this person, the next person I meet will probably feel my crankiness and then they will wonder what happened and pass the bad mood on to the next person. Lets enjoy our day together.© Same thing at the office.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 24, 2009

To set a recurring 9-5 meeting (as opposed to clicking all-day meeting) I dont like the all-day meeting settings as they are out of sight at the top of the calendar and easily missed. To do this Open a New Meeting. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Lets enjoy our day together.©

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Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 11, 2009

Sometimes I go to our dinner meetings and take polls at the table I am sitting at about some office procedure I am thinking of implementing and get their feedback on how they do things in their offices. Check out some of the sites and organizations and see which you would find to be most useful. We can all help each other.

IAAP 100

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Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 17, 2010

I also had a reception to organize and I am never sure how many appetizers to order for everyone and normally go by what the hotel staff tell me I need, but I noticed there is always so much food left over that I tried something different this time. What are the dates you can cancel by? Contracts will have dates you can cancel by.

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Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 13, 2008

EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. Taking stock We don't know what we don't know ► June (1) Playing nice in the sandbox ► May (2) Whose meeting is it anyway? That is the message I try to give my readers. We all have to work, but we can have fun too. So why do I like my job?

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Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 8, 2009

Imagine, if we had assistants at home to pay the bills, do the budget, organize dinners, answer our calls and follow up with reminders -- it is starting to sound pretty good. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct. The one I like the least is staff. It is almost palpable. Another great article Patricia.

Administrative Professionals 100

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Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 29, 2009

If you are the minute-taker for meetings, you will be better prepared to take the minutes and use the correct terms in the right context because you will actually know what they are talking about. Is this something he or she will need and does it have to be printed for a meeting? This in turn makes us very busy as well.

Management 100

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