Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 29, 2008

In one of my previous jobs, when I was working for an Investment Advisor, he gave me the installation CD-ROM and asked me to read up on how to use it. Believe it or not, this was quite an easy system to learn. Just click on any of the links below to take a look at the particular task you would like to learn about. Whats next?

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 13, 2010

I take the bus to work and I often see people getting on a busy bus and then going through their backpack or purse looking for their bus tickets and holding up the line. They had enough time as they saw the bus approaching, they know they will need it, but time and time again, they are searching for it. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 7, 2010

A good tip if you flub up your voicemail is to press # and it should give you prompts to get out of it. But, as I learned the hard way it doesn't work on all systems. Join us at the luxurious Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast for an amazing end of year get away and your chance to network, learn and advance your skills in style!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 10, 2010

.© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 10 January, 2010 What ever happened to the "us" in Service? Another time I was trying to find a full-serve gas station to fill up, but there was nothing to be found. It was expensive,but when I brought it home I had to do all the work to get it up and running. Something to think about.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 31, 2009

Lesson learned and will now put me on high gut alert. 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!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 31, 2007

Do you feel jittery each time you receive a task that needs to be completed yesterday? There are times when people come up to me and expect things to be done right away. Apparently, everyone comes to me all at the same time. People have to learn that they are not the only ones that need things to get done quickly.

2008 100

2008 Google Docs Cubicle 2007 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 1, 2009

If you are a new hire, take the time to learn and ask questions. A colleague and I were discussing this very thing as we have seen it time and time again with new hires trying to succeed and who end up making some avoidable mistakes by jumping in too quickly and making decisions before having enough information.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 13, 2010

If I am told that I should have it in the next few weeks, or can expect to receive it in a couple of months, that doesn’t really help me with my follow up as it is not a definite date. Think about it the next time you give someone a timeline. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!"

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 28, 2010

National pride -- all time high. What a blast the last two weeks have been, but I dont think I could have taken any more late nights staying up to watch the Olympics in Eastern Standard Time. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 31, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 31 January, 2009 Housecleaning in Word 2007: Customizing your Dictionary Something you should do every once in awhile is to clean up your dictionary in Word. I have the software at home, but havent gotten the gumption up to load it yet. 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca

2007 100

2007 Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 23, 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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP AT&T 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 22, 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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 9, 2010

By using the template I was able to accomplish everything with enough time to change, touch up my make up and hair and then off to the next event. Join us at the luxurious Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast for an amazing end of year get away and your chance to network, learn and advance your skills in style!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 27, 2009

Thank goodness for Google , I use it all the time to get answers. This time I came up with a site called Karens Linguistics Issues. Join us at the luxurious Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast for an amazing end of year get away and your chance to network, learn and advance your skills in style! 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes Google 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 15, 2010

The topic was on personal branding and they were making recommendations to executives on how to polish up their image. 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).

Calendars 100

Calendars IAAP Time Zones 2010 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 22, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 23 August, 2009 Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" So how do you word your follow-up e-mail so as not to come across as impatient? It is OK to follow up, but be nice.people have a lot on their plate and your request is probably not the only thing they have to do, so be understanding, but be persistent.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 4, 2010

It is frustrating to the rest of the team because they are trying to meet certain goals and when there is a problem it takes time away from the manager who has to deal with it, but also the whole team as they see the time ticking and production at a standstill. She would spend more time complaining about it and whining than cleaning.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 12, 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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

2010 100

2010 Interviewing Time Zones IAAP 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 9, 2010

If I hear from the assistant I know I am going to get answers and the process of setting up a meeting will go smoothly, but should I try to develop a working relationship with them? Join us at the luxurious Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast for an amazing end of year get away and your chance to network, learn and advance your skills in style!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 8, 2009

What dates and times does he or she have available (keeping in mind time zones for away meetings)? Secure the date and time in his or her calendar, taking into consideration travel time if outside the office. 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 18, 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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

Depending on how acronym happy your office is, it can be like learning a new language. I suppose we better get used to it as it seems to be a trend and start to learn the language of acronyms and initialisms. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones ASAP IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 16, 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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Agenda 100

Agenda Time Zones International IAAP 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 25, 2008

You have access to more resources, such as better technology and online learning (which is usually provided by the company). Leadership potential is quite different, since you can move up within the company quite quickly, as opposed to a smaller firm, where it might be family run. You don’t want to end up looking for another job.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 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. Who better than the admins to come up with something that works. ► August (4) Managing your Boss's Inbox Nice ways to say, "Hurry up!" 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2009

And always checking up on you. Ask yourself what things really matter to you and ask questions to bring those things up in the interview. Join us at the luxurious Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast for an amazing end of year get away and your chance to network, learn and advance your skills in style! 411 Look Up 411.ca

Management 100

Management Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 16, 2008

I did do research however and read as many articles and books on the subject that I could and then I tackled the article and actually learned something while doing it. Writing on a subject you know nothing about is a good way to learn something about that particular topic. 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning! I look like that!!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 10, 2008

(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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 9, 2008

(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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 27, 2009

My friend said it didnt seem to faze her and she quickly pulled up her skirt and kept talking like nothing happened. Join us at the luxurious Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast for an amazing end of year get away and your chance to network, learn and advance your skills in style! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Holidays Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 31, 2010

Recently, someone contacted me through my blog to introduce me to an on-line card service. No, its not e-cards (I am not a fan of e-cards as one more e-mail cluttering up my Inbox is not a welcome thing), but these are actual hard copy cards that you can customize and send out with your own special message. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 10, 2008

In my weekly recap last Friday I pointed out a Lifehack.org article arguing that the current climate for hyper-productivity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Then yesterday I came across a similar post , claiming that the pursuit of productivity has ended up out of control. It’s understandable this has come about.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 5, 2009

I was at the cottage with a friend and she was cranky and started to get wound up about something to do with her husband. By the end of the call her husband had caught her crankiness and it ended up with them both being angry. She ended up calling her husband back and apologizing for her bad mood. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 23, 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! 411 Look Up 411.ca 411 Look Up 411.ca " Warning!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Staples Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

DECEMBER 19, 2009

I tend to keep my scheduling sheets in chronological order and each morning I go through them to see if there is any action I need to take, i.e. follow up to ask for an agenda or see if I can start scheduling. Never underestimate what you can learn from other assistants. Learning from each other is a necessity. (New

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

NOVEMBER 21, 2009

The next time a new challenge or opportunity comes up at work, pay attention to what you tell yourself -- are you being positive or negative? Once you start doubting yourself, it is hard to bring yourself back up. I think everyone feels insecure at one time or another, but I find you cant let insecurity get the best of you.

Self Esteem 100

Self Esteem Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 13, 2010

I think Tasks is one of Outlooks best-kept secrets, but it shouldnt be and is a great way to follow up on items. If I send an email to a co-worker requesting information, I immediately drag it from my Sent items to my Tasks, set a reminder to follow up and write in the Subject line "Did I get this information". " Warning!

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP PowerPoint Email 100