Office Dynamics

APRIL 15, 2021

In 2020, assistants faced an array of challenges in the workplace. This year has already shown to be just as challenging. Your ability to thrive and navigate through the uncertainties thrown your way will require a particular skill set – timeless skills.

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Skills 2020 Goals 246

Office Dynamics

OCTOBER 6, 2020

Take a good, long look around your office (or, if you’re still working remotely, around your Zoom room). How many successful executive assistants do you see? Who is at the pinnacle of growth, productivity, and success? Are you one of those successful administrative assistants?

Learning 189

Learning Training Skills Management 189

Office Dynamics

JULY 20, 2020

Are you in the market for a new job? You’re not alone. Recent events have led to a rise in job seekers, which means more competition. So, how do you stand out in a saturated market in which employers are receiving resumes by the minute?

Interviewing 243

Interviewing Resume Etiquette Networking 243

Office Dynamics

JULY 10, 2020

Did you know that bad grammar can ruin a good message? You could be missing opportunities to get your point across because your readers have to wade through awkward sentences that set their teeth on edge. Common grammar mistakes can be avoided if you take the time to learn the rules and then apply them.

Learning 264

Learning 264

Office Dynamics

JUNE 12, 2020

More words don’t always translate into more meaning. That’s why it’s important to avoid wordiness in your writing, especially in a business setting. Your colleagues’ and customers’ time is precious. They need to know what you offer, need, or suggest quickly and concisely.

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Office Dynamics

MAY 14, 2020

Have you ever come across someone whose decorum is composed amidst the chaos? Their organizational skills, attitude, and outlook seem unscathed. It’s likely that the person you see before you developed those traits over time and has chosen to be resilient regardless of what lies ahead. Developing resiliency is beneficial for two main reasons: Throughout your career and personal life, there will always be turmoil, upheaval, and unwanted change.

Administrative Professionals 246

Administrative Professionals Skills Stress Learning 246

Office Dynamics

MARCH 6, 2020

Sunday, March 8. In a recent interview, I was asked, “What motivates you to be an Administrative Professional Trainer and Coach”? I made it clear: I am passionate about my career of choice. More importantly, I am driven by the concept of igniting the power of you , the opportunity to gain control over your outcomes, and to value your value. I am an advocate for those who feel undervalued, those who are victims of their circumstances, the overwhelmed and stressed— basically, the disengaged and pa

2020 262

2020 International Administrative Professionals Self Esteem 262

Office Dynamics

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Ask an Admin was created by Office Dynamics to help administrative professionals with their problems through the help of their peers. We don’t always have an answer to each individual’s problem but we know some of you might. Please read the question and comment below. EA with Brains asks: How to approach this situation? I work for a C-level executive who gives me tasks to do even though I’ve asked my executive if there’s anything I can do to assist with project-related work.

Administrative Professionals 226

Administrative Professionals Salary Training Learning 226

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 27, 2020

Ask an Admin was created by Office Dynamics to help administrative professionals with their problems through the help of their peers. We don’t always have an answer to each individual’s problem but we know some of you might. Please read the question and comment below. Preethi asks: Hi Fellow Admins, I am an administrative professional with over 10 years of experience.

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Administrative Professionals Policies Training Learning 250

Office Dynamics

DECEMBER 4, 2019

If you are like me, you are getting caught up in the holiday season plus a long list of To-Do items at work and home. I imagine you are starting to feel a little stressed and you are racing against the clock—December 25. Here are my tips: Breathe! Seriously. Stop whatever you are doing and take a few deep breaths. You can use this tip anytime you feel your mind or body racing.

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Holidays Stress Management 2019 204

Office Dynamics

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

I have been fortunate to gain a three-dimensional view of communication between executives and assistants: I was an assistant for 20 years thus understanding what I needed from my executive so I could be effective. I worked with a variety of managers and executives, each with different personalities and communication styles. Since 1990, I have been the CEO of my own company and have worked with several of my own assistants.

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Email Training International Learning 222

Office Dynamics

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Christine N. Asks: I’m finally getting around to creating my Administrative Professional Protocol Manual but I’m not sure if it should print everything out in a 3 ring binder (using dividers), using a One Note document, having it electronically in an online file or all of the above. What do most administrative professionals prefer? Thank you! Please comment below.

Administrative Professionals 182

Administrative Professionals Filing Training Learning 182

Office Dynamics

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

Ask an Admin was created by Office Dynamics to help administrative professionals with their problems through the help of their peers. We don’t always have an answer to each individuals problem but we know some of you might. Please read the question and comment below. Emily K. asks: I live in a town close to admin groups (like Meetup or non-profit groups) but each is at least 1.5 hours away.

Administrative Professionals 180

Administrative Professionals Training Networking 180

Office Dynamics

AUGUST 7, 2019

I created the above visual as an image of the ideal situation between an executive and their assistant, especially when it comes to communication. Because of all the technology today, assistants have a very hard time staying “in the loop.” When an assistant is aware of what is going on or what is on the horizon, she or he can better anticipate, be proactive, plan better, foresee barriers, look more professional, and reduce stress.

