Professional Assistant Blog

AUGUST 18, 2008

I work in a back office environment, where 99% of our client interaction is via the phone, e-mail or outside of the office, so I can wear jeans and a t-shirt. I worked for a software company with a casual dress code and men and women both wore shorts all the time (it was in Houston and warm close to year round).

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Laughing all the Way to Work

MARCH 13, 2010

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. 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 find the same thing at work.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 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?

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Time Zones Filing IAAP 2008 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 31, 2007

I also work in an environment where it gets a little too loud at times. Its an open-concept office and at times, I would like my colleagues to simmer down a bit. Do you wish you could take a fog horn and toot it around, just so that they would quiet down?

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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. Introducing Goo.

Time Zones 100

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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. ► February (5) We did it Canada!

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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. Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back.

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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.

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Professional Assistant Blog

JANUARY 22, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Using Microsoft Outlook Calendar Properly By The Professional Assistant on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Filed Under: Meetings , MS-Outlook , Organize , Productivity A re you trying to book a meeting with someone or a group of people? Until next time, Take care - of your clutter!

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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. There are a lot of good organizing tricks out there and whenever I find one that works, I pounce on it and it becomes something I cant work without. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

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Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 29, 2008

By The Professional Assistant on Friday, February 29, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Excel , Organize , Productivity A re you a Virtual/ Professional Assistant or want to become one? Finding the right tools to manage your business can be time consuming. This lessens the time you have to spend on the phone. Want to be More Productive?

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 31, 2007

Home About Me Advertise Tips on Handling Deadlines By The Professional Assistant on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 Filed Under: Organize , Prioritize , Productivity D o you hate deadlines? Do you feel jittery each time you receive a task that needs to be completed yesterday? They are there to help, since they are managing you.

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Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 31, 2008

Remember that you are in a professional environment and have to upkeep this attitude. How to Organize Tasks Effectively How to Deal with Inconsiderate Co-Workers Resizing Pictures in Microsoft Word 4 Ways to Cope with Difficult Colleagues Administrative Procedures Manual - Does Your Department Need One?

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 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.

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Time Zones IAAP International Calendars 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 29, 2007

So the next time you drink a cup of java and realize that its not the greatest in taste (like the one I have at work - but have gotten used to it over time and loving it), ask your office manager if they are willing to dish out a little extra green to supplement a better working environment.

2008 100

2008 Google Docs Cubicle 2007 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2008

How can you survive in this kind of a working environment? 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. ► March (2) Admin Buddies Are you prepared? 411 Look Up 411.ca

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Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 5, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Retrieve Your Files With Ease By The Professional Assistant on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Access , MS-Excel , Organize , Productivity D o you have quite a bit of filing to do? B eing able to retrieve the data is more important than an organized alphabetized file drawer.

Filing 100

Filing 2008 Cubicle 2007 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 23, 2010

Another office raised almost $1,000 in a fundraising effort they organized. Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back. He raised over $1,000. The old adage `every little bit helps`, really does. 411 Look Up 411.ca

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Time Zones IAAP AT&T 2010 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 25, 2008

It’s considered a more family friendly environment. How to Organize Tasks Effectively How to Deal with Inconsiderate Co-Workers Resizing Pictures in Microsoft Word 4 Ways to Cope with Difficult Colleagues Administrative Procedures Manual - Does Your Department Need One? You get to have more one-on-one contact with your clients.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 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. Keep an organized filing system and file list. Sometimes bringing the situation to their attention may help.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2008 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. Why I love my job?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 14, 2009

Another time I wanted to try a career in the travel business. I have become familiar with time zones, airport codes and international holidays to avoid. I love the planning, organizing and running around that goes into bringing a conference from a thought to a successful event. You couldnt survive if you werent.

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Professional Assistant Blog

JANUARY 10, 2008

Basically, this allows you to connect to your work environment via your internet connection. How to Organize Tasks Effectively How to Deal with Inconsiderate Co-Workers Resizing Pictures in Microsoft Word 4 Ways to Cope with Difficult Colleagues Administrative Procedures Manual - Does Your Department Need One?

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 16, 2010

Manage: Consider these points as you organize your workload. It reduces confusion by improving organization and leaves your work space clean. Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 9, 2010

If I deal with someone and can see that they have organized something well, I will make sure to ask them about it. Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back. I also get good tips from other assistants. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 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 never have more than four or five e-mails in my Inbox for any length of time. Here are five buts you can do without: But I dont have time! ► March (2) Admin Buddies Are you prepared? 411 Look Up 411.ca

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Time Zones Administrative Professionals IAAP International 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 4, 2007

Do they make inappropriate comments in a professional environment? At times, I would think to myself, “If I could only talk to them.&# Do you feel that they are overbearing and don’t know when to keep their opinions to themselves? or “I wish I could quit!

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Cubicle 2008 2007 Google Docs 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 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. ► March (2) Admin Buddies Are you prepared? 411 Look Up 411.ca

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Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

I recently received an e-newsletter from Jane Watson regarding Acronyms and Initialisms , which I thought was timely and wanted to share with you. 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. 411 Look Up 411.ca

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Time Zones ASAP IAAP 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? Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back. What about your work space? Is it neat and tidy? 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP International Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

SEPTEMBER 29, 2008

Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back. Using a Bring-Forward System to Help Organize Your. ► March (2) Admin Buddies Are you prepared? ► February (5) We did it Canada! Why I love my job?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 8, 2009

I have found in some work environments there is a real distinction between executives and staff. That is a good time to recognize assistants for all that they do. Imagine, if we had assistants at home to pay the bills, do the budget, organize dinners, answer our calls and follow up with reminders -- it is starting to sound pretty good.

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals Time Zones IAAP International 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

OCTOBER 4, 2009

It saves your boss asking if you got it done and in time they will not ask because they will just know you have handled it. Show your boss that you want to contribute to their success and to the organization. Take initiative and do some tasks that you know need to get done. Its worth trying to work it out. 411 Look Up 411.ca

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Management Time Zones IAAP International 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. Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back. 411 Look Up 411.ca

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 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. What a relief -- that was the best lunch I ever had. 411 Look Up 411.ca

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Time Zones IAAP Negotiating International 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. Building Relationships one Assistant at a Time ► April (2) Keeping focussed in a busy environment When your boss arranges meetings behind your back. ► March (2) Admin Buddies Are you prepared?

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2009 International 100