Office Dynamics

How Color Affects Mood

Joan Burge — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:18:00 GMT

Hello, Monday Motivators!

I’m going to take a new twist on wellness today. Let’ think color, clothing and attitude.

How does color affect mood?

Just look at the colors below and what they represent or emotions they evoke. Imagine if you wear orange this week, how much more determined and creative you might be? Or if you wore yellow—it actually generates muscle energy. Who wouldn’t want that? Do you want to feel more calm or tranquil this week when you attend a meeting? If so, wear blue.

I notice how wearing different colors make me feel different. I hate to admit it but I love red! My next favorites, although not really colors, are black and white. You can probably tell this from our corporate colors. But I also love bright yellows, oranges, greens, and blues. When I wear any clothing with those colors, I feel better in terms of being energetic; get-up-and-go; happy; sunny. All of those positive feelings affect my wellbeing. Now what about black affecting my well-being? Well, I don’t feel morbid in black. I feel very powerful when I wear black. It is a symbol of authority so if I am going into a situation where I want to feel empowered, I will wear black. This helps my mental well-being and also plays a role in how I come across to others. It is a positive experience which boosts my self-esteem and emotional well-being.

Interestingly when I remodeled my bedroom and bathroom last year, I chose colors that are very calming – beautiful silvers, pewters, grays and white. I added bathroom tile and hardware that sparkles and shimmers like evening stars. (It is not the gaudy kind of sparkle.) My bedroom is a place of calm and serenity which is very important to me with my crazy travel and work schedule. I feel the peace as soon as I open the door to my room.

Think about it. What colors do you favor? Why might you like those colors? Are there new colors you need to surround yourself with to help create what you want to feel? Don’t be afraid to mix up the various colors in the different spaces you reside.

Color speaks to us all the time. We are surrounded by color (or lack of color) in nature. For example, when I travel to the mid-west during the winter when it is gloomy and the skies are gray, I notice I don’t eat as healthy. I crave foods that are heavier, more fattening, and could be described as comfort foods. I don’t feel like jumping out of bed in the morning. And at night, I’m ready to just sit inside and ‘veg’ out which means I’m not getting much exercise. I notice as soon as I get back to sunny Las Vegas, I eat much healthier, eagerly awake with the sunshine, and want to be active throughout the early evening and weekends. I want to get up, get out and go! (No offense to those who live in the mid-west; I was born in Cleveland and lived in that part of the country until 13 years ago.)

You should surround yourself with the colors that help evoke the feelings, emotions and energy that you desire. This would include your workspace, rooms in your house, the inside of your car or any space or place where you spend a lot of time.

Have fun this week exploring color, meaning, and the connectedness to your Wellness Pillar.

Joan

More On How Color Can Affect Mood

The information below is taken from: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Orange is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy.

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, and freshness. Green suggests stability and endurance. It indicates growth and hope.

Blue is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

Purple symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

Red is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure.

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, and purity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness.

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery. Black denotes strength and authority.

It's All About You! Put Yourself First.

Joan Burge — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:28:00 GMT

Welcome to May! This month I am focusing on the Wellness Pillar of Live a BIG Life. I am excited about this Pillar because it encompasses so many things and truly impact the other 4 Pillars: career, family, financial and spiritual.

Please stay tuned to this entire Series. This is not about crazy diets and sacrificing your favorite foods, although wellness is about nutrition.

This also applies to everyone--parent or not. We all have people who demand our time--whether they are neighbors, friends, coworkers, or bosses. We also fill our time with lots of "to do's", activities, social events and more.

PAUSE! It's really important that you push the PAUSE button. Take time to relax on a big hammock outside, immerse yourself in a good book, take a peaceful long walk (no cell phones or reading e-mails); soak for 45 minutes in a big hot tub while you listen to spa music; or play with your dog. The list is endless.

Most people tell me they can't take time for themselves as they have too much to do. That is true; so do I. I decided when I was in my 20s and married with children that I would make time for me. I realized that if I didn't take time for Joan, then I would not be a good wife, mother, worker, friend or sister. I have proven to myself, over and over, that when I do take "Joan time," I am much more creative. I am energized and can give so much more of myself to things that really matter and the people I really care about. I can also see the impact when I just keep running and running and don't take a break--and that is not good.

GUILT! An important mind-game is not feeling guilty for making time for yourself. It's interesting how many people, especially women, feel guilty when they take a day for themselves. We have to move away from the guilt and tell ourselves that we deserve this time and need this time to replenish our strength and energy.

BACKLOG? I'm sure you are thinking . . . "If I take three or four hours for myself, I will get behind on my errands or tasks." Yes, you might but you can try to plan ahead. Maybe you have to put in extra hours during the week so you can take off the time on the weekend. Run errands after work or during lunch hour so on Saturday you can kick back and relax. Refuse to do any tasks or errands on Sunday. Also, take a second look at your lists of to do's. What can you remove from the list? What can you delegate?

One benefit of taking your break is that you will come back fired up with energy and tackle any backlog.

This month make a commitment to take care of you. Look for little ways to pamper yourself or have private time. This goes for the men, too.

Joan

Listen to more insights on Reasons to Put Yourself First.

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Career and Family Balance: How She Does It

Joan Burge — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:20:00 GMT

Not a week goes by that someone doesn't ask me "how does Jasmine do it?" What they mean by this is that Jasmine Freeman, my Chief Executive Assistant, is heavily involved in my business as well as in our community and she has a beautiful family of four children and a spouse at home. We decided to sit down and talk about career and life balance to see if there was some magic formula that Jasmine knows about that she could fill us in on.

Can you really have career and life balance?

I hope you enjoyed the video interview we did. Do you have questions for Jasmine or myself? Please write us or ask them in the comments section below. We would love to answer your questions.

What are your thoughts on balancing career and family? Do you have tips to share?

Angry, Sad or Hungry? That is Not the Time to Shop!

Joan Burge — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:48:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators!

Did you run into any instances this weekend when you emotionally shopped? I bet a lot of the shopping we do is emotional. For example, you go into the local Hallmark store at the Christmas holiday to purchase a card and get all warm and fuzzy seeing all the Christmas wrap, bows and other goodies and walk out with $30.00 or $40.00 worth of merchandise more than you were going to spend. Or you had a really bad day at work and had to stop at the mall on your way home to get a birthday gift for a family member. While walking around you see a great outfit and you think, “I deserve that after the day I’ve had.”

Whether our kids tug at our hearts for a toy they see in the store or you go supermarket shopping on an empty stomach, we all buy more than what we need. It’s just human nature. We don’t have to beat ourselves up for it but we should get away from too much emotional spending because hours or days later, we regret the extra purchases.

So what can we do to help?

1. Eat before you go to the supermarket—even a small snack that will curb your appetite.

2. Make a list for the market and stick to it.

3. Follow Dave Ramsey’s advice and set aside cash to food shop the month before you are going to use it. If you set aside $500.00 for the month of May, you only get to spend the $500.00! That will force you to be more selective when shopping.

4. For clothing and accessories: keep a running list of what you need and let it build until you absolutely must shop. As you build the list, set money aside for these items. Keep in your mind that you are not going to use a credit card. Or if you do, you have set the cash aside so as soon as the bill arrives, you pay it in full. Also by keeping a list and holding off, you may find by the time you actually do the shopping, you don’t need everything you wrote on your list.

5. There is a difference between “need” and “want.” Believe me; I’m always working on this one.

6. If you had an argument with a family member and want to get out of the house—fine; but don’t go to the store. Instead take a long walk, run or go to the gym or a friend’s house.

7. I think women can get really excited about shopping for a special event. We need the perfect dress and, of course, the shoes to go with the dress. Then we need the purse and jewelry and on and on. Is there any way you can coordinate colors when shopping for outfits so you can get multiple uses from the clothing or accessories?

If we can lessen the number of times we shop emotionally, I know we will save more money and use it more wisely.

Good luck this week!

Joan Burge

Monday Motivator: Earn More Money

Joan Burge — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:44:00 GMT

Happy Monday!

In case you have not read the first few MMs of April, I am focusing on the Financial Pillar of Living a BIG Life this month. But before I get into that, I want to say Happy Administrative Professionals Week to all the fantastic men and women who call this their Career of Choice! It truly is an amazing and exciting career with lots of opportunity and challenge. Being that I was in the profession for 20 years before starting Office Dynamics, I full heartedly know all the time and energy you have to put into your work to make your leaders and management team successful. It’s not an easy role as you have so many different personalities to deal with; constantly juggle priorities to meet deadlines; run a busy executive’s life; keep calm in the office; manage your manager’s stress in addition to your own and so much more.

I also know from being an executive for 22 years, the value an assistant adds to my work and life. I have not always been so lucky to have assistants like Jasmine Freeman. In fact, several assistants came in and out of my life and it was always difficult “breaking in” a new assistant and trying to create that synergistic partnership I always talk about. But I have been extremely blessed to have Jasmine Freeman as my strategic partner for 6 years.

So here’s to all the wonderful assistants in the world. Congratulations! Thanks for all the work you do. The team at Office Dynamics treasures and values you.

Now … onto that Financial Pillar. Today I want to tie together financial and career. Obviously your career has a big impact on your finances. Your ability to be a top performer in the workplace and be recognized and rewarded as a top performer plays a major part in your Financial Pillar. Often when you work for someone else (another company), you can’t choose how much money you can make or you could be locked into a salary range. So no matter how hard you try, you will only go so far because of your title and level within that arena.

This does not mean that you should give up or not bring your “A” game to work. It’s amazing how many managers can “find” money for the right person. I don’t want to get in trouble by telling you this but it is true that exceptions are made for the A-1 Stellar Performer. So you want to do everything you can to meet that expectation. But what if there truly are limitations—caps on how much you can make? I ran into that when I was an employee. There was a boundary and I could not earn a higher income no matter what I did.

Often you have to take into consideration all the other perks your company offers. It’s easy to say, “I don’t get paid enough.” But add all your benefits—what are they worth? How much does your vacation time add up to? What about sick days or personal time off? How much of your medical insurance does the company pay? Do they put money into your 401K or a SEP? Does your manager give you extra time off to attend your kids school play? Or does your manager invest in your training and development—how much does that cost? So there are ways you are compensated beyond a paycheck. You should feel really good about those extra benefits.

Do you still need more money so you can fund a vacation and nurture your Family Pillar or maybe you want to join a gym to support your Wellness Pillar?

One of the best ways you can earn some extra money, and possibly a good chunk of extra money, is by utilizing your talents outside of the workplace. Provide a service that taps into your talent or skill that will earn money. I have many examples, but I’ll just give you a few. I met an assistant, years ago, in one of my workshops who was an excellent proofreader so I hired her to do a great deal of proofreading for me. I met another assistant who had excellent writing skills and asked her to do some writing for us. Another person was great at photography and has helped us out. When I was a young married woman and we needed some extra money, I typed grants in the evenings for a woman who lived in the neighborhood. Thinking of today’s technologies, if you are great with social media do freelance work for small business owners utilizing tools like Hootsuite. If you are creative with hand-made note cards or gift baskets, let people know that.

There are all kinds of ways you can earn some extra money like holding garage sales. Be creative and have fun!

Joan Burge

Monday Motivator: Where did all my money go?

Joan Burge — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:59:00 GMT

Before I get into this week's Monday Motivator I just want to let you know that it's not too late to register for the FREE Q&A with me. The call takes place tomorrow. Learn more about the call and register yourself now! I'll be answering YOUR questions related to being an assistant. I've never done this before so sign up now and be sure not so miss it.

Did you have a great weekend? Good. Did you keep track of how much money you spent this weekend? How much of what you spent did you plan to spend ahead of the weekend? How many little items did you purchase this weekend that you were not intending to buy? Which stores did you go into to buy one item and ended up purchasing 3 or 4 items?

We all do it--we spend without thinking--spend without intention. The problem with this is that we can end up spending an extra $50 or more a week which $50.00 x 52 weeks = $2,600.00. What could you do, of significance, with $2,600.00? A lot!

To live our BIG Life, we need to get a grip on our Financial Pillar. As I mentioned in the past, I am not a financial expert or guru or accountant! I have been paying extra attention to my Financial Pillar over the past year and trying to learn as much as I can. I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey, the financial expert (that is putting it mildly). When you are young, you feel like you have a lifetime ahead of you and so you don't think about putting $1.00 a day aside and what that might compound to be after 30 or 40 years. But then when you get to 60 or 70 you wish you would have given more attention to all the years past. You reflect on all the money that slid through your hands.

Be selective as to what you spend your hard-earned money on. What is most important to you? Maybe your home is a high priority. Or maybe taking that special vacation to an exotic place is at the top of your list. Maybe you want your children to be able to attend college and not have to take out a huge student loan that they will pay for years and years after.

