Professional Assistant Blog

AUGUST 28, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Clock In The Right Time Zone: Booking Meetings in Microsoft Outlook By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, August 28, 2008 Filed Under: Meetings , MS-Outlook , Organize , Productivity , Travel D o you need to book meetings for your manager(s), but most meetings are all over the country or even internationally?

Microsoft Outlook 100

Microsoft Outlook Time Zones 2008 Cubicle 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 5, 2010

Does your boss ever organize a meeting behind your back? That makes it difficult when I am supposed to be organizing his calendar, but since I am responsible to organize his time and in spite of my frustration, I have to make it work. So what can you do when your boss is ruining your perfectly scheduled calendar?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

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. Once a date is finalized I put it in my bosss calendar and confirm the meeting with the other participants. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 8, 2009

Secure the date and time in his or her calendar, taking into consideration travel time if outside the office. State the purpose of the meeting in the calendar appointment as well as who will be at the meeting (i.e. Follow up with the meeting organizer to request agenda and/or meeting materials, pre-reading, etc.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Calendars 100

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.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones 2008 IAAP Calendars 100

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. If that is not happening, schedule yourself in their calendar. Keep an organized filing system and file list.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2008 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 8, 2009

How often I have organized a conference or arranged a Board meeting and after all the organization and planning it goes off without a hitch. I like organizing and feel satisfied when everything comes together nicely, but it takes a lot of work to get there. Have you ever been at an event that isnt well organized?

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals Time Zones IAAP 2009 100

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. .© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 17 December, 2008 Anyone can be an Administrative Assistant, right?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones Filing IAAP 2008 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 17, 2010

If you have to answer the phone, deal with an email or attend to something for your boss, do so, as that is the nature of the admin job -- multi-tasking, but once you have done it, go right back to your to-do list, re-focus and continue what you were doing. Keep your desk organized with a place for everything. Dealing in real time.

Environment 100

Environment Time Zones IAAP International 100

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.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 16, 2010

Manage: Consider these points as you organize your workload. Check: Are phone calls planned? For each one, write down what you hope to accomplish with the phone call to help you stay focused. It reduces confusion by improving organization and leaves your work space clean. Check: Are you prioritizing tasks correctly?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

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. His calendar then shows blocked time and nobody misses seeing that he is away. Your bosses calendar will now show Monday to Wednesday blocked from 9-5.

2007 100

2007 Time Zones IAAP 2003 100

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. Dealing in real time.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 12, 2009

Sometimes e-mail is not the best way to communicate and it needs to be followed up by a phone call or face-to-face short meeting. INCOMING MAIL: As with e-mail, you should read the letter to see if there are any action items for your boss (or yourself) and diarize them or put the appropriate dates in the calendar. Thanks for sharing.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International 2009 100

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. Minute taking made easier. 411 Look Up 411.ca

2010 100

2010 Interviewing Time Zones IAAP 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. If I deal with someone and can see that they have organized something well, I will make sure to ask them about it. It is important to build relationships with those we work with, but what about assistants we dont work with?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

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. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Agenda 100

Agenda Time Zones International IAAP 100

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. I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

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. Using a Bring-Forward System to Help Organize Your. Minute taking made easier.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

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. Lets enjoy our day together.© Minute taking made easier. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 23, 2010

Another office raised almost $1,000 in a fundraising effort they organized. I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? He raised over $1,000. The old adage `every little bit helps`, really does. Minute taking made easier.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP AT&T 2010 100

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. You couldnt survive if you werent. Minute taking made easier.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

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. I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? I never have more than four or five e-mails in my Inbox for any length of time.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones Administrative Professionals IAAP International 100

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. I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 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

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. The last online course I took was under $70 and was interactive using both the computer and a speaker phone for audio. As painful an exercise as this may be, I wouldnt downplay the performance appraisal.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 11, 2009

There are some assistants however who enjoy the organizing and the business of being an administrative or executive assistant and they are good at their job and get great satisfaction in what they do. They dont want to change their career and that is all right too. Minute taking made easier. Dealing in real time. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 13, 2008

The office party can be a good time for some networking with the different people in your organization. RSVP If you are not able to attend the party, it is always a good idea to let the organizer know and your boss. So why bother going? You may also come to understand your co-workers better and find common interests. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 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. Check out some of the sites and organizations and see which you would find to be most useful. Perhaps, you are reading this and thinking some of these things can be a big time commitment. I understand!

IAAP 100

IAAP Time Zones Administrative Professionals International 100

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. I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? Minute taking made easier.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones ASAP IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 29, 2008

I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? Using a Bring-Forward System to Help Organize Your. Minute taking made easier. Dealing in real time. When your voicemail goes awry. Why I love my job? 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

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? I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? What about your work space? Is it neat and tidy? Minute taking made easier. Dealing in real time.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

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. There is value in getting to know people, even if it is just over email or the phone.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Negotiating International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 29, 2009

If there are any deadlines or appointments, put them in your boss’s calendar or task list with appropriate reminders. Going through some major organizing and filing here at our office and this is another 'a propos' topic that hits home. Flag items that are urgent or print them for their attention and action.

Management 100

Management Time Zones IAAP 2009 100

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. I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? Minute taking made easier.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2009

Show your boss that you want to contribute to their success and to the organization. I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? Take initiative and do some tasks that you know need to get done. Its worth trying to work it out.

Management 100

Management Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 13, 2008

I gave at the office Calendar "ah ha" Introducing The Administrative Bloopers Blog What ever happened to the "us" in Service? Using a Bring-Forward System to Help Organize Your. Minute taking made easier. Dealing in real time. When your voicemail goes awry. Why I love my job? 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones Interviewing IAAP International 100