The Definitive Personal Assistant & Secretarial Handbook : Abest practice guide for all secretaries, PAs, office managers and executive assistants / Sue France.

Machine generated contents note: About the author -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements Introduction 01 Using neuroscience to maximize your brain for excellence -- Understand your brain -- The physiology of the brain -- The triune brain theory and neurotransmitters -- Neuroplasticity -- Neuroscience and self-awareness -- Habits and how to rewire the brain -- Heart, brain and gut -- The importance of sleep -- Greater thinking -- U-SOFAR technique, by Sue France02 Relationship management -- Our social brains -- Understand yourself before you try to understand others -- What the boss-assistant relationship means to your health and well-being -- Image, perception and first impressions -- Managing your state of mind -- The handshake -- Professional image -- The beginning of a business relationship -- What is expected of each other: knowing the boundaries -- Key attributes, skills and knowledge that bosses look for in an assistant -- Working styles -- Constant communication -- Assumptions -- Be proactive, anticipate needs, be prepared and exceed expectations -- Be accountable: take pride in a high standard of work -- Empathy -- Honesty and integrity -- Trust -- Office politics -- How to manage your boss03 Compassionate Communication -- Body language -- Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic -- Matching and mirroring -- Tone of voice -- Eye contact -- Use of space -- The 'influential' right side -- Hands -- Posture -- How to influence the 'chemistry' between you and your boss -- E-mail communication -- Listening skills -- Questioning skills -- Gossip -- Telephone etiquette -- Understanding and communicating with different cultures -- Language and compassionate communication with yourself04 Confidence, self-belief and goal setting -- What is confidence? -- The feeling of confidence -- Act as if you are confident -- Think positive thoughts -- Focus on your strengths and boost your confidence -- Self-esteem, self-awareness and self-belief -- Internal 'negative gremlins' and internal 'positive coach' -- Self-limiting beliefs -- Tools to change/ eliminate negative gremlin voices -- The law of attraction -- The power of experiential learning -- Continual learning -- Methods of learning -- Appraisals and feedback -- Tips on how to receive constructive criticism -- Personal development plan (PDP) -- Goal setting -- Steps to help you achieve your goals05 Dealing with difficult people and managing conflict -- A problem-solving technique -- Assertiveness -- Ground rules for discussions -- Strategies to help you deal with conflict and difficult characteristics of bosses -- Respond instead of react -- E-mail rage -- Real-life case studies on how to deal with difficult bosses/ conflict -- Different types of management style -- 06 Time, organizing and stress management -- Time/ task management -- Prioritizing the workload -- 'Time thieves' -- Organizational skills -- Top tips for managing deadlines -- Stress management -- The CORE model -- Time management and lowering stress levels -- Advice on stress from assistants around the world07 Organizing meetings and events -- Before the meeting: prepare and plan! -- During the meeting/event -- After the meeting: evaluate -- 08 Perfect Presentations -- Preparation -- Confidence -- Content -- Practise -- During the presentation -- Ending the presentation09 Ergonomics: your health and safety -- The work station -- A tidy desk leads to a tidy mind -- Principles of posture -- Ergonomic health breaks10 Powerful networking -- The neuroscience of networking -- What is networking? -- The benefits of networking -- Where to network -- The secrets of power networking -- Remembering people's names -- What to talk about while networking -- Some general points -- Create an internal network for assistants11 A chapter to share with your boss -- Communication -- What bosses should know to work effectively -- with their assistants -- The law of expectations: communicate your expectations clearly -- How to motivate your assistant -- Focus on the development of your assistant12 Confident minute taking -- Definition -- Personal benefits of taking the minutes -- Preparation -- During the meeting -- After the meeting13 Harnessing the power of digital tools and social media -- The first step to using social media is to sign up -- The second step is to create a professional, credible profile -- The third step is to get people to connect with you/follow you -- The fourth step is to keep on communicating and building relationships -- Social media time management -- Twitter -- Facebook -- LinkedIn -- Other useful tools and tips -- Apps -- What you can use social media for -- 14 The successful assistant -- Compassionate communication -- Keeping up to date -- Organizing for success -- Yourself and others -- Networking and career development -- The future of the assistantThe following appendices can be downloaded from: www.koganpage.com/DefinitivePAHandbook -- You can also access them from: www.suefrance.com using the password from the Introduction 1 'U-SOFAR' technique to help you control your subconscious mind -- 2 Personal strengths assessment form -- 3 Personal development plan (PDP) -- 4 Preferred communication style -- 5 Pro forma for goal setting -- 6 Problem-solving technique -- 7 Positive adjectives /action verbs -- 8 Mindfulness and meditation techniques -- 9 Blank minute-taking template -- 10 Example of an informal agenda -- 11 Generic checklist for organizing meetings and events -- 12 Business case for creating an internal assistant network -- Figure 6.1 Blank task-prioritizing matrix -- Figure 6.2 Task-prioritizing matrix guideIndex.

"The ultimate guide for all management, personal, and executive assistants and secretaries, The Definitive Personal Assistant and Secretarial Handbook places specific emphasis on career development, providing guidance and advice on career advancement. Author Sue France offers help with time management, networking, relationship management, communication, and confidence. This updated third edition contains new chapters on neuroscience and how it affects job performance and how to use social media, as well as a detailed chapter on effective minute taking, telephone (especially cell phone) etiquette, and presentation skills. "-- Provided by publisher.

"Written by a former Times Creme PA of the Year, this new edition of The Definitive Personal Assistant and Secretarial Handbook is the ultimate guide for all management assistants, PAs, secretaries and executive assistants. Administrative personnel in today's workplace hold an immense influence, not only on their bosses' performance, but also on the running of the whole organisation. This best-selling book is the only resource needed to excel in one's role as an assistant, outshine bosses' expectations and go up the ladder. Placing special emphasis on career development and learning, it provides help and advice on the skills necessary to progress in your career. Along with a chapter to share with your boss for a more fruitful working relationship, it includes help with time management, networking, relationship management, communication and confidence. Now with a new chapter on how to use neuroscience tools to coach yourself through your weaknesses and primed behavioural traits, it also contains even more practical help with minute taking, telephone and mobile communication etiquette and presentation skills. With free downloadable online resources to aid the day-to-day running of your office, this comprehensive and accessible guide will help you keep your finger on the pulse and maintain your professional image"-- Provided by publisher.