Something that has helped me over the past year is to have a chunk of money taken out of my paycheck every payday and placed into a special account. I can't miss what I don't have and I live comfortably on what goes into the checking account. Even if you only have $20 per paycheck taken out, it is something and will add up.

This week, keep a little diary (every day) of every item you spend money on--whether you paid for it with cash, credit card or debit card. Do this Monday through Sunday. Then on Sunday night or Monday night review your list. Ask yourself these questions:

What did I spend money on that I could I have done without?
What did I buy that I really did not need? There is a difference between "wanting" something and "needing" something.
What am I happy I spent my money on?
How long will the item I spent money on last?
If I spent money on an activity or going out with friends or family, did I really enjoy myself?

I hope this little activity will get you started and eager to learn more about financial budgeting, planning for the future, comfort and freedom.

This month I am focusing on the Financial Pillar with you. For last week's message click here.

Check out this week's Monday Motivator Video Message and be sure to share it with your friends.

Good luck

Joan

P.S. We've got some great things for you this month. Please check out the listings below which includes access to a free question and answer call with me, Joan Burge, this week to a sweet book deal. It's all below so take a minute to check it out.

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How to Train Your Manager

Joan Burge — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:30:00 GMT

Executive Assistants—How to Train Your Manager

If you think about today’s manager, executive, leader (whichever you’re comfortable with) they are independent, tech-savvy, and very proud that they can do things on their own. While this is good news, you’re going to have to train your manager on better utilizing you and to maximize your time and talents! How do you do that?

TREAD LIGHTLY. In other words, if you work with a manager that is used to operating a certain way for a certain amount of time, don’t expect them to change their habits overnight. Just as you and I don’t. You’ll have to walk very easily with that manager and practice patients in this process.

Be clear on perceptions and expectations. Get clarity on what your manager believes you should handle and how he or she perceives your performance plus much more such as your ability to manage chaos. You cannot meet your manager’s expectations if they have not been clearly communicated to you.

Take a detailed look at the projects and tasks your manager undertakes. For example, let’s say your manager has a certain budget, presentation, or report that they have to submit every month or quarter. Find out the different aspects of the project and how you can help.

Learn to set boundaries. If you are becoming overwhelmed like you are stretched too thin; keep in mind that you don’t ‘eliminate’ yourself in eliminating some projects. Find where you can add value. Then get your manager to coach and train you on the tasks you can take on. Get their advice on how to get more tasks that are not mundane but affect the bottom line. In speaking with managers, I know you have to tread lightly. The goal is to get your manager to see the benefits. In other words think about the benefit over a 12 month period and show your manager that if they can take an hour to show you how to gather the information for that report, you can save them 12 hours in a year on that report. Ask them, “What would you really like to do with that extra 12 hours?” Tell them it could benefit their job and their career, with your help! Wording is the key! It’s about how you word it and how you present it.

Motivation to Live a BIG Life

Joan Burge — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:20:00 GMT

Monday Motivators, it's time to Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life!

Welcome back to work and a fresh, new Monday! I’m sure most of you took vacations, enjoyed spring break, or visited family over the Easter holiday. I enjoyed a 5-day holiday with my big family in Cleveland, Ohio—sisters, brother-in-laws, cousins, 2^nd cousins, nieces and nephews. I brought my adult children and 4 grandchildren from Las Vegas with me and they had a ball! We also celebrated my Dad’s 88^th birthday! He feels great, looks fantastic and still runs his own business. Of course, I ate way too much but the food and desserts were so good. I often eat Italian traditional dishes that I don’t cook so it is a special treat for me.

This leads me to my special announcement today. I want to take you on a special journey for the next five months. Yes, I said five months. I want to introduce you and immerse you in Living a BIG Life! In the fall of 2012, I released a new book (for women) called Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life. I open my heart and the story of my life in this book as an inspiration to others—all of whom have obstacles to overcome, barriers to break through, mountains to climb and heartaches to carry. But this is a story of hope, inspiration, overcoming obstacles and red lipstick!

At the core of this book are the 5 Pillars: Career, Family, Financial, Spiritual and Wellness. It is vital that we give equal attention to these pillars over time. When I hear speakers or others talk about work/life balance, I say, “No way. Work and personal life are never in balance. Our personal lives incorporate so many aspects.” However, I firmly believe that we can give attention to all the pillars over a period of time—say, a year! In fact, my Office Dynamics team and I have been proving this belief since May of 2012 and all of us have improved all 5 Pillars of our life. We are healthier, better off financially, finding greater satisfaction in our work, make more time for friends and family, are spiritually connected and grateful for the little things in our lives.

Going back to my story above, my 88-year old dad has lived a BIG life; not an easy one, mind you, but a full one. Not everyone is that fortunate. A BIG life is not about the number of years on this earth; but the quality of your life and what you do with your life. Living a BIG Life is about becoming all you were meant to be and living your full potential.

So what about our journey? I’ve chosen to focus on one Pillar per month starting with the Financial Pillar in April. Do you cringe when you hear “financial?” I am not much of a numbers person and accounting was never my strong suit but I’ve realized that our Financial Pillar is very important. I’m sure you would agree. If our finances are not in order or we have not prepared properly for emergencies, it will affect all the other Pillars. So please take some interest this month and read your weekly Motivators.

Also, I’d love for you to visit JoanBurgeBIGLife.com where you can listen to some of the daily huddles that the Office Dynamics team and I hold based on the 5 Pillars. It’s like sitting at the coffee shop, listening to inspiring messages with your best friends and sharing your deepest thoughts on a subject.

This week, see where you can cut small expenses. Don’t buy anything that you really don’t need; don’t buy anything when you are feeling down or upset—that’s called emotional spending. Be wise about every penny you spend as you work hard for your paycheck!

Check out this week's companion video for this Monday Motivator, click the video play button below.

Good luck

Joan

Wait! One more thing!!!

We're holding a very special Q&A Call with Joan Burge on April 16. This is the kinda call you want to be on. Joan is going to be answering your questions about your chosen profession. Any questions you can bring Joan's way about being in this career, she's ready to take them on in this call. We've never done anything like this before and we're so excited to test it out for the first time with YOU! Be on this call. Register now - IT'S FREE! Get all the call details here!

Having the Courage to Flourish in Life

Joan Burge — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:40:00 GMT

What are you going to do this season that you’ve never done before and have always wanted to do?

Dear Monday Motivators,

Happy Monday! Are you having a hard time getting yourself going this morning? Well, hopefully this will wake you up. I’m jumping right into this week’s topic. FEAR!

Fear can prevent you from progressing in your career and in your personal life. It prevents you from opening up to experiences which could be rewarding. It hampers your receptivity as an individual. It has a way of becoming a “monster” if you let it fester because the more you think about the thing you fear doing, the worse it seems. When fear stands in the way of you becoming all you can be, learn to make it work for you, not against you.

There are times when F-E-A-R is nothing more than – False Evidence Appearing Real! We all have experienced it. Fear comes in different sizes and shapes, and has different faces.

Recognize too that the things one person fears, you may not fear and vice versa. Be tolerant of others’ fears, because to them, the fear might be overwhelming. For example, do you know anyone who suffers with Coulrophobia? I do. The fear of clowns is very prevalent; in fact, there are over 356,000 results for the term when Googled. Not everyone suffers the same fears but we all experience fear.

The big difference between people is that for some, fear paralyzes and for others fear becomes a personal challenge. It gets their adrenalin pumping, in a good way. Every time you confront your fears, you become a stronger person. You prepare yourself for bigger and greater things to come. This isn’t to say that once you conquer a fear you will never again be afraid. It’s just that when you learn to deal with a fear and experience some success in taking it on, you will be more inclined to take on the next worrisome challenge and come out on top!

Going back to my question at the beginning, what are you going to do this season that you have never done and always wanted to do? Do not put it off another year. Now is the time to get up and get going with your life.

To make it easier, you can start by doing something that will cause you to flourish in some aspect of your life weekly. Baby steps are fine. In fact, ongoing baby steps will lead to a huge leap of upward growth over several months. This really boils down to building your confidence. When you are confident about something, you take on more and more.

Here are some idea generators.

Volunteer to lead a meeting at work.
Attend an after-work function where you do not know people, thus stretching you out of your comfort zone.
Go to lunch with a colleague who you do not know well.
Ask a seasoned executive assistant if you may join him or her for lunch.
Join the local gym that you have been thinking about for months.
Check out a new sport or hobby.
Streamline a current process and get other co-workers to implement it.
Sign up for an educational program that will challenge your thinking.
Offer to teach a mini workshop for the administrative assistants at your organization.
Do anything that “scares” you a little bit.

Normally, after we have done something we did not think we could do, we build our confidence. This encourages us to tackle other things that we are afraid to try. Then when we come on the other side of that hurdle, we get even more confidence which inspires to continue on the journey of regularly challenging ourselves.

Are you ready to own your fears and start overcoming them? Share your fear in the comments below and we'll be here to help you through them. It's the first step.

Continue to read your Monday Motivators™ as they will be fertilizer for your soul!

Joan Burge

Enjoy your Easter holiday. We will not have a Motivator on Monday, April 1. We'll be back Monday, April 8 - see you then!

Live a Showcase-Worthy Life (Secrets of Dynamics Executive Assistants)

Joan Burge — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 23:30:00 GMT

Yay! It’s another Monday. We are already seeing spring in Las Vegas although many of you are still experiencing winter. The good news is that spring is just around the corner. Colorful flowers will start to peek up from the soil; beautiful little flower buds and greenery will blossom from trees; birds will start chirping and all of nature will come to life.

As I said, we started to experience spring a few weeks ago. I noticed lightheartedness in my step, a sunnier more energized attitude emerging and I felt invigorated about my life, projects at work and home. The days seem extended now; it stays lighter past 5:00 p.m. so I feel like I have more time to do the things I want to do before settling down for the night.

I especially love spring as it represents renewal and the opportunity to blossom. If you think about the life you are living, has it been dormant – kind of like winter – blasé, one day flowing into the next; nothing really exciting happening. You get up day-after-day, go to work, come home, cook dinner, do laundry, help the kids with homework, hang out with the same people, and run errands all weekend. Wow! That isn’t very energizing is it? However, we have the opportunity every day to create the life we want. We have the ability within us to become the kind of person we dream about.

For today, I want to share this excerpt from my latest book, Who Took My Pen . . . Again? - which I co-authored with Jasmine Freeman and Nancy Fraze. I believe it says it all!

It takes courage to be the best at what you are good at. As children, we are each gifted and talented in different ways. All of these are good and carry the capacity to change the world and enable us to live happy, fulfilling lives. But something happens.

Somewhere along the line, we prize blending in over self-fulfillment to embrace our destiny. We are afraid to stand out and be good at something. We fear being noticed for what we are good at, for what we can be successful at. So we shrink back. We avoid opportunities. We prize sameness and blending in over the effort, fun, and luxury of actually getting up and enjoying using our talents every day.

What would it be like if you were the best “you” that you could be?
How would you be different than you are right now?
What would you be doing?
How would you be feeling?
What about your appearance would change?
How would what you say change?
How would your attitudes and thoughts be different?

It takes guts to live a showcase-worthy life. First, you’ll need to stop filling up all your time with random things that do not bring you any closer to using your talents. Something will have to go, and it might be your television time!

Next, you will need to meet some great new people who love that talent the way you do. Perhaps they like using that same talent or perhaps they appreciate it and are great fans. And you’ll need to experience using your talents. You’ll learn some new skills, understand your talents framework better, and begin to leverage yourself to use your talent. This will all be exhilarating and exciting, because it will draw you so much closer; close enough that you can almost taste it.

There will be people along the way who tell you that since they cannot yet see the talent in you being showcased to a full 100% fruitfulness that it doesn’t exist or is not worth the effort or time to try to do so. Perhaps most frightening of all: sometimes the person who tells you those very words will be staring at you out of your own mirror.

Still, the courage to showcase your talent is worth it all because in the end, at some wonderful magnificent point, you will showcase your talent. You will actually use it and feel more in tune with yourself than ever before.

Why? Because more than receiving the applause, accolades, recognition, more than any other single aspect (including being paid for it) is the delight you will have in yourself and in using your talent.

And you will be so happy and glad that you were courageous enough to go for it.

For more on Living a Showcase-Worthy Life, purchase Who Took My Pen . . . Again? By Joan Burge, Jasmine Freeman and Nancy Fraze.

