Workplace Insight

JANUARY 17, 2024

One of the researchers told Fortune magazine : “There are many people in that sample that do frontline jobs, for example in retail, manufacturing, or hotels and restaurants, and they naturally don’t work from home because of the nature of those jobs”.

2016 59

2016 2024 2019 2015 59

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Will you be able to reel off a list of the best restaurants in that part of town? Along with everything else that is asked of assistants we do have to possess some sort of encyclopaedic knowledge of the world’s best restaurants and hotels. Keep a list of great restaurants and add to it whenever you come across a new suggestion.

Restaurants 100

Restaurants Travel Suppliers Email 100

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Everyone who works in and around London knows the ExCeL London Exhibition and Conference center. ExCeL London is big, as you would expect from a venue that hosts global conferences and exhibitions. There are plenty of coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and pubs all within the campus so guests are very well looked after.

Suppliers 100

Suppliers Restaurants Equipment AT&T 100

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 4, 2014

In a spacious executive car your manager can work from their laptops in comfort, they can take private phone calls and they catch up on their reading. I’ve had many managers that have used their private car for meetings, either picking clients up on the way to restaurants or the meeting venue. Space to work. Local knowledge.

Stress 100

Stress Credit Card Travel Restaurants 100

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 10, 2014

Then call my ex-husband and remind him that the parent-teacher conference is at Dalton tonight. Similarly I have a large A4 desk pad next to my keyboard for any quick notes I need to make, things to remember (like phone numbers for instance), and tasks people give me at my desk. I don’t want dacquoise. Ask for confirmation.

AT&T 100

AT&T Calendars Keyboards Email 100

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 5, 2015

I manage his schedule and monitor his emails, as well as help organise some of his travel, company events, and client dinners, occasional research, expenses and ad hoc tasks – all the general PA duties. I also try to have a quick catch-up with the MD either by phone or face-to-face. What are the main aspects of your role?

Restaurants 100

Restaurants Expenses 2014 2015 100

On The Job

JULY 26, 2011

You insist on a certain chair in the conference room. You claim you hate gossips, but have sent emails passing along the latest scuttlebutt concerning a colleague's dating habits after you overheard her on the phone. You keep your colleagues waiting at a restaurant for a lunch get-together. You're inflexible. You dither.

Gossip 100

Gossip Restaurants Phones Home Office 100

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 18, 2016

Meeting other assistants who work near by, who share the same suppliers, hotels, restaurants etc. I recently spoke at the Assist Conference in September 2015, and at Skyscanner’s Company Presentation in December to around 300 people. Sherien : I am sure I am with the millions when I say I can’t live without my phone.

Networking 100

Networking Social Media Confidence 2015 100

Small Business CEO

JUNE 10, 2013

Consider heading to a restaurant known to be frequented by people in your industry, or attend a conference on the fringes of your field. Follow up (phone call OR email) the day after your meeting and suggest another follow up. Meeting for coffee, a phone chat…whatever makes the most sense. Are you following up?

Networking 40

Networking Restaurants Phones AT&T 40

On The Job

JULY 30, 2009

Do noisy multitasking when on a conference call. Especially the "I've landed' cell phone calls ;) Would also suggest 'not' multitasking with email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you're going to use a cell phone, you should have at least a basic grasp of the process of electronic voice amplification.

2009 100

2009 Cubicle Phones AT&T 100

Musings of a High-Level Executive Assistant

JULY 20, 2015

Use your cell phone alarm Chances are, you use your calendar to remind you about meetings and any important events. However, I found that not helpful and I’ve always used my cell phone’s alarm clock. I have an Apple phone so I use the “chimes” tone because it’s soft, sounds pretty, and is not as disruptive as other sounds available.

Calendars 40

Calendars Fax Phones Email 40

Virtual Moxie

OCTOBER 12, 2010

Stay away from email! Because I use gmail to handle my email address(es), I was still able to check my email from my husband's computer (and communicate with folks who were expecting work from me during the time my computer was in the shop). Two days later I traveled to a blogging conference, which I attended sans computer.

AT&T 100

AT&T Phones Restaurants 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 17, 2010

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 17 April, 2010 Keeping focussed in a busy environment There are so many distractions in the office -- the telephone, your co-workers, email and your boss! But I did it by keeping a notepad by the phone and each time I started a task I would write it down. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Environment 100

Environment Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 15, 2009

Sometimes I wish I had something to warn me when I am with someone with a cell phone so I can know that we are going to be interrupted. I find it frustrating when people either text while in a conversation or are constantly taking phone calls. Apparently not, when its by phone. In an emergency, the cell phone is a useful tool.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Etiquette Phones 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 18, 2009

It was an amazing conference. New South Wales Australia Time) Turning Soft Skills Into Tangible and Recognizable Skills That You Can (and Should) Bring to The Office Conference December 6/7, 2010, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia IQPC’s 8th Executive and Personal Assistant Summit is on again in 2010! 5, 2010 at 12 p.m. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 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). Recently, we wanted to see who was off site and at what event, so we decided when people are away at conferences, etc.