Calendars 230

Calendars Stress Phones Networking 230

Office Dynamics

JULY 30, 2019

Year after year, one of the biggest struggles executive assistants report to me is effective time management. Let’s face it: your days are chaotic. You’re pulled in a million different directions, and many of you have multiple leaders to support. Deadlines press down on you, distractions steal valuable time, and there never seems to be quite enough hours in the day to get it all done!

Management 184

Management Confidence Training Learning 184

Office Dynamics

JULY 20, 2019

In part one of “ Empowering Tips ” I mentioned that the word Empower is not only the theme of the 26 th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence , it is also used in a variety of situations and conversations. I highlighted the many professional and personal development focuses that I have learned from Office Dynamics resources, conference, team, and owner – Ms.

Administrative Professionals 209

Administrative Professionals Confidence Skills Goals 209

Office Dynamics

JULY 11, 2019

Ask an Admin was created by Office Dynamics to help administrative professionals with their problems through the help of their peers. We don’t always have an answer to each individuals problem but we know some of you might. Please read the question and comment below. Alice S. asks: My beloved manager/leader/friend is leaving our company at the end of July.

Administrative Professionals 174

Administrative Professionals Stress Training Learning 174

Office Dynamics

MAY 16, 2019

Welcome back to Ask an Admin! The blog series that allows administrative professionals to ask any questions they may have and have their peers give the best advice they can provide. This week Stacey asks: I am the Executive Assistant to the President and CEO, and the only assistant (the only admin, really) at this location. Coworkers leave documents on my desk; the expectation is that I secure the signature of the President and CEO, and then return it to the requestor (who’s assistant am I, anyw

Administrative Professionals 179

Administrative Professionals UPS Training Learning 179

Office Dynamics

APRIL 4, 2019

If you are an Administrative Professional looking for your questions to be answered by your peers, then this is the place for you! This is the best blog for advice for administrative assistants and executive assistants provided by Office Dynamics International. This week Renee C. asks: As an administrative assistant, how do you get your supervisor to complete his tasks and get things done, especially in a timely manner and meet deadlines?

Management 184

Management Administrative Professionals International Training 184

Office Dynamics

MARCH 27, 2019

The questions keep flowing in so we will keep posting them! Ask an Admin has been a success because all of the great questions and the amazing answers that administrative assistants and executive assistants have been submitting. This week Lynda asks us: My 2019 development goal is time management. I’ve been studying this for a while and, although I’ve compiled many good tips, many don’t apply to me because of my admin role.

Management 124

Management 2019 Administrative Professionals Training 124

Office Dynamics

MARCH 26, 2019

Ask an Admin is a place where administrative assistants and executive assistants can get advice…from each other! This peer to peer interaction allows us to not only make the administrative profession stronger but it also gives us a great way to network and interact with one another. This week Ms. G presents a tough scenario: How do you deal with a write up in your performance evaluation that states: Continue to work as a team player with Administrative Specialist staff to collectively res

Administrative Professionals 154

Administrative Professionals Networking Training Goals 154

Office Dynamics

MARCH 19, 2019

Office Dynamics has put together a list of books for administrative assistants and executive assistants that will help you with your professional development and personal life. Because we had so many great choices we decided to make it a little easier for you to find what you are looking for by breaking the blog into two sections. The first half of the blog contains titles that are dedicated towards the administrative assistant and executive assistant while the second half of the blog contains t

Administrative Professionals 240

Administrative Professionals Purchasing Confidence Training 240

Office Dynamics

FEBRUARY 21, 2019

The word Empower is not only the theme of the 26 th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence it is used in a variety of situations and conversations. It is also an excellent mantra keyword and topic for personal and professional mission statements. There are several ways to feel empowered and encourage empowerment in others. During conversations, I have had the privilege to have with Joan Burge she has always encouraged the true meaning of empowerment for all, especially those in the admi

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Confidence Resume Goals Interviewing 165

Office Dynamics

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Hello Office Dynamics friends and family! Ernan here and I’m very excited to share with you a little interview I had with Joan Burge. Year after year we host the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence here in Las Vegas and each year about half of the attendees are new, not just to our Conference but to the city of Las Vegas. This got us thinking, if you are new to Las Vegas and you are here for a conference, it can be extremely overwhelming trying to figure out what you should visit and

Restaurants 185

Restaurants Attire 2015 AT&T 185

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 24, 2019

Welcome to another question for Ask an Admin. This is where the administrative assistant and executive assistant can submit any question they have and their peers will answer the question based on their previous experience. We believe that there are many different ways to approach problems, difficult tasks, and situations so we thought this would be a great way to provide you a place to share your input as well as receive input from others.