How an Executive Assistant Can Optimize Meetings with their Boss and Shine

Joan Burge — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 02:14:00 GMT

As an executive assistant you may be curious about what type of dialog you should be responsible for in your one-on-one meetings. Here's some great tips from Joan Burge. If you missed Part 1 of this video visit: Executive and Assistant One-on-One Meeting Instructions with Joan Burge

Luck vs. Planning for Success

Joan Burge — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:27:00 GMT

Welcome to another great Monday! Since St. Patrick’s Day is just a week away, I thought I would talk about luck vs. planning for success. I speak on this topic in my Star Achievement Series® training for executive and administrative assistants. It’s interesting to hear the different perspectives people have about luck. Some people truly believe other people are just lucky! They believe that the person they are observing got that great job or has a great career because they are ‘lucky.’ Other participants in my workshop fully believe that a person works hard and prepares themselves and then an opportunity arises and they are the right fit.

I believe that some people are lucky in that they inherit a lot of money or a family business. However, if that person does not have the skill or develops the skills to run the business, they will drive it into the ground. What we often see as luck is really a person who has prepared for months and even years to get that great job, launch a new career, buy that fantastic home or second home or gracefully retire.

The idea is that you should be in a “preparing for luck” mode all the time. Each day try to make even a small effort toward what you want to achieve. Baby steps will eventually get you where you want to go. Even in the most basic situation—a person who walks every day or makes time to work out 3 – 4 times per week, will eventually see success.

Are you just hoping luck will get you what you want or are you purposely making plans for success? What are some of the things you do now to prepare for your future success?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to my Irish friends!

Joan Burge

Registration is now open for the following:

Star Achievement Series Certificate Program

Limited Seating in this Pilot Program; Claim Your Seat Now! Receive your CEAP designation and certification and achieve career success! Learn more about how you can experience this course onsite in your organization or offsite near our offices in Summerlin, Nevada. The only course option in 2013: Level I, April 9 - 12 & Level II, Oct 8 - 11. Register for Star Achievement Series.

Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence

Big news is here! At this 20th Anniversary Event of Distinction we'll focus on Your Career and Your Life! It is not enough to just focus on your administrative competencies, although they are extremely important and we ll address them during this event. Your ability to have impact and reach extraordinary levels of success at work will only occur when you have a complete 360 degree view of your life. Event will be held September 17 - 20, 2013 at Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, Nevada. Visit our conference website and learn about this exciting event today! Register for the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence.

World Class Assistant Certificate Program

Reserve Your Space Today! A proven program, highly rated by WCA graduates, has been newly re-invigorated into a virtual powerhouse of learning! Often called "boot-camp" for the high level executive assistant you won't want to miss what this course has to offer you and your career. Next class: Part 1, April 24 - 26. Part 2, May 15 - 17. Register for World Class Assistant.

Executive and Executive Assistant One-on-One Meeting Instructions

Joan Burge — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:47:00 GMT

We received a great question from reader, Mary Louise. ML asks Joan, "What topics should I be discussing during a one-on-one meeting with the boss? Should I be the one to present tasks and ideas? What type of dialog should my boss be responsible for at our one-on-one meetings?"

Do you have one-on-one meetings with your leader? If so, how often do you meet and what do you discuss with each other?

Monday Motivator: Attitude Adjustment

Joan Burge — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 23:18:00 GMT

An Attitude Adjustment

March 4, 2013

I spent three weeks in February traveling - that's a lot of travel and traveling in the colder months isn't always my favorite. Yes, winter is coming to a close soon and I think many of us are ready for spring. Spring brings growth, renewal, warmth, and more. During these travels I had the pleasure of facilitating my Star Achievement Series® Level II curriculum and one of my favorite topics: ATTITUDE!

Attitude is one of my favorite topics. That's why I was so pleased to share a new resource with you today to help you assess your own attitude.

First, there is an assessment in the Star Achievement Series® program and I'd like you to rate yourself. It' simple. Do you agree or disagree with each statement?

My attitude is changeable. (Of course our attitudes are changeable. They are like the weather for many people. The good news is that as quick as you feel a negative attitude, you can change it to being positive.)

The quality of work I produce varies depending on my attitude. (Just think about how much better your output is at work when you have an upbeat attitude than when you feel frustrated, upset, or stressed. Attitude definitely impacts the quality of work you produce, therefore, your attitude is very important.)

I don't need to do anything to keep myself upbeat. It will just happen. (That would be nice and many times it does just happen. The reality is that life happens and that can easily drag a person down. Plus we live in a negative society--just pick up the newspaper, listen to the news, listen to peers and their complaints, and more. Every day we hear of bad things happening. Our minds are like our bodies in that our mind needs nutrients. Our minds need to be fed positive information whether we read an uplifting quote, listen for good news from our peers, or listen to an inspirational CD. The list goes on. The idea is to feed your mind with something positive every day! You can't wait until you are really down and out and then just pick up a book and expect your attitude to change instantly. The more positive you put in, the more positive you give out!)

My attitude needs to be handled gently. (Your attitude is like an egg. It is fragile and delicate. If you don't take care of it, someone is sure to snatch it away from you or crush it.)

I have ultimate control of my attitude. (Maybe you are thinking, "I'd have a good attitude if my boss treated me better or if I would get that raise I've been waiting for." Or, "If Joe would treat me nicer, I would be nicer." No! The great news is you control your attitude. If you choose to be upset, fine. I'm not saying you have to walk around with a big grin on your face 24 hours a day. However, when you maintain a positive attitude, life is easier, you're more creative, and your work day flows better.)

Next, the new resource I mentioned above. During a Pillar Huddle with the Office Dynamics team we learned of a new resource that actually allows you to rate your attitude over the past 24 hours with a series of simple questions. The assessment gives you your positivity ratio and allows you to return daily for a few weeks to track your progress as you get yourself on track. Our whole team did the assessment and all found our results interesting. I encourage you to do the same when you have a few minutes today. You can find this assessment at Positivity Ratio.

Joan

Registration is open for the following:

World Class Assistant Certificate Program

Star Achievement Series Certificate Program

Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence

Big news is here! At this 20th Anniversary Event of Distinction we'll focus on Your Career and Your Life! It is not enough to just focus on your administrative competencies, although they are extremely important and we'll address them during this event. Your ability to have impact and reach extraordinary levels of success at work will only occur when you have a complete 360 degree view of your life. Event will be held September 17 - 20, 2013 at Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, Nevada. Visit our conference website and learn about this exciting event today! Register for the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence.

Love Your Career: Showing Up Fully and Completely

Joan Burge — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Monday Motivators!

It is the last Monday of February 2013! I hope last week was productive and fulfilling and you are ready to venture into this last week of February.

Have you ever watched American Idol? Believe it or not, I do watch it occasionally after the contestants have been narrowed to the top 12. I like hearing the judge’s different perspectives. Many times they disagree, but one thing I hear them often say, "You didn't connect with the audience. You gave a great performance but you were in your own world."

Since we are focused on loving your career this month, I want to end on the idea of showing up fully and completely in your profession and especially on a regular basis. If you are in the profession as your career of choice, it means you are fully engaged and see yourself as owning a profession in the Administrative arena. There is a big difference in a person's performance when they completely and fully show up for their career, whether they are a real estate broker, webmaster, speaker, teacher, nurse, or doctor.

If we don’t embrace and love our careers, the following could happen:

You might miss something really important.
You miss the magic of what could make your work exciting.
Management notices and that will work for or against you.
You lose out because you are not fully living what you are destined to do.
You lose your momentum.
Stress levels increase, mistakes are made, rework occurs and that creates a spiral effect.
And we just don’t have any fun!

Career-Assistants are engaged in their career of choice. Therefore, they will be fully aware of their impact on their own success when they are fully engaged. Granted, there are days and even weeks when you just can't physically, mentally, or emotionally 100% be engaged. That is because life happens and we are human. I'm talking about the big picture of your career. There is a difference between not having a good night's sleep or not feeling well and so you aren't mentally alert 8 hours the next day at work and just thinking you can slide by on your laurels at work.

How are we fully present?

Engage all our senses throughout the day.
Be a good listener, keep our mouths shut, open our minds, and be interested in what others say.
Seek mentors and take their advice.
Offer your great ideas and insights.
Let your strengths be visible. Play to your strengths as much as possible.
Challenge processes that don't work and suggest new and better ways of approaching work.
Make a commitment to build strategic partnerships at work.
Take a break away from your job and replenish your energy.

Check out my video about loving your career and showing up fully and completely.

Wellness Pillar: Feelgood Factor by Joan Burge

Joan Burge — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:14:00 GMT

Imagine your body being strong and flexible. You are hydrated. You feed and fuel your body well daily. You have energy all day, every day, and you sleep well each night. You don't drag through the afternoons. You have energy available for those last-minute afternoon rush assignments. Generally speaking, you feel great and can get done whatever you want to.

Sound like wishful thinking or the impossible dream? It's not! Read my recent article in Executive Secretary Magazine on the Feelgood Factor and get the tips to get you started on this endless well of energy for life!

Feelgood Factor by Joan Burge

Check out my previous articles with Executive Secretary Magazine.

Love Your Career: Demonstrating Your Worth & Selling Yourself

Joan Burge — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 23:39:00 GMT

Whether you work in a large enterprise or small company, you always need to establish your worth. Let’s assume that you have a great position, work for a great leader, like your environment . . . you probably think you can just rest on your laurels and continue to do a good job. But that is not enough today. With organizations working meaner and leaner, every employee must consider that they are working every day to keep their job.

On the other hand, you may be at that time of your career where you want to move into another department, obtain a more challenging position within your organization, or gain recognition for your work.

Just as graphic designers and artists keep portfolios of their work, so should you. For years I have been teaching administrative and executive assistants the importance of creating a career portfolio and using that to demonstrate their worth. Many administrative assistants think a career-focused “performance brief” is something they either once did to obtain their current position or as an annual “ho-hum” requirement. The Career Portfolio is NOT about job hunting. It is a professional journal created to detail how “You” Inc. has capably and measurably demonstrated professional contributions to your organization and leader’s overall success. The Portfolio captures current-and-building skill levels, recognition, career enhancements, development activities and accomplishments. It’s what a cognitive business professional bring to the table to articulate, “Game on!”

When and where can you use it? Here are just a few ideas. If you want to see the complete list and the items you would place in a Portfolio, write to staff@officedynamics.com (Career Portfolio Article in the e-mail subject line) and we will send you the article I wrote, “Creating Your Career Portfolio.”

During your performance review
Preparing to write your Development Plan
Asking for additional responsibility
Competing for an internal job
For a new leader so he or she can quickly gain an overview of your talents and experience

In today’s world, it’s about Show & Tell. It’s not enough to tell people how great you are—so are many other people. But what makes you stand out? What are your strengths and areas of greatness? You and another administrative assistant can both be skilled at PowerPoint but one of you is more advanced; use of video and imagery. Your Portfolio should include examples of your work.

This week focus on this:

If you have a portfolio of some sort, what can you add to it? What should be tossed out? What new skills have you gained? Or recognition or certificate of achievement?
If you do not have a portfolio, request my article right away—do not delay. Since it’s the beginning of a new year, you can start building your career portfolio as you move through each day and each month.

Watch this video on how you can begin to demonstrate your worth.

Love Your Career: Fully Utilize Your Talents - Optimization

Joan Burge — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 01:37:00 GMT

This month, I will be writing around the theme: Love Your Career. Last week I discussed the difference between a career and a job and asked some thought-provoking questions on your view of your role. This week, I'll highlight an article I originally wrote for Adminology titled Fully Utilize Your Talents - Optimization. As you read this article, I would like you to think about how you might be able to optimize your talents so that you can love your career even more than ever before! Go for it, I dare you!

Optimization is like administrative skills and attitudes on steroids (in a good way). Optimization means to enhance the effectiveness of something; to make something function at its best.

When I read the definition of optimization, I immediately think of two things:

Part of my “job” is being brought into companies by senior leaders to help make their administrative partners function at their best. I have all the tools and answers to help administrative professionals be successful. Whether or not they choose to listen to me, take my advice, trust me and are willing to adopt new behaviors is another story. I can’t make anyone change anything, as is true for me. I attend educational events, read and am exposed to a variety of talented, smart subject matter experts but it is up to me to make changes.

Part of my “job” is to work with already-successful executives and their executive assistants to enhance their effectiveness. I go to the client’s facility and work with the leader and assistant one-on-one. I watch everything they do, listen to what they say, learn their processes, absorb their environment and dynamics and, basically, get inside their heads. When I do this kind of work, I can best help that team.

What does this mean to you?

You need to embrace the idea of ‘optimization’ to be successful in the future and to illuminate your career. I’m certain you already are a star performer. The ideas is . . . are you moving yourself to your very best potential? Are you fully engaged? Do you push through difficult tasks and assignments that you normally don’t like? Have you taken classes this year that advance your skills? Yes, we all need a nudge sometimes. We need an outsider to tell us, “Stop being lazy and get on with it! You know what you need to do; you are just taking the easy way out.”