Calendars 100

Calendars IAAP Time Zones 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 18, 2008

Networking at a conference does little good if you never speak with the person after the event. If you meet someone at an Administrative Assistant conference, for example, make sure to follow up with that contact within a week or two after the event. If you discussed a need at the conference, be sure to address it.

Networking 100

Networking Time Zones IAAP 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. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 13, 2010

I had no idea this could be done, but I was thrilled when I got her email, but it just proved to me once again that we are all holding on to things we take for granted that others know about. The tip she sent me was how to edit an email that you have received. Close out of the email and you will be asked to Save the changes.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP PowerPoint Email 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. .© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 2 July, 2010 We dont know what we dont know We really dont know what we dont know do we? 5, 2010 at 12 p.m. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 31, 2009

I recently met with another administrative assistant and as we were discussing an upcoming admin conference, we started to talk about our role and how we are the do-all and go-to position in our offices. There are 12 step programs for many groups designed to help people, so why not for us. How do we keep it all together? 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 8, 2009

Smith to discuss strategies for upcoming marketing conference). If it is an external meeting, but local, enter location of meeting in calendar, provide your boss with address and directions, contact phone number, taxi chit. State the purpose of the meeting in the calendar appointment as well as who will be at the meeting (i.e.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Calendars 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. .© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 8 April, 2009 April 22nd - Administrative Professionals Day It often amazes me that a day is set aside for our profession. We do the behind-the-scenes work.

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals 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 have noticed in my role as an assistant that I can be called upon to do a lot of things. Our job is not just one thing, but many different tasks and it changes every day. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 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. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 16, 2010

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 automatically updates when I use an office product, and I can manually enter stop/start times for phone calls, meetings, face to faces, etc. Doing too many things can actually waste time.

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. New South Wales Australia Time) Turning Soft Skills Into Tangible and Recognizable Skills That You Can (and Should) Bring to The Office Conference December 6/7, 2010, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia IQPC’s 8th Executive and Personal Assistant Summit is on again in 2010! 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 10, 2010

New South Wales Australia Time) Turning Soft Skills Into Tangible and Recognizable Skills That You Can (and Should) Bring to The Office Conference December 6/7, 2010, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia IQPC’s 8th Executive and Personal Assistant Summit is on again in 2010! EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 20, 2010

You hear something while walking down the hall or are copied on an email and know something about the purpose of a meeting coming up. Many times I am so thankful I had that quick chat or read that email that I was copied on as that was the exact information I needed when they were away. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 28, 2009

New South Wales Australia Time) Turning Soft Skills Into Tangible and Recognizable Skills That You Can (and Should) Bring to The Office Conference December 6/7, 2010, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia IQPC’s 8th Executive and Personal Assistant Summit is on again in 2010! EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Gifts 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

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. EST Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Join me for a Webinar Oct.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 5, 2010

If you have to reschedule, send an email apologizing, but advise that your bosss schedule has changed. Depending on the importance of the impromptu meeting, it may need to be changed to another timeslot to accommodate his or her calendar. Usually when I point out the conflict to my boss, he is more than willing to make the change.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 1, 2010

There are just too many passwords to remember, and that doesnt include my bosss passwords that I also need to know because I have to check his emails as well as my own. Even if you phone the bank they need your secret passcode or they wont speak to you about your account. But things like email etc, are all logged up in the noggin.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones 2010 IAAP Filing 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 16, 2010

They are responsible for canvassing the participants for dates and determining the date everyone is available and coummunicating that information to the participants by sending out a meeting request to everyone or emailing the date (depending on how you or your organization prefers to send notices of meetings). 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Agenda 100

Agenda Time Zones International IAAP 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 9, 2010

Did I phone to get my electricity turned on? New South Wales Australia Time) Turning Soft Skills Into Tangible and Recognizable Skills That You Can (and Should) Bring to The Office Conference December 6/7, 2010, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia IQPC’s 8th Executive and Personal Assistant Summit is on again in 2010! 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 19, 2009

The cure: always answer the phone professionally - this way youre never caught off-guard. I agree that we should always answer the phone professionally, but if it is a co-worker calling, it seems silly to say "Patricia Robb speaking, Executive Assistant to the CEO, may I help you?" January 19, 2009 Patricia Robb said. I shut it off!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100