Administrative Professionals 256

Administrative Professionals Management UPS 256

Office Dynamics

JANUARY 23, 2019

One of my favorite aspects of attending a professional development conference is the opportunity to connect with other administrative professionals to share processes, tips, best practices and learn how they simplify daily tasks with technology. The 25 th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence offered several sharing & connecting opportunities!

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Filing Collaborate Budget Agenda 164

Office Dynamics

NOVEMBER 28, 2018

We recently posted a blog that listed free training sources we provide; 6 Free Training Sources for Administrative and Executive Assistants. At Office Dynamics, it is our goal to elevate the level of the administrative profession through knowledge and training but that got us thinking, “What else can we do?”. So, we are going to provide you with links to some of our friends that you can use for your professional and personal life.

Administrative Training 182

Administrative Training Training International Promotion 182

Office Dynamics

NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Why is it that at the time we make a decision we believe it is the best, right answer or choice. Then days, weeks or months later, we regret the decision we made. We say to ourselves, “What was I thinking? However, based on the information I had at the time, I felt I made the best choice.” We will never be perfect at making decisions but we definitely need to take each bad decision or poor choice, learn from it, and commit to making better decisions in the future.

Purchasing 208

Purchasing Confidence Travel Skills 208

Office Dynamics

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

“Laughter has been shown to increase our pain threshold, reduce blood-sugar levels, boost glucose tolerance and increase blood flow to vital organs.” If that is not enough reason to laugh and play, then how about because it’s fun and relieves stress? I was excited when I came across an article on the internet called Power Play: Getting Into Goofing Off.

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Training Stress Management Learning 208

Office Dynamics

OCTOBER 24, 2018

October 24, 2018. We enjoyed a fabulous breakfast buffet (so much food!) at TBones upscale restaurant. Large tables made for great breakfast conversation with admins from throughout the country and around the globe. I met Charlotte and Chris from Amarillo. Charlotte described getting approval to attend the conference and her manager’s enthusiastic approval.

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2018 Restaurants International Skills 203

Office Dynamics

OCTOBER 24, 2018

Starlight Welcome Reception – 10/23/2018. The Starlight Welcome Reception was a fun event! Conference attendees mingled and enjoyed hot appetizers, dessert and drinks while a “Rat Pack” Vegas crooner entertained us with lounge music. His playlist was wonderful. I glanced over and saw a few couples dancing to the music. I met attendees from Atlanta, Burlington, San Jose, Utah, South Carolina, Canada and more.

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Administrative Professionals 2018 Travel Learning 193

Office Dynamics

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Whether you have been coordinating meetings for decades or days there are some simple tips to follow to make any meeting more productive and the attendees feel welcomed. There are times when meetings seem to plan themselves especially when the majority of the week is spent attending or planning several meetings! People may quickly migrate to an open room and start discussing random topics, etc. or an agenda is created, the room is reserved, but the topics are not clear.

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Agenda Equipment Resume Interviewing 230

Office Dynamics

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

From Joan Burge’s new book, Joan’s Greatest Administrative Secrets Revealed (2018). I know many seasoned executive assistants who think they do not need to focus on or pay attention to their basic skills, what is also known as the fundamentals. They feel they have been managing calendars or planning meetings forever so why pay attention. This is not smart.

Calendars 223

Calendars 2018 Negotiating Skills 223

Office Dynamics

AUGUST 23, 2018

This infographic is created from the Executives & Assistants Working In Partnership: The Definitive Guide To Success , by Joan Burge. To better understand the people side of the partnership equation, it’s helpful to first understand the stages of growth. Below is a slightly adapted excerpt from Joan’s Star Achievement Series® training.

Training 150

Training Management 150

Office Dynamics

AUGUST 2, 2018

Create a Friendly and Approachable Atmosphere. In our fast-paced world, people are becoming detached and desensitized. We are more transaction-based, unfocused on how our interaction is affecting other people. When you have that style of interaction with others, the world becomes decidedly colder. You must be aware of when that happens and take the steps necessary to turn it around: Your body language and facial expressions provide visual clues, whether you intend them to or not.

Environment 178

Environment Purchasing Forms Management 178

Office Dynamics

AUGUST 1, 2018

Thank You! It’s not very often that Office Dynamics can celebrate another book release by Joan but when we do, the amount of support shown is truly amazing. Joan’s new book, Joan’s Greatest Administrative Secrets Revealed , is set to be released in Septemeber, 2018. As a thank you, we’d like to give you three free chapters from Joan’s book, Who Took My Pen…Again?

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PDF 2018 Administrative Professionals International 185

Office Dynamics

JULY 19, 2018

It’s COOL to be an Administrative Professional because you have a pulse on how people feel. It seems that most people in a workplace confide in administrative professionals. How many times have your executive’s direct reports talked to you in confidence? Or how many just talk to you about how they feel about a project — or changes taking place in the company?

Administrative Professionals 214

Administrative Professionals Confidence UPS Skills 214