Let me give you an example: I wrote the Star Achievement Series® in 1990. The program consists of 12 full day workshops with 3 levels of learning. I wrote extensive workbooks for each class (12 in all). I have revised this program 14 times in 20 years! And guess what? At the writing of this article, I am getting ready to make a massive overhaul of the content and design of the workbooks.

Repeatedly organizations and participants tell me this program truly changes lives. My husband Dave (now deceased) used to always ask me, “Why are you making changes? People love it.” I always responded, “Because I know there is more. I can write an even better curriculum and create more dynamic learning activities. There is always room for improvement.”

I regularly optimize something that is already great. It’s just the way I live life. I am growing as a result because I have to challenge my thinking, do extensive research, reach out to subject matter experts and exercise my creative muscle.

How many times in the past 15 years have you updated you? How many enhancements have you made to yourself? 1? 5? 15? Are you constantly optimizing you?

I know far too many assistants who have been in the administrative profession for 20+ years and have hardly changed. If this is you, it’s time to wake up! You are not being all you are capable of being. We are all here to become better . . . to contribute to the greater good . . . we are not designed to be stagnant, vanilla, boring or lazy.

For those new to the profession . . . great! You are young enough or novice enough to establish ‘success’ behaviors. You are like the seed of a tree that is newly planted. How you grow . . . how tall you grow . . . how strong you grow . . . is up to you. Make sure you stay away from bad soil. Don’t be influenced by people who might be negative about the administrative profession. This profession is fabulous and rewarding. It is interesting, challenging, fun and offers you great opportunity. Make sure you fertilize your thinking so you can grow and then occasionally apply ‘booster fertilizer’ (this is turbo-charged fertilizer)—meaning OPTIMIZE yourself and everything you do.

When you fully utilize all your talents and capacities, your leader will function at her best because she will be able to focus on the work she does that brings value to the company and impacts the bottom line. And one of the greatest gifts to yourself is that you will be a more joyous and fulfilled individual which will spread to other aspects of your life.

Now is the time to embrace this mindset!

©Copyright Office Dynamics International 2013

Love Your Career: Do you have a career or a job?

Joan Burge — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:54:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators,

This month, I will be writing around the theme: Love Your Career. Lots of questions come to my mind when I say that phrase, such as:

Do you have a career or a job?
Is what you are doing today just something to pass your time until a better opportunity comes along?
What do you love about your work?
During the day, are you busy watching the clock dreading each minute…. counting down the hours until you get to go home? Or, do you find the hours passing quickly and before you know it, it is 5:00?
Are you growing or are you stagnant?
Did you choose your career or do you feel like you had no choice?
Are you sharing your knowledge with your peers?

Your answers to those questions will be an indicator of whether you are doing the work you were called to do or just biding your time?

If you have a career, you continually invest in your professional development. I know many high level executive assistants who think they have arrived and don’t need to learn anything—such a shame! They obviously are ‘retired’ in their mind and are just going through the motions of the day.

When you have a career, you invest in your:

education, formal or informal
wardrobe and appearance
accessories like a nice pen and leather portfolio
growth and setting goals

You are dedicated and committed to performing at the top of your game. As a result, you maintain a competitive advantage, stay fresh, add value, gain respect from management, and are seen as a serious contributor. Personally, you are energized, feel fulfilled and are less stressed. This does not mean you won’t have days that are stressful. In fact, if you are in a career, you will come upon many mountains to climb over the course of your career life but it is exhilarating.

Make time every day to learn something new – even just one concept or idea. Executive assistants and administrative professionals must seek opportunities to gain knowledge. The great news is that we have hundreds of resources; even thousands of resources to choose from. If you make small changes, stay with them on a daily basis and create new behaviors, you will change the trajectory of your career and life. I guarantee it!

One of my favorite quotes is from Brian Tracy. I started following Brian in 1990 when I first started my business and am a huge fan of his philosophies.

“You are your most precious asset. You are our most precious thing in your world. You must invest in yourself every day. Never be cheap on yourself. You are worth it. Everything you are and everything you will be is the result of how you use your mind.” – Brian Tracy

Bottom line: don’t wait for your manager or company to give you approval for training or for books and CDs. First of all, they may never approve anything for you. It’s your career…. it’s your life… start investing in it. The payoff is huge.

LOVE yourself enough to invest in you. LOVE your career enough to invest in it!

Happy February.

Joan Burge

Enjoy our "Love comes in the shape of a star" February sale today.

The Power of Visuals

Joan Burge — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:39:00 GMT

Good day Monday Motivators. It is the last Monday of January already. To me, January usually drags and seems boring after the holidays but this January was busy, exciting, and passed quickly.

I had an exhilarating experience last week. For the first time, I used high definition audio and videoconferencing to speak to an audience at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio and 12 other locations while staying in Las Vegas. While I have used videoconferencing and webcasting before, I was always on site at a client’s location. I would have a live audience with me and then webcast out to their other locations. I enjoyed this as we actually talked back and forth with each other after my presentation. This is exciting because now I can use this wonderful technology from Las Vegas to reach hundreds of assistants and managers to share my powerful life-changing programs with them.

This actually was a BIG Dream of 2 executive assistants from Nationwide, Brenda and Karen. They had a dream – a vision that I would talk to their assistants and managers about how to work in partnership but I would stay in Las Vegas. Wow! So they started with a dream, then had the vision for what the hour session would look like, put a plan in place, executed the plan and it was a huge success. For me, I had to visualize what it would look like in my head; then see the facility from where I would broadcast and picture men and women sitting in the big auditorium listening to me. And it worked.

We can have two kinds of visuals or visualization: the kind that takes place in our mind and then actual images, pictures, or an object. I have used visuals all my life for goal achievement both in my personal and professional life.

When we wanted to move to Las Vegas 12 years ago, I had a full-page ad of the gated community I wanted to live in near Red Rock Canyon. I taped it to my refrigerator at our house in Lansing, MI. We had planned to move in about 12 months. After I posted up the full-page ad, we moved 5 months later in the exact place I wanted to move.

Every time I get ready to write a book, I make a dummy cover and place it over another book and place it on my desk at work or at home. I have written 8 books.

Dave and I loved to cruise. I would have pictures of the ships we wanted to go on and sure enough, we were on that ship.

Do not underestimate the power of visuals. Visuals drive the subconscious to what we want. Then as we go about our daily activities, we will actually steer ourselves in the direction of our goal or dream. Before you know it, your BIG DREAM will be your reality.

You might be dreaming of a special vacation, either with your spouse or family. Collect pictures and even words on paper that depicts what that vacation will look like. Make a collage, poster or just tape pictures or images on a wall or your refrigerator. It doesn’t matter where you place them; you just need to have them in front of you. A lady who was in one of my classes told me she cut out a picture of a car she wanted and taped it to her steering wheel. This way every day she saw that car and it motivated her going to work.

So, what is your BIG DREAM for this year? If you can’t find a visual for it, then make one. I want you to post it where it will be seen on a regular basis and then write me later this year when it comes to fruition.

Good luck!

Joan

After The BIG Dream

Joan Burge — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:05:00 GMT

Hello Monday Motivators!

I hope you had a good weekend and are getting back into the swing of your normal schedule.

Last week I wrote about ‘Dream Big’. Our Office Dynamics theme for January is DREAM BIG! If you did not read last the Monday Motivator for January 7, you should do so as it will give you the premise for today’s tips. In that article, I had asked readers to share their BIG dream with us and we would post them on our Office Dynamics Blog. Stories are already rolling in and I am excited to see that people are visioning the possibilities for what could come to fruition this year.

Often when we dream big, a little voice tells us, “That will never happen.” Or “That is crazy. That is for other people; not you.” And so we lower our goals, standards for a better life, and push our dreams aside. You will never know what you can achieve until you set it in your head and push it out to the universe! When I started Office Dynamics, it was a big dream and seemed impossible at the time because companies and managers were not investing money in professional development for their assistants. Assistants were not attending anything more than a one-day seminar. I continued kept my vision in my mind and pictured where I wanted to be and how I wanted to impact the lives of thousands of assistants. And, BINGO, here I am 22 years later reaching administrative professionals around the world.

Easier said than done! After you DREAM BIG, you have to put certain behaviors into place. You have to get yourself back up when life has taken you off track. You have to stay dedicated and committed and keep the fire of desire burning in your heart month after month after month after month. Be warned: your desire will wane and so will your dedication, because we are human.

Here is what you need to do after dreaming the best possible life for yourself:

Believe that you can and will accomplish your dream. Belief in yourself is the foundation. Without that, you may as well not even start.
You can’t let other people’s doubts and fears persuade you to give up on your dream. Just remember, they are voicing their fears.
Build your support group around you. You cannot achieve those big dreams by yourself.
Be crystal clear about what you want. If you want to take your family on a cruise this year: a. What kind of cruise? b. What kind of ship? 2,000 passenger capacity or 5,000 passenger capacity? c. Do you want a kick-back, super-saver cruise or a luxurious cruise? d. How many days? 5, 7 or 10? e. Where do you want to cruise? The Caribbean? The Panama Canal? Alaska? The clearer your picture is, the better chance you have of getting what you want.
Plan. Write out detailed steps and include specific steps for each one. Such as, “I need to save $5,000.00 for the cruise and here is how I will do that_____.”
Be prepared for barriers and be determined you will work around them. As I said, life happens. It does not mean you have to give up on your dream. Or when you hit that first obstacle, you may be tempted to trash your BIG DREAM. Expect it and get over it and move on. It’s like a detour in the road; find a different route. Or you may have to put your dream on the back burner for 4 months. But do not give up unless you discover you have a bigger, more passionate dream.

It’s not too late to share your BIG dream with me. When we publicly declare our dream, we are more apt to follow through. If you want to share with me your BIG dream and allow me to post it on the Office Dynamics Blog, write me at staff@OfficeDynamics.com. In your e-mail subject line, write: MY BIG DREAM. Read some of our fantastic BIG DREAM submissions now!

If you have not established your BIG dream yet for 2013, you better get going. The sooner you have it in your head, the sooner your subconscious will attract what you want in your life.

You can have a BIG dream for your career, family, spiritual life, financial and wellness. Go ahead --- go out on a limb this year. Do things that are exhilarating and shake yourself up!

Joan

Not sure where to start on your big dream? Get Joan’s eBook Live a BIG Life this month only for $5.00 and get some inspiration on where you might begin.

Love Living a BIG Life? Show it! All Live a BIG Life products are 25% off this month only. Dream BIG, Live BIG! Use coupon code: DREAMBIG - Give yourself permission to shop now!

DREAM BIG in your BIG Girl Diary!

Just because we are older, it does not mean we stop dreaming, although many people in their 50s and beyond do. If this is you, you need to start dreaming again.

We all have glimpses of thoughts, ideas, wants and wishes. You need to write your ideas down. They need to be visible and kept in a very special place. Save 25% in January, use code DREAMBIG.

Dream Big!

Joan Burge — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:03:00 GMT

Welcome to a new year Monday Motivators! I have a special video message for you included below before you read my message for today.

I imagine many of you are just returning to work after a long holiday break. For the first time in 22 years, we closed our office during the entire holiday from December 20 through January 2. As well, I took a long break. There were only a few times throughout the holiday I checked e-mail and responded. Other than that, I did not think about work until I woke up on January 3 and got dressed to head to the office.

I thoroughly enjoyed family, friends and festivities. I ate all kinds of Christmas cookies and because I went to my hometown Cleveland, OH for 5 days, I got to eat all the traditional Italian holiday food I normally do not cook. My family and I relaxed, watched several holiday movies, played board games, sat around the fire and took occasional walks.

I am well-rested and very eager to ‘hit the ground running.’ On my flight home from Cleveland, I had lots of time to think about myself, my personal life, business life, family and wellness life. I re-read a great book that I read about one year ago called The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy and it reminded me that even I had become comfortable with certain things throughout the year. While 2012 was challenging, I had numerous blessings.

So what do I want to do in 2013? I don’t have all the details. I just know I want to do things I have never done before and challenge myself like I have not done in several years. While each year, I exceed the previous year’s expectations, the leaps have not been monumental.

I plan to Dream Big and Live Big! But what does that mean? What does that look like? How do I take big steps or even just a little step but one that involves a little risk? How do I step out in a new way? How do I challenge the status quo? What can Office Dynamics do to top what we have done in the past?

What about you? Have you ever dreamed BIG in your life? When was the last time you dreamed big? Or maybe you dreamed big but did not live it. Many of our greatest inventions came about because one person had a dream—a vision of what could be. The hard part is when you have a dream in your heart you start to move forward, and then life smacks you on the hand! BAM! So you give up. Or you get sidetracked for so long, that you just forget about it.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What did I want to do in 2012 that I did not do?

