ProAssisting Blog
MARCH 29, 2018
Please note that we have closed our training to new membership as we prepare to re-launch our company in May of 2018. Please come back then or enjoy our content from our blog posts below. We have been so thrilled to train so many assistants for the last 9 years and can’t wait for the next chapter.
Office Dynamics
OCTOBER 2, 2018
Being an Administrative or Executive Assistant is not always a walk in the park. There is always a fire to be put out, there is the juggling of 9,000 different tasks, and sometimes you are an assistant to more than one executive or manager. Simply put, not everyone can handle the position of Administrative or Executive Assistant. With that said, there are tips and tricks out there that are being used by assistants to make life a little less hectic.
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Small Business Labs
OCTOBER 16, 2018
McKinsey's The overlooked essentials of employee well-being focuses on how companies can improve the well-being of their employees. But it also explains why the self-employed - and especially those that work in coworking spaces - report higher levels of wellness and work satisfaction than traditional employees do. It covers two critical factors - job control and social support - that foster physical and mental well-being.
Eat Your Career
JULY 25, 2018
This is a question I get quite frequently in my monthly “Ask the Career Coach” sessions. It’s not surprising; people who are in the midst of a job search are always anxious. They want the process to be much faster than it (usually) is. The longer it takes to land that new gig, the more self-doubt starts to creep in. So, at what point should you start to worry?
Speaker: Chester Santos
Forgetfulness is costing you time, money, and a ton of missed opportunities. In the age of automation, it’s easy to underestimate the power of a well-trained human mind. But memory isn’t just a parlor trick, it's a strategic edge. Human memory is one of the most underrated business skills. Whether you’re managing people, leading sessions, or having high-stakes conversations, remembering names, details, and concepts can be transformative in building trust, absorbing knowledge, and driving perform
Practically Perfect PA
APRIL 12, 2018
A few years ago I was working as an EA in a large insurance firm. I’d been there a few years, I know the job inside out, I liked my colleagues and the work was okay. I would go into work every day, do my thing and leave at 5.30pm without a backwards glance. Good […].
Tips From T. Marie
OCTOBER 18, 2018
When I first started out my blog reading list was populated by the likes of Gary V , Mike Michalawicz, Chris Brogan and Seth Godin. While they give some great business advice, as time has marched on and my business has gone from a struggling startup to a well-established one-woman show, I’m finding myself drawn to business blogs that better reflect both myself and my business more closely.
Administrative Professionals Pulse brings together the best content for administrative professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Eat Your Career
SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
As the saying goes, a first impression is a lasting impression. Those precious first few moments of interaction with a new contact can have a major impact on how that person sees you for the entirety of your relationship. A bad first impression can be difficult (and sometimes impossible) to overcome, while a good one can help you stand out in a positive and memorable way.
Eat Your Career
OCTOBER 30, 2018
I’ve encountered a number of counterproductive attitudes in the workplace, but one in particular really bothers me. Too many people out there think they deserve career advancement for all the wrong reasons. For example, they believe they’re entitled to it because they’ve worked at the company for a certain number of years. Or, they think it’s justified because someone else just got promoted…and it’s only fair that they should as well.
Office Dynamics
JUNE 6, 2018
Do you have a healthy curiosity that you use in your day-to-day communications? I was inspired today to share with you 5 powerful communication strategies for administrative assistants that I often teach in my World Class Assistant Certification and Designation Program. However, I want to assure you that if you are not in the administrative profession, you will still greatly benefit from today’s topic.
Practically Perfect PA
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
It goes without saying that networking is essential for your career development. For a whole load of reasons, that I’m not going to write about in this blog, because we have lots of other blogs that talk about the benefit. So what am I going to write about today? Well, if we know networking is […].
Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA
In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. If you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner—and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top (a concept first popularized by Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There ). What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level.
Practically Perfect PA
MAY 31, 2018
I took my first online training course probably around 15 years ago now. It was a live webinar and we had to listen to the speaker via the phone on my desk while watching the slideshow on my computer screen. It was a bit of a novelty and funnily enough, a lot of my colleagues were […].
Office Dynamics
NOVEMBER 10, 2018
It is no secret that Joan Burge and the Office Dynamics team believes in continuous education and training so we wanted to provide you with several resources that give you access to free education and training. Educational Video Library. Office Dynamics has a library of over 60 educational videos for administrative professionals. You’ll gain access to past webinar recordings as well as the 26 Weeks to Administrative Excellence, Now is the Time, Adminology, and Reality Check courses.
Practically Perfect PA
APRIL 3, 2018
At the Future Assistant Conference I was talking to an Assistant who did not work in the same office as any of her Executives. Not a single one. I was a bit flabbergasted to be honest. Why? Because, she wasn’t a Virtual Assistant. She had been hired by the organisation to work with an Executive […].