Why didn’t I do it? Was it because of outside circumstances or my own thinking?

What did I attempt to do and then stopped doing it? (like an exercise program)

What did I succeed in and want to pursue to a greater degree this year?

Where are my biggest strengths?

What do I vow to “never do again”?

What do I promise to do right this year?

When it comes to family and friends, what do I wish the most would happen? How will I make that happen?

How can I WOW myself this year?

What can I do in my career that will amaze others?

What old attitudes do I need to drop?

What is my motto for this year?

In what ways can I create more physical energy for myself?

One area of my financial arena that I need to improve is ______________.

Who are the most important people in my life? How can I connect with them more often?

What is the most important to me in life?

What values are important to me?

And the list goes on. You should be ready to not only jump back into life but take big leaps this year whereby you will look 2013 as one of the most significant years in your entire life.

If you want to share with me your BIG dream and allow me to post it on my blog that would be great. You can write me at Staff@OfficeDynamics.com. In your e-mail subject line, write: MY BIG DREAM or you may post your BIG dreams in the comments section below!

I wish you the most amazing and blessed year! DREAM BIG! LIVE BIG!

Joan

For more on Joan's story and how you can also Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life, checkout the eBook version on Amazon.com for only $5.00 during the month of January.

Dream Big Specials January 2013

(click either picture below to link to specials)

Offering Up Our Works in Honor of Newtown Elementary

Joan Burge — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:11:00 GMT

It is very difficult for me to write my usual Monday Motivator as I am so saddened by the massacre that took place Friday at Newtown Elementary. I am a mother and a grandmother with 4 little ones ages 6, 7, 7 and 11. I cannot imagine the heartbreak of their community, family, and friends. I cannot conceive the grief of losing a child. I cannot picture what the children who survived that event are feeling. Most likely they will suffer post-traumatic stress as will the families.

So this week, I would love for all of us to offer up our daily works to a higher spirit in honor of the children, their families, and their community. We can give our very best this week at work especially as we wrap up 2012. I know many of you will be taking off extra days for the holiday. Please keep these families uplifted in your prayers. And as you sit around the table enjoying a magnificent holiday feast and cuddle up around the Christmas tree exchanging gifts and laughing, make sure you are in the moment. Soak in the love and warmth of family and friends. Love those around you and do something special for someone who is less fortunate than you.

This is truly the time of year and a national tragic event that we can wrap our lives and hearts around. Let us rejoice in life and offer hope to those who are suffering or lonely.

I wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday. This is my last Monday Motivator of 2012. I look forward to welcoming you to a New Year filled with hope, happiness, and taking you on an amazing BIG & BOLD journey in 2013.

My entire staff at Office Dynamics wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Joan

Living the 5 Pillars of a BIG Life

Joan Burge — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:37:00 GMT

SPECIAL EDITION

MAGNIFICENT MONDAY MOTIVATOR!

Living the 5 Pillars of a BIG Life™

Hello Monday Motivators!

I am so pumped and excited to write this Monday Motivator. I’m sorry if you are getting this late in the day but I could not have written this any sooner as these splendid thoughts would not have been in my head.

This morning, as I was driving to work ready for a very full day of tackling “A” priority projects, I realized I lived ALL 5 Pillars of life this weekend: Career, Family, Financial, Spiritual and Wellness. If you are not familiar with the 5 Pillars yet, these were a key element of our Be BOLD: Mastering Exceptional Leadership Skills One BOLD Step At a Time 2012 conference theme. And the 5 Pillars are incremental to Living a BIG Life which is the outgrowth philosophy of my new book for women, Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life. (To learn more about the pillars and BIG Life, visit www.JoanBurgeBIGLife.com.)

Here is what transpired this weekend. As you read about my experiences, I want you to think about your weekend. Which pillars had your attention this weekend? Which pillars rarely get your attention on weekends? And which pillars do you want to incorporate more often on your weekends and week nights?

Early Saturday morning, I focused on my Wellness Pillar by going to the gym and working out (very hard, mind you) with my trainer, Cody (see photos below). I do not always work out with a trainer but have made a habit of meeting with him weekly because he pushes me beyond what I will push myself. I was sweating the entire hour and still ache (in a good way) from the workout. Much of the work I did was without machines so it was hard on my muscles and we included cardio. Did you know heart disease is the number one killer for women? What cardio activities are you doing throughout your week? Running around the office is not sufficient cardio. If none, this week push yourself and stimulate your heart!

Then I had to transition into my Career Pillar as I was working on a deadline and had to get information to our web master by Saturday afternoon. I spent about 90 minutes viewing videos from our 2012 Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence to extract clips for our ‘Event of Distinction’ trailer video for our 2013 conference. This task had a two-pronged effect: One is I realized why it takes our web master so much time to do a similar assignment therefore having a greater appreciation for the time it takes on that task. Second, I was reinforcing concepts that I had heard in September! While you may not want to focus on your Career Pillar on the weekend because you do that 5 days a week, you might take out a few minutes on the weekend to learn something new. The reason is that you are not distracted like you are during the week.

My Family Pillar was nurtured in numerous ways this past weekend and that is probably why I feel so at peace this morning as I venture into a crazy week at work. I spent 6 hours with my daughter and her family on Saturday. We baked tons of Christmas cookies for a women’s cookie exchange the next day. Yes, I do those types of things! We had Christmas movies playing on the TV as we baked. I really do not like to bake especially if I have to whisk things, crush nuts, melt caramels and roll and press and fill dips in the cookies! I’m more of a “get ready-made” dough or already-baked cookies type of girl! But I was so happy with myself after I made these special cookies as I didn’t think I could do it; I was so out of touch with baking. But you have to use your brain when you bake—accurate measuring, multiplying the recipe for larger quantities, and quality insurance. This was a wonderful way for me and my daughter to bond. We laughed and created a new tradition.

My Family Pillar was nurtured even more when I went to Sunday Service but especially on Sunday night when I joined a group of the Vegas Young Professionals (VYP) to cook a meal and serve at our local Ronald McDonald House. Jasmine Freeman is very active in VYP and they do a great deal of community outreach. She asked if I wanted to participate in this giving of time and food; I immediately said, “Yes!” Ronald McDonald house is amazing. They have 12 bedrooms, each can house up to 6 people. The kitchen was huge; there were about 8 of us cooking and preparing. One young women who is staying at the house was there because her 3-month old daughter had open-heart surgery. Can you imagine the stress for those parents? As I drove home, I was so tired from a full day but that act of kindness filled my soul --- leading to my Spiritual Pillar – more than anything. I love giving of myself. We often give money. What can you do this week that demonstrates you care about someone less fortunate? I know you give of yourself every day at work; but giving of ourselves to a cause or a person, goes miles beyond what we do at work.

I filled my Spiritual Pillar when I attended Sunday Service at The Crossing. I love this place. The work they are doing in our community and the world is amazing. Our spiritual leaders are awesome and I love attending this place. Yesterday was extra special because our church family brought in big Christmas bags filled with clothes and toys for children in our community, clear plastic boxes filled with items for Children in Mexico, and gift certificates for places like Target for families in need in our Las Vegas Community - providing over 1,500 gifts in one day. I was also casually mentored yesterday while speaking to one of our spiritual leaders. I feel like I’m on pause right now as I wrap up the year whereas I am used to running all over the country traveling and speaking so I feel like I am in slow motion. He said, ‘You know that is okay, don’t you?” It does not mean nothing is happening. This is what is to happen right now.” This left me with a feeling of peace that what I am doing at Office Dynamics and Live a BIG Life right now is what is supposed to be occurring. I am going with the flow. What about you? Are you nurturing your Spiritual Pillar on a regular basis? Are you living in spirit? Are you going with the flow of life or fighting it?

I am pleased to say I am really sticking to a budget this year for Christmas spending. This weekend I focused on my Financial Pillar by checking my pre-shopping Christmas list where I listed who I would buy gifts for and how much I expected to spend. While I did up the numbers a bit, I still know exactly where I stand money-wise thus giving me direction to my shopping instead of doing “emotional” shopping and spending more than I should. Did you write a reasonable budget for your holiday shopping? Do you guilt shop? Have you thought of other things you can do for people you care about that does not include spending money?

When my 5 Pillars are intact, I feel terrific! I feel:

· confident

· in control

· a sense of accomplishment

· peacefulness

· joyous

· energized to do more and give more

· thankful

While we will not be able to focus on all 5 Pillars every week day or every weekend, we should consciously strive to focus on 2 or 3 Pillars during the week flowing from 1 Pillar to the other and so forth. Every month, we should bring attention to all 5 Pillars! When our BIG Life is intact, we become powerful beyond our belief and we lead others to a bigger, better life!

Wishing you a BIG Life week filled with joy!

Joan Burge

12 Days of Christmas Sale Day 5

Joan Burge — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:09:00 GMT

Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas Deals

Valid December 7, 2012 until Midnight Pacific Time.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings and a deal that landed me a book for FREEEE-EE-E.

Yes, you heard that right! Today when you purchase World Class Assistant Audio CD (5 disc set) of the live program (Parts 1, 2 and 3) you will receive a copy of Real World Communication Strategies That Work - for FREE! Some of the topics covered in this program are Strategic Business Partnerships, Paradigms, Attitude, Creating Your Career Portfolio, Advanced Conflict Resolution, Communication, Leadership, Professional Image, and more!

This deal ends at midnight so if you like it you might want to put a ring on it!

World Class Assistant Audio CD excerpt

Working at a strategic partnership never ends just like businesses are always strategically building their business. Does an organization stop and say "we're great, we're done. We don't need any more strategic planning. Can you picture a company saying that? We can't do that either in our relationships with our executive.

How?

· Know your company mission and goals. Take time to understand what your company is all about and you know what the mission is. Get to know their goals for the year and take some time to tie it into what you and your executive are doing for the year.

· Observe your executive's behaviors. Study how he/she operates and thinks. Next, think about how you can align with your executive.

· Use your knowledge to offset your partner's weaknesses. All executives have gap areas, just like I do. When you do the step above you may notice what these gap areas are. Now, it's up to you to offset them.

· Get more involved in different aspects of the company. What is your passion? Your purpose? Are there ways you can incorporate your passion and purpose into your organization through the work that you do?

This is just a small bit of information from these information packed Audio CDs. Purchase today for the full set!

Enjoy today's deal quickly, it ends at midnight!

BONUS:

All purchases made December 3 - 18, 2012 will be entered into a drawing to win a mystery prize from Joan Burge. You will be automatically entered into the drawing with each purchase made during this time frame.

12 Days of Christmas Sale Day 4

Joan Burge — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 06:32:00 GMT

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds - calling out this slick deal to get our hands on today!

Purchase all three of Joan Burge’s authored books for $30. That’s only $10 per book when you buy this 3-book bundle!

Become an Inner Circle Assistant excerpt – Know Thyself: Internal vs. External Wiring

You may be familiar with the terms “introvert” and “extrovert.” The popular conception of an introvert is mired in negativity. Someone who is quiet or uncommunicative is frequently labeled an introvert and problematic.

For our purposes, we’ll use the terms “internal” and “external.” The person who prefers to process information internally isn’t thought of as problematic; it’s understood that he or she is simply wired differently from a friend or colleague who is outgoing, or external. Interestingly, an internal person is frequently outgoing. The difference is that this individual rejoices when he or she can slip away from the crowd and think in peace.

Since the inner circle assistant is a thinker and relies heavily on cognitive powers, it helps to know more about yourself and whether you’re in an internal or external type. Want to take the quiz to find out if you are an external or internal thinker? Want to know more about these types? Pick up your copy of Become an Inner Circle Assistant along with Underneath It All and Who Took My Pen … Again? today! You can find this quiz in Chapter 6 of Become an Inner Circle Assistant.

To purchase all three books for $30, today only, click here!

12 Days of Christmas Sale Day 3

Joan Burge — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:01:00 GMT

Today's deal is valid December 5, 2012 until Midnight Pacific Time.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three French hens and these three hens are laying down a steal of a deal for you today. Purchase Who Took My Pen ... Again? and receive the book, Underneath It All FREE! Two wonderful books relating to the administrative profession for the price of one. Purchase now.

Not sure yet? Check out the excerpt below from the book you will receive FREE with today's purchase. Enjoy.

Underneath It All excerpt

I see a company as a constellation of stars. As each person excels and shines, departments excel and shine and this star-like operation permeates the organization from top to bottom - from bottom to top.

This outcome is highly dependent on placing a value on diversity.

If each employee was a "clone" of the next employee ... there would be large chunks of capabilities and experiences missing from the group. One might safely predict that the missing parts, pieces and talents would eventually sink the company.

It behooves you to recognize that it's easy to work with someone who thinks like you or has your work ethic but it can be difficult to accomplish anything when working with a person who isn't like you.

Diversity comes under many headings: religious ... ethnic ... gender ... income ... education ... generational ... skill sets ... and more. Look upon differences as assets. To do less is to do a disservice to you and to others.

Apply the many "to-do" recommendations that have been explored in this chapter but underneath it all look upon differences as assets - not liabilities and this insight will free you to soar!

Enjoy today's deal quickly, it ends at midnight!

Purchase Who Took My Pen ... Again? now and receive Underneath It All FREE with your order.

BONUS: All purchases made December 3 - 18, 2012 will be entered into a drawing win a mystery prize from Joan Burge. You will be automatically entered into the drawing with each purchase made during this time frame.

12 Days of Christmas Sale Day 2

Joan Burge — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:20:00 GMT

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves sitting pretty with this deal for me!

These little love birds have a secret to their success and you want to know what that secret is? It's a great attitude! You can pick up the audio program, Success is 90% Attitude, today along with all my other audio CD or DVD programs for 50% off!

Success is 90% Attitude excerpt from audio program (including prerecorded webinars):

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than success, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company … a church … a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you, we are in charge of our attitudes."

~ Charles Swindoll

Enjoy today's deal quickly, it ends at midnight!

BONUS: All purchases made December 3 - 18, 2012 will be entered into a drawing win a mystery prize from Joan Burge.

A Heartfelt Holiday Message

Joan Burge — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:45:00 GMT

Hello to all my Monday Motivators!

First, I want to thank all of you who have been following me for years. This is the time of year I finally get to slow down and breathe. I am usually running all over the country speaking, training, and doing book signings. I love that I can take the next several weeks to reflect on all those people who have supported me and Office Dynamics over the years. It does my heart good to know that I have made a difference in your lives and I greatly appreciate receiving your emails, letters, Facebook posts or LinkedIn messages. Thank you very much. I look forward to being of service in 2013.

It has been only two years since I lost my husband Dave and it was at this time of year he was getting to the end of his life. So of course, this is a poignant time for me but more importantly I want to remind you of the gift of life. Don’t ever take it for granted. Remember that you are destined for greatness so make sure you are doing everything in your power to utilize your talents and gifts. Make time to be generous to those less fortunate, and appreciate every day you get to go to work!

Ok, enough sentimental stuff.

As we come to the end in 2012, we have several announcements to share with you such as we just opened registration for our amazing 20th Anniversary Event of Distinction in Las Vegas (the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence); our 12 Days of Christmas holiday shopping begins today (look for video blogs from me); you might want to peruse our Star Wear™ Jewelry and Accessories for your special female friends or family members.

Now, for my important message and words of wisdom for the holidays. This comes from a theme that has resonated at Office Dynamics all year, was a part of our 2012 conference, and is emphasized in my new book for women, Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life: they are the 5 Pillars. When we lead in the 5 Pillars of our life, we naturally lead others. We become role models and mentors. We become that ray of hope for others. We are connected to our world, neighbors and community. If you don’t know much about the 5 Pillars, you can check them out at JoanBurgeBIGLife.com.

Grab your hot chocolate. Here we go!

Career – As you wrap up 2012, make sure you have identified areas for your professional development in 2013. Now is the time to talk to your leader about your aspirations to become a stronger strategic business partner in the New Year. To accomplish this, you need the learning tools to guide you. Also make sure you don’t sabotage your career by letting your hair down too much at the company holiday party. Remember, you are always on stage so let your best light shine while having fun!

Family – To me, nothing in the world is greater than spending time with family and friends. I treasure my relationships with people including my team at Office Dynamics. When you have worked together for a long time, you become family with co-workers. Don’t be so busy shopping, baking, and running errands that you don’t savor every precious moment with your loved ones or friends. And enjoy your pets, too! Don’t be so involved tweeting everyone about what you are doing that you completely miss out on the LIVE experience which lives in your memory for decades.

Financial – It is critically important that you don’t get carried away in the emotion of the holiday only to wake up January 2 and realize you went way over your budget. At Office Dynamics, we have talked about several ways to give to others without spending a lot of money. This is also a good time of year to look at your financial picture and set goals for 2013. Is there a special vacation you want to take next year? How much will it cost and how much do you need to save monthly to reach your goal?

Spiritual – For me, this is a no-brainer. I always feel very spiritually connected during this season. We can also be “in spirit” meaning giving from our hearts, being caring, and showing empathy for those less fortunate. This incorporates your religious beliefs and traditions. Make time for spiritual reflection. Are you doing what you love? Is your life filled with people who lift you up? What drains you? When we are not “in spirit” it is so much harder to give our best performance at work (and at home).

Wellness – Of course we all know we are going to overeat, indulge in our favorite holiday dishes, and possibly sit around more as we enjoy family and friends. Make sure you get outdoors no matter how cold it might be—take a walk in the snow, make snow angels; maybe your family likes to ski or get to the gym or go bowling (not on the Wii). You can make this a family event and have fun. Or just have a good old-fashioned snowball fight. That will get your energy up several notches.

I wish you a good week as you gear up for the holiday season which will crescendo the next 4 weeks until we say Happy New Year! Enjoy, my Monday Motivator friends.

Joan

12 Days of Christmas Sale Day 1

Joan Burge — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:26:00 GMT

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree. It's the beginning of our 12 Days of Christmas Sale! Today and throughout the entire month of December you can enjoy this great offering.

When you register for either Star Achievement Series or World Class Assistant you will receive a special gift package upon your arrival to the course.

Part of being a Star Achiever is being able to accept criticism from others with grace and poise. Sometimes it hurts when we are criticized, especially when we think we’ve done a good job or handled a situation the best we could. Many people take criticism about their work personally. They carry it with them all day and bring it home to their families. When this happens, their work is affected, their attitude toward co-workers and customers is affected, and they make costly mistakes.

When we disagree with criticism, we can become so intent on defending ourselves that we lose perspective. We reject the criticizer along with the criticism, rather than objectively examining the criticism to see if there is any wisdom or perspective to be gained for our growth and development. Often, we build our case to justify what we did and why. We become stressed out and angry. Our pulse races, our stomach hurts, and we wonder, “Why?” instead of “Why not?”

It’s true that not all criticism is justifiable. Not all criticism is correct or even offered in a healthy way. But we are not in control of others; we are “only” in control of ourselves. Fortunately, that is exactly what is necessary to turn criticism – of any kind – into something we can leverage toward greatness.

Do you want to learn more about this and other topics to help you become a Star Achiever in your work and life? Join us for the first-ever public offering of the Star Achievement Series to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the JW Marriott. Registration includes your hotel, course cost, lunch and coffee breaks each training day and your course materials. This program has been (and still is) successfully taught in organizations throughout North America. If you have ever longed to be a part of this program NOW is your time to register. Seating is limited.

Level I April 9 – 12, 2013
Level II October 8 – 11, 2013

If the Star Achievement Series isn’t for you please check out our World Class Assistant program! The new class of World Class might be just what you are looking for to add to your 2013 training curriculum.

World Class Assistant Part 1

Seating is limited to 20 participants

2013 Dates have been released! Claim your seat now.

April 24 - 26, 2013
October 23 - 25, 2013

World Class Assistant Part 2 (only Part 1 graduates are able to attend)

May 15 - 17
November 13 -15

To learn more about the Star Achievement Series click here.

To learn more about the World Class Assistant Certificate Program click here. More about the WCA program.

Today's deal expires at midnight Pacific Time on 12/31/2012.

Pause Now to Consider Your Success Goals for Next Year

Joan Burge — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:18:00 GMT

NOTE: Monday Motivators will be taking a holiday for Thanksgiving (November 26).

Hello, Monday Motivators! If you think it’s still too soon to start planning your professional and personal goals for 2013, I want to encourage you to think again! As quickly as this year passed, so will next year. Your future will become the present sooner than you think. If you don’t set goals and map out a plan, you will be at the same place next year as you are today.

Considering how busy the holiday season gets, it behooves us to take time now – and not minutes or hours before the clock strikes midnight on December 31 – to give serious thought and meaningful consideration to what we hope to accomplish next year.

Perhaps you and your leader have already established the goals you plan to achieve. Outstanding! Even so, year-end is a great time to pause and reflect – and to assess how close or far you are from the desired results of your efforts. What could help you get there? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Attitude. First and foremost, assess how you feel about the goal or situation. Can this improve – and if so, how will you change your attitude? Remember, no one else can do this for you!
Focus. Especially if you’re juggling multiple projects of varying priorities, can you say with certainty that you are focused on those that matter most to your employer and, by extension, your continuing success? If not, ask yourself where the focus should be.
Commitment. Sometimes we need to renew our sense of commitment to the goals we’ve established for ourselves. Discipline is easy to talk about – but difficult to practice without the right motivation. What will inspire you to continue on your path to goal completion and career advancement? Do that very thing, and keep your commitment true.
Define your goal in detail. It is not good enough to just think of your goal or jot it on a little post it. If your goal is to take your family on a cruise next year, what kind of cruise? How many days? A high-end cruise or economical cruise? Do you want to go to the Caribbean or Alaska? Imagine you are on the cruise, what will it look like or feel like?

If your goal is increase your skill as an executive assistant, what does that look like? Be specific. (Caution: this is not where you would write how you will get there, this is what will it look and feel like when you are there.

These are just a few ways to keep your “eyes on the prize.” I encourage you to think about other opportunities or techniques to assist you in goal-setting or goal assessment as we approach 2013. Wishing you success in this and all your professional endeavors!

Joan Burge

“Success is the ability to visualize what you want to do next with your life—what you want to be, do, and have in life—and to enjoy that process of moving toward that vision, achieving it, and creating new visions.” – Norma Carr Ruffino

Visit our Store to begin your shopping!

40% off of all Joan Burge Books/CDs and DVDs from Thursday, November 22 through Monday, November 26. Shop now!

NEW: Star Wear Product Line at 10% off on Cyber Monday, November 26! Shop Star Wear now!

Discount prices will automatically be reflected in cart.

Reputation is Everything

Joan Burge — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:12:00 GMT

Hello! I'm still on the high left from having such a wonderful group of students here in Las Vegas last week. They all earned their Certified World Class Assistant Certificate-based Designation and I really learned a lot from observing each and every one of these amazing women. I hope you enjoy this podcast: Reputation is Everything. I'll share 5 tips on how you can create the reputation you desire.

Strength in Unity

Joan Burge — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:01:00 GMT

Last week I was fortunate to spend almost 3 days with 16 amazing women when I was conducting my World Class Assistant program. They all flew in to Las Vegas and this was their Part 2 session. Not all of the attendees had attended Part 1 together but it seemed like they had known each other forever. The dynamics in the room were fantastic and off-the-chart ideas were flowing. The women were from different parts of the United States and 4 were from Canada! Ages ranged from Generation Y to the baby boomers with a variety of industries and cultures.

It just proves that we all don't have to think or be alike to have a great time, learn, accomplish goals, and get the project done. In fact one of the topics we discuss is strength in unity and appreciating differences. It is much harder to be successful and accomplish your goals in the workplace when you are working as one. I know many of you team with others but to what extent do you open your circle? Are you always going to lunch with the same people? Do you tend to only connect with those who think just like you? It is great to work with people who are just like us and hold the same values. Yet we need a broad and diverse circle to truly become all we were meant to be--to finish a project sooner, develop a more creative approach to business or processes, and impact the bottom line.

A student in one of my classes said when you work with different personalities and skill sets, it creates the "perfect storm." You should seek this out, not wait until it is forced upon you.

How to Promote Teamwork:

Put the company first. Let co-workers know that your concern is for the success of the company. (Which, by the way, ultimately affects you and every employee.)
Share your ideas. Make suggestions whenever appropriate.
Welcome input from others. Respect the ideas of others.
Ask for help. If someone in the office is an expert in an area, ask for his or her advice.
Trust your colleagues. Have faith in each person's ability. Instead of worrying about what's happening in the next cubicle, concentrate on giving your all to your assignments.

Overcoming Personality Conflicts:

You don't have to be best friends to work together. You don't have to socialize to have a perfectly productive working relationship.
No one is perfect (including you and me). Remind everyone that all members deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect--despite personality differences.
Accept, even encourage, differing opinions.
Effective teamwork takes planning. Work with members to set clear-cut goals.
Measure progress. This will inspire everyone to continue working together.

Have a great week and meet some new people!