Practically Perfect PA
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
I can’t think of a single day in the last decade that I haven’t at some point used Google for something. It could be to check my emails, write a document, put a meeting in my diary or, in most cases, search for something or settle an argument. It is, like most of us, my […].
Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP
The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.
Practically Perfect PA
JULY 17, 2018
If you use Google Chrome as your browser, then I am sure that you are aware of all of the brilliant extensions you can download to help with pretty much anything that you need to do on the world wide web. I use Chrome all the time and have a whole suite of extensions that […].
Practically Perfect PA
JANUARY 19, 2018
I wanted to share with you another session from last year’s Virtual Summit to give you a flavour of what you can expect at the Future Assistant Conference in February. Today, I thought I’d share my session ‘developing business acumen on a shoestring budget’ Business acumen is a fundamental requirement for the modern-day assistant.
Practically Perfect PA
JANUARY 15, 2018
Well, we are a few weeks into 2018 and I have seen a ton of articles, opinion pieces and social media messages about technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence, taking over the role of Assistants. I can understand the cause for concern because so many of us are still battling with the perception of the Assistant role. […].
Eat Your Career
FEBRUARY 12, 2018
Love isn’t something most of us think about at work. We’re professionals after all. But, with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. You see, love doesn’t have to be about romance. I actually believe the essence of love is much more profound than that. I also believe we can bring the spirit of love with us everywhere we go, including to the workplace—and when we do, I believe we have the power to change our experience of work.
Speaker: Jason Cottrell and Gireesh Sahukar
Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.
Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 27, 2018
The term disruptive innovation was coined by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen and popularized by his classic 1997 book The Innovator’s Dilemma. According to Christensen : Disruptive innovation describes a process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors.
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.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 22, 2018
In the next few weeks I will be moving house, and although the thought of it feels me with absolute dread, I am also very excited because I finally get to have an office. Yes, that is right, a whole room that is just dedicated to Practically Perfect PA! So although thoughts should be turning […].
Office Dynamics
OCTOBER 29, 2018
Welcome to Halloween week. Halloween is such an interesting holiday and is becoming almost as popular as the other major holidays. The stores, boutique shops, and online businesses sell everything to decorate your home, prepare for parties, and offer all kinds of paraphernalia. For decades October has been the month of scary movies and costumes. People love to decorate their yard like graveyards and display spooky creatures and goblins.
Speaker: Frank Taliano
Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.
Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 20, 2018
The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Advocacy recently released A Look at Non-Employer Businesses , a one-page summary of key data on non-employers businesses. "Non-employer" is the terms used by government agencies to describe businesses that have a business owner, but no traditional (W2) full or part-time employees.
Office Dynamics
NOVEMBER 8, 2018
If you feel you are on the verge of stressing too much because of your job or even home life, take a step back. You might be burning out. Before it becomes full-blown, take these steps: Find time to play. Even if it means forcing yourself. People on the verge of burnout usually are spending less time with family and friends. They have trouble getting away from the workplace.
Practically Perfect PA
MARCH 19, 2018
A few years ago I had a really brilliant mentor. She started working for my organisation just a few months before I started, but she had been working for my Executive for a few years and had followed her from their previous firm. They had a brilliant relationship and my Executive completely trusted her and actually suggested […].
Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 26, 2018
There's a mini controversy going on around whether or not coworking needs a new name. The recent Allwork article Why Coworking Needs a New Definition covers the new name side. Key quote from Joyce Bromberg, chief strategy officer at Convene: Everything that we know about landlords and how workplaces are designed, built, managed and staffed is being disrupted, necessitating a new name for what Bromberg predicts will become the way people work and how real estate will be consumed.
Speaker: Jennifer Hill
Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.
Office Dynamics
OCTOBER 20, 2018
Whenever you write something—a report, proposal, or sensitive email—you naturally don a writer’s hat. But don’t stop there. You’re not finished! It’s time to scrutinize and then fine-tune what you’ve crafted. Start with this question: Does every word contribute to conveying your intended message? To answer it, be sure to reread your piece (three times or more) as if you’ve never seen it before.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 9, 2018
I’ve spent quite a bit of time recently looking at how many Assistants are now working remotely or working with a remote boss and I can tell you there are a lot of you managing this new way of working. It is only going to become more common so I thought I would share with […].
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.
Practically Perfect PA
AUGUST 6, 2018
Over the last few years, I have written a lot about creating a successful Executive and EA partnership. It is the key relationship for Assistants and the one part of the role that you have to get right. Without a successful partnership, the work just becomes that much tougher. So, today I thought I would […].
Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions
Join this brand new webinar with Tim Buteyn to learn how you can master the art of remote onboarding! By the end of this session, you'll understand how to: Craft a Tailored Onboarding Checklist 📝 Develop a comprehensive, customized checklist that ensures every new hire has a smooth transition into your company, no matter where they are in the world.
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