Joan

A World Class Assistant Gets Their Name Out There

Joan Burge — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:14:00 GMT

I've really been impressed the last few times I have taught my World Class Assistant Certificate Program here in Las Vegas! On the very first morning the attendees took the initiative to start meeting each other without waiting to warm up to each other after the first day. Listen to my podcast about this great experience for more on the story!

How do you feel about meeting people? Are you usually the first one to extend your hand for a handshake or do you wait for others to approach you and introduce themselves?

Congratulations Jasmine! 6 Years with Office Dynamics

Joan Burge — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:43:00 GMT

I am honored and thrilled to celebrate with Jasmine her 6-year Office Dynamics anniversary. My, how time has flown and Jasmine has grown and blossomed in ways we could not anticipate 6 years ago.

Jasmine uprooted her family to come to work with me and live in a completely strange city where she knew no one. She gave up a good job to come on an adventure with me and little did she know the adventure would be a personally challenging one for me. Jasmine has been rock steady through all the storms we have encountered. She is a shining light, guiding star, and a rock-solid foundation.

Jasmine has always said “yes” to any development opportunities I have presented her with whether it was doing a brief educational video for assistants or being the director of our huge annual conference or taking a 10 month professional speaking class through the Las Vegas National Speakers Association. She is always up to a challenge and seeks growth. Jasmine has become my strategic partner and leads the way in many of Office Dynamics projects and managing the office.

In addition to all of this, Jasmine is a mother of 4, wife, and is active in several local groups! She has a heart of gold and is always thinking about what she can do for others.

Jasmine is fun, creative, savvy, focused, faithful, and caring. I am very blessed to have Jasmine on my team and can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next. I know she will continue to blossom and become a leader to other executive assistants and administrative professionals and especially the next generation assistant.

Yeah Jasmine!!!

Feeling Like a Kid Again!

Joan Burge — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:36:00 GMT

Monday Motivators
To our friends on the East Coast - our thoughts and prayers are with you. It is our hope that you are safe and sound. Hugs from Office Dynamics.

Halloween is just what I needed to replenish my young spirit which kept me going all last week. Last Monday night, I was with my grand kids, adult children, and my sister from California. It was pumpkin-carving night. Pumpkins were lined up on my kitchen counter with some pumpkin-carving tools and the good old fashioned knife and big soup spoon. We had more people and pumpkins than tools. But we did not lack a good time! After a long, grueling day at work, this is just what I had needed. I had fun digging my hands in the gooey pumpkin stuff, straining pumpkin seeds, and overseeing creative ideas. When woke up and headed to work Tuesday, I was prepared to face another demanding day, I was lighthearted, creative, and felt on top of the world.

Then came the big night--Halloween! I have a wonderful annual tradition whereby my kids, grand kids and Jasmine and her family trick or treat in The Estates which is part of my development, except this is where the huge homes reside and they are decorated to the hilt for Halloween. The homeowners dress up, open their big foyers which are set up with beverages, food, and treats for all to enjoy, and the streets are filled with children and adults talking, laughing, and showing off their costumes. It is a fabulous place where adults and children can enjoy one of the most fun holidays of the year! Once again, I felt replenished the next day when I went to work. I felt invigorated, creative, and ready to conquer the work world.

Did you have that same experience? I hope so. However, I know many adults who just sit around and act like Halloween is just another day. Even if you don't have children, you can relive your childhood and bring forth those wonderful carefree feelings whenever you choose. Do you remember those days when you didn't have to worry about a mortgage, utilities, food, and holding down a good job?

I want to challenge you this week and as you prepare for and go through the holiday season to live it as if you were that young-spirited child. Children have a sense of adventure, curiosity, and creativity. They don't see limits--or say, "No I can't do that." In their little minds they can do anything. And even if they meet an obstacle, they are determined to overcome it. Children are inquisitive, intuitive, and spontaneous. When was the last time you acted spontaneous? Do your feathers get ruffled when the schedule at home changes?

What can you add to your holiday season to make it more fun and less so "ho hum"? Why not play detective and find out what your closest friends and family really want for the holiday--what has meaning to them? Be creative when it comes to wrapping your gifts. Can you create some activity at work that would involve co-workers and enhance teamwork?

The ideas are only limited by our minds and our ability to let go of some old traditions and embrace some new ones. You will be amazed at how great you will feel which will increase your productivity at work and at home. Plus you will have more fun!

Wishing you a great week.

Joan

Couldn't make the Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence?

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Living Boldly Starts With a Mindset

Joan Burge — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:04:00 GMT

October 29, 2012

Hello Monday Motivators! Are you feeling the fullness of fall? It’s hard to believe Halloween is this week. In Las Vegas, Halloween is a big deal and there are lots of Halloween parties and events making October a fun month!

This week I want to share with you a few more tidbits from our conference.

Kathy Tosoian spoke on hands-on goal setting to reinvent yourself and your career. Kathy asked attendees to think about what they are passionate about. What makes them excited and jazzed about the day? How would we change a current life/career situation? With a blank canvas, paint our lives as we would like them to be. Dream but be realistic. We set ourselves up for failure when we expect the impossible, but we MUST stretch beyond what we think we can do.

In my opening speech on Be BOLD, I explained that our work gobbles up 40-60 hours weekly. On Saturdays we juggle errands, kids’ sports, and chores. We hurry and rush in everything we do, looking for more and more speed. Rarely do we pause, stop and breathe.

Living boldly starts with a mindset. It is about leading yourself in the 5 Pillars of life: Career, Family, Financial, Spiritual and Wellness. Being BOLD is not aggressive. It’s not abrasive. It’s action. It is compassion, caring, concern and love.

When we cultivate a mindset that says, “I lead. I am bold!” our entire life will change. By confidently forming our own life vision and becoming aware of our personal power resources, we can employ strategies to sidestep pitfalls along the way.
Mastering leadership is a way of life. It is continually mastering our craft rather than saying, “I’ve arrived.” When we operate in every area of life with exceptional leadership, it is because we have stimulated and utilized our leadership characteristics, responding to life’s situations within that context.
Debbie Gross taught us how to acknowledge each other when we are communicating. She said people just want to be heard so we can say comments such as: “Wow!” or “I completely get it.” Or “That’s very exciting.” She encouraged us to stay away from negative vocabulary such as:

• Unfortunately
• But
• I’m sorry
• Can’t
• I’ll be honest with you

I hope these tidbits stimulate your thinking on how you want to live your life this last week of October 2012!

Happy Halloween from the staff at Office Dynamics.

Joan

Highlights from Annual Conference Speaker Presentations

Joan Burge — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:40:00 GMT

Hello, Monday Motivators!

Welcome to another Monday and the 3rd of 4 MMs focusing on some of the best information from our 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence. Don't worry if you are not an executive assistant because the information I am sharing with you below is for anyone who wants to Be Bold and master leadership in their life. Since we had many amazing speakers, I am sharing 4 of them with you today and will share the rest next Monday.

As you read the highlights from each speaker, do a self-check. How would you rate yourself in the areas they mention? Where do you really excel and where do you need to improve? Use their advice to guide you this week.

Lisa Olsen spoke on integrity. She used the following analogy.

"Integrity and The Parable of the Pie: it's hard to bake just one piece. You bake the whole pie. Three parts of the pie: Actions we take, Commitment to standards, Knowledge and how we apply it.

1. We have respect for the conduct that is essential.

2. It is our responsibility to continually develop professionally.

3. We are responsible to break the stereotypes of our profession."

I gave a State of the Administrative Profession - but again, all of us can relate this information to work workplace. "There are now four distinct generations employed in the workplace. We can benefit from all the generations. Bridge the gap with each other. It's not them against us. It should be us trying to elevate the profession! There are benefits to all the generations. Be Bold! If you hear people talking negatively about another assistant, walk away from the negativity or else speak up for that person to advance the profession."

Linda McFarland challenged attendees to take charge of their career. Linda began her presentation with a funny video, saying we should, "Put your ducks in a row!" Linda showed a video of a momma duck and her brood of babies blown about by a wind and the momma duck's frantic and comical efforts to get them back into line.

"Do you manage your career or are you letting other people or the winds of change manage it? Nobody else controls your destiny but you. Do you have a plan? It's okay if you don't because we'll make a plan today.

Self -awareness - What are your career goals? What challenges and excites you? What motivates you? What are your top three strengths? Are you a continuous learner? You always have to be up in your game. We drink from a fire hose every single day."

Jennifer Lier took the stage to give a powerful, dramatic presentation that encouraged women to boldly create strategies to promote health and balance at home and at work. Jennifer centered her talk on BOLD:

"B- Brilliance. It's how you walk. How you talk. Use your brilliance to remember that your office is your platform, your moment to shine.

O - Objective. Being objective allows you to be honest and to grow. You can't move forward unless you're honest with yourself ABOUT yourself! And remember, you can fix things!

L- Leader . You do not have to have a title to be a leader. Carry yourself with leadership, boldly. For example, don't lower yourself to participate in office gossip. Take the high road and have integrity.

D- Decision. Jennifer challenged us to use handwriting more often, and especially when writing down goals and mission statements. Why? Because when we hand-write, it makes an indelible imprint on the brain. The only way to move forward is with intention."

You can read more rich content on our Blog page at http://www.officedynamics.com/Blogs.aspx

Remember to be BOLD by taking the lead in your own life. As you become BOLD, you will positively affect those around you. Good luck and I wish you a fantastic week!

Joan Burge

See these FULL presentations and more with our On Demand Conference Ticket!

Watch online at your convenience, as often as you like! Introductory Pricing available until October 31, 2012. Learn more here.

Foundation Attributes of the Five Pillars

Joan Burge — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:37:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators,

Last week’s Monday Motivators was the first of a series of 4 issues that I am writing around the theme Be BOLD: Mastering Exceptional Leadership One BOLD Step at a Time. Last week I talked about 5 Pillars of life where we need to take the lead: Career, Family, Financial, Spiritual and Wellness.

This week I would like to focus on the foundation of the 5 Pillars. While each pillar stands alone, there is a set of core attributes, traits and values that are the substance of all the pillars. The foundation is necessary to sustaining us in each pillar. They apply to each pillar. As you read the list, do a self-check.

Acceptance when something is not moving as fast as you want it to, such as getting a promotion or a new house.

Belief that you can accomplish your financial or wellness goals. Or the belief that you can have a loving family; that you are connected to the universe; that you can do something each day to improve your wellbeing.

Commitment being mentally committed to letting go of old habits and creating new behaviors. OTHERWISE IT’S JUST TALK!

Courage to face your fears and others.

Determination is defined as willpower, resolve, grit, purpose.

Gratitude is about being thankful every day in each pillar for at least one thing, such as the food on your table.

Hope in a better future. No matter how gloomy the economy may be or a situation you are facing, you always have to have hope. And you could be a part of creating a better future.

Positive Attitude is necessary in every pillar. Attitude is a choice.

Resilience is described as flexibility, elasticity, and bounciness. Like a palm tree in 50 mile-per-hour winds, you have to keep a strong foundation and yet bend with the situations in life.

Staying Power is like a runner in a marathon who might lose steam after running several miles but keeps pushing forward. Just when you feel like giving up, you have to give yourself the extra push.

Inner Circle you need the right people to support you in all 5 pillars of life.

Warrior willing to take up a sword for a cause – for something you believe in. Others may not agree with you but you know it is the right thing to do or promote.

I leave you with several nuggets to think about this week in the 5 Pillars of your life. While you may be focused on work, remember the other pillars are just as important.

Wishing you a great week.

Joan

Be BOLD in The 5 Pillars of Life

Joan Burge — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:57:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators,

I have missed writing you the past two weeks and am eager to share with you many great tips and inspirational messages during the month of October. If you recall, we were hosting our 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence September 25 – 28 in Las Vegas. I am pleased to say the event was spectacular and our 270 attendees were delighted by the experience and gained much from the rich content our speakers provided. For me personally, I experienced a very special connection with this year’s attendees.

The week after conference, we had another big event to host: a book launch party for my new book for women of all walks of life. Give Yourself Permission to Live a BIG Life is a memoir-type book of inspiration, courage, overcoming obstacles, faith and red lipstick! Actually, this event for about 100 women was held just 4 days after conference so my Office Dynamics Team was quite busy and they did an excellent job for both events.

So, what do I want to share with you first that will help you have an awesome week? Our conference theme was Be BOLD Mastering Exceptional Leadership One BOLD Step at a Time. I am not talking about leading others but out being a leader in your own life in the 5 pillars of life: career, family, financial, spiritual, and wellness. The most important person you can lead is yourself. Interestingly when we lead ourselves in the 5 pillars, we have a ripple effect on others and the world.

Career: Imagine if you move through your work day with a positive attitude and “can-do” spirit even when you are having a tough day. Coworkers, executives, and visitors will notice.
Family: Includes best friends and pets. If you nurture family time, extended family members will follow. Your friends will notice the bond you have with each other and will want that connection to their family.
Financial: If you pay off debt, save for your future, and manage your money, your life will be less frazzled. You will be able to ride the wave of economic changes.
Spiritual: meaning you lead with your inner source and the real you. You will be more fulfilled which energizes you and inspires those around you.
Wellness: If you ride a bike, walk or jog regularly in your neighborhood, your neighbors will see you and some will be encouraged to do the same. You will bring vitality to work and home.

This week, I challenge you to take one action step in each of the 5 pillars and see what a difference it will make for you personally and the effect you can have on others. I hope this 2nd week of October is spectacular!

Remember to share Monday Motivators with your peers and look for more life-changing tips later this month.

Joan

Time Management, Setting Priorities and All That Jazz!

Joan Burge — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:48:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators,

I am really writing you on a Monday morning! I normally write Monday Motivators the Friday or weekend before but I find that writing this weekly perk-you-up is getting farther behind. It isn’t because it is not on my mind or because I don’t care about you. It is because my To Do list is getting bigger and bigger; I am managing more people than ever before; more people need my time and attention; and I have a BIG event that I am launching October 1! Additionally, it is important for me to go to service on Sunday mornings and make time to see my children or grandchildren—they are very important to me. Then, probably like you, I run errands most of the day on Saturday. Whew. I’m worn out just thinking about it all. How about you? Do you feel the same way?

Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who feels like I need an 8th day of the week and about 5 more hours a day. Even if that were to occur, it still would not be enough for all the things I want to do in life. Often I have to stop my little brain, breathe, relax and regroup before moving forward.

7 Tips to Manage Time and Priorities

Determine what truly is important. What can wait? What absolutely cannot wait? What is the affect if you don’t do something or put it off until later in the week?
Each morning, make your own little list of the your top 5 priorities for the day, including your personal priorities.
Early in the day, ask your executive what are his or her top 3 priorities that involve you.
Think of yourself as a juggler. A juggler has many balls up in the air but focuses on the one or two balls that are in her hands, at this moment. That is what I do and it really helps me. I have many projects, tasks, and to do’s in my peripheral vision but I am focused on what I am doing right this minute.
Streamline your processes. As you go through your action items, ask yourself, “How can I streamline this; make it simpler, faster, easier, better?”
Eliminate! Get rid of anything you don’t really to do or keep.
Delegate wherever possible. This includes delegating chores at home to your kids and husband or wife. It will be good for your kids and keep them from spending too much time with technology.

We are one week away from our 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Professionals. If you are not able to come to Las Vegas, look for an important message coming out in a day or two regarding ON DEMAND! It’s the first time we are offering this and I hope you will be a part of the excitement.

Travel Planning for Your Executive

Joan Burge — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:48:00 GMT

"Take the trip in your mind before you send me on a trip." This is a comment I often hear from executives who travel and feel their executive assistant is not thinking through all the details of their trips. While the trip itinerary may "look good" to the executive assistant or even the executive before the trip, there are hiccups along the way as an executive travels.

Unless you have traveled extensively, which most executive assistants do not get to do, it is hard to comprehend what might happen. And even though your executive may tell you about the problems they encountered on a trip, you still may not catch everything to make the next trip smoother.

I can appreciate both sides of the desk. When I was an executive assistant for 20 years, I thought I did a good job of planning my executives' travel, even the ones who traveled internationally. But I had not realized all the little intricacies and things that drive a traveler crazy until I started traveling on a regular basis. You may look at your executives and think how lucky they are to travel all over the country or the world or how glamorous.

But when you are the one traveling all the time, dealing with flight delays, bad weather, cancelled flights, sitting in airports for hours on end, sitting on the taxiway for hours because of a rain storm, running from gate to gate, killing yourself to catch a flight because your flight was late only to have the airlines close the doors on you as you watch your aircraft pull out, can you truly appreciate the stress and burdens of traveling.

It is your job as an executive assistant to do the very best you can at making travel smooth for your executive. You should learn from each trip what worked well and what could have gone better. Each trip is unique. I wish every executive assistant could go on at least one complicated business trip with his or her executive.

Whether you have planned 5 trips or 500 trips for your executive, you should have a detailed, extensive check list. I recently helped an executive assistant create a more comprehensive checklist for her executive who was the president of a global organization. I thought she had a thorough itinerary mapped out but her executive was unhappy after 7 years of her doing this. I needed to get behind the scenes with her and dig deep - what questions to ask, items to add to the checklist for pre-prep, a list of what her executive should be sure to pack and questions to ask post trip.

Travel planning may seem like a basic skill every administrative assistant or executive assistant has but it is much more than a skill; it is an art; it is a science. It takes a combination of: critical thinking skills, connecting the dots in your mind, forecasting, anticipating (what could go wrong or what your executive might need), organizing, having a back-up plan, excellent communication, logical thinking, seeing the big picture, and much more. I challenge you to find your gaps and encourage your executive to tell you about the little things that drive them crazy when they travel because sometimes they will just not mention it but they are thinking it.

Do you have any great tips you can share with our readers? Are their any templates you use for ensuring quality? Do you have any favorite web sites you can recommend?

Be thankful: A week of remembrance & respect 9/11

Joan Burge — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:12:00 GMT

During the week of September 11, I am reminded not to forget those who gave their lives during that terrible crisis years ago, those who had no idea it was their last day driving to work, or those who didn't know it would be the last day to kiss their children goodbye.

I am reminded that I have gotten comfortable, and I often take my freedom for granted. Many Americans have done the same thing. That's why it's important to pause at this time each year and remember that freedom is a gift to be treasured!

How are you feeling as you start your week - the week of September 11? Are you sad? Do you hurt? Are you angry? Or are you oblivious, and don't even care? Whatever you are feeling, you are entitled to feel. That is what America is all about.

The theme I have selected for this week is "Be thankful!" May you have a peaceful and joyous week.

Be Thankful-

Take time this week to say "thank you" to people at work. Let them know you appreciate it when they meet your deadline or give you information you requested.
As you drive to work each day, be happy you have a place to go to - a place where you and your talents are needed.
As you encounter new people this week, think of how you might help them become comfortable in strange surroundings.
If you are presented with any challenges this week, tell yourself you can step up to the plate. Nothing is too difficult for you to handle.
Be sympathetic this week if anyone you know needs a shoulder to cry on.
Let those you care about know how you feel.
Be thankful for those who serve as firefighters, police officers and in other emergency-related professions.
Do what you feel you need to do on September 11 - whether that is to wave a flag, visit a neighbor, mourn a little or rejoice in the life you're blessed to have.

E-mail this to as many friends and co-workers as you wish. Help me spread this reminder as we honor those lives who were lost and their families.

Joan

DNA of a Star Assistant™ by Joan Burge

Joan Burge — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:45:00 GMT

I am putting the finishing touches on a speech I am giving next week to 250+ executive assistants. The conference committee asked that I include some information on research I did in an article I wrote called The DNA of a Star Assistant™.

Here are some questions and thoughts for you.

Mind Set vs. Skill Set. If you have the right mind set, it will develop the skill set.
Are you looking for ways for continuous improvement?
Are you being proactive rather than just being good at responding to needs?
Are you looking for ways to change or embrace change?
Are you working to develop your soft skills?
Administrative assistants are the social network of the company.

Here is an excerpt from my research which was used for several industry articles.

Overall— the Star Assistant’s DNA must consist of soft skills, hard skills, social and emotional intelligence. There is a crossover because they are integrated.
Soft skills are emerging in importance over technical skills. Soft skills carry more weight than technical skills. They are hard to teach, learn and change whereas technical skills are not.
The main component of the DNA is that an individual has the innate talent and then they build some areas around and on top of their innate ability and core attributes.
The fundamental/foundational skills are still important to be successful in this job. Then add advanced competencies such as negotiating, persuading, presenting, problem solving.

What attributes, talents, and skills are a part of your DNA? Make sure you bring them forth so others can see the star in you!

Your Professional Brand

Joan Burge — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:15:00 GMT

Greetings!

I am in San Francisco this week teaching an on-site version of my World Class Assistant workshop to a great small group of assistants. I have not been in San Francisco for more than 10 years! My hotel is just 3 blocks from Fishernan's Wharf so I headed there the first night of my arrival to check it out and to find a place for dinner. I walked past several little restaurants and eateries with their menus posted outside their doors. I saw several menus that had food I loved, the prices were about the same, and from my first glance short glance inside the restaurant, they looked fairly nice. So, how would I decide which one to eat at because several looked good. Such a dilemma, right?

I decided to walk in a few feet and check out the inside of the restaurant: Did it have a view of the water? Was it really busy? Was it noisy? Did it look clean and what about the wait staff? Did it appeal to me? What condition was the carpet and furniture in? Maybe you are thinking, "Who cares? You are in San Francisco?" But you see, I did care because I only had two nights in town and I wanted to be selective about where I would eat. It mattered to me. I finally chose a restaurant and it did not disappoint.

What does this have to do with you? What is your packaging? How do you Brand yourself? Why would an executive choose you over another assistant? If you lost your job tomorrow and had to go out and interview and you had the same skill set as the other interviewees, what would give you the edge? It is going to come down to your outer image, appearance, body language, carriage, handshake, smile (or no smile), aura, confidence, and how you present yourself.

Did you know that if you do not choose your Brand, you still have a Brand. If a person had a boring, vanilla personality -- that would be their Brand; boring and vanilla. If you are always running late for meetings and work, that is a part of your professional image and Brand. Organizations spend thousands of dollars to communicate their Brand to the world. They are very selective in the design of their logo, font, colors, sizing, and more. You only have to spend time determining what your professional Brand is and how to communicate that to others through your actions, words, and behaviors. Yes, you might need to invest a little money for clothing or a new haircut or new eyeglasses. It is an investment with a great return.

Intentionally Brand Yourself!

How Assistants Can Save Time and Be More Efficient

Joan Burge — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:24:00 GMT

Are you an assistant looking to become more efficient? Save time and get more work done? Below is a listing of ways you can save time and be an efficient assistant. The bonus? These tips were provided by executive assistants like you!

Time Saving Tips for Assistants

Manage priorities
Make To-Do lists
Touch-base with executives using their preferred method of communication
Social Media
Yammer groups for problem solving
Lotus Notes
o Calendaring
o Flags
o To-Do’s
Take care of “Low Hanging Fruit’ first
Last 15 minutes of each day
o Complete next day’s ‘to-do’ list
o Prioritize top 3 items for the next day
During down time, draft work on larger projects coming due
Manage social interruptions and maintain a focused frame-of-mind
List the focus for the day and obtain agreement up front
Read your executive’s sent mail file
Use the P-O-S-T method for strategic calendar planning/invitations
o P- purpose
o O- Outcome
o S- Structure
o T- Timing
Meeting planning template- yearly with six month check-in
Print calendar and prepare meeting folders for the next day
Project tracking spreadsheet
Avoid procrastination

What are some ways that you save time?

It's Okay to Feel Blue

Joan Burge — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:49:00 GMT

Dear Monday Motivators,

As you know I had a fantastic 60th birthday filled with company for 5 days, celebration, festivities, laughing and loving. My last guest left my house this past Wednesday; my sister, Gina, from California. I noticed feeling a bit let down as the past few days came and went. And this past weekend, I was feeling a bit sad—somewhat blue. How could this be after having a fantastic week and being so exuberant for such a long time? I felt lonely as I walked around my house telling myself I had chores to do and some Office Dynamics tasks. But my heart wasn’t in them. I also noticed I was missing my husband, Dave, a lot.

Instead of forcing myself out of my funk, which I knew was not a reality because my heart and spirit wasn’t in it, I did a few things that I knew would make me feel somewhat better such as going to the gym, having dinner at my daughter’s house, and seeing my grandchildren.

While I often talk and write about a positive attitude and try to motivate all of you with Monday Motivators, I am realistic about everyone feeling “blue” sometimes. I want you to know – it is ok! I tell myself, “It is ok that I feel this way; it is ok to feel sad, or lonely, or frustrated. I give myself permission to not do anything I don’t feel like doing (for a day or two). I will get over it.” I also know I can’t stay blue for a long time as that is not healthy.

Maybe you are feeling a little bit out of sorts thinking that summer is over and it is time to buckle down. It seems most of the people I have talked with the past month can’t believe how fast time is passing and wishing life would slow down a bit. We all know that is not going to happen.

Here are a few ideas for you to consider:

It is normal to feel blue for a short time.
Go with the flow. The more we fight something, the harder it is for us. That is the same concept with changes that we cannot control. The more we fight it, the harder it is.
Do something that lightens your heart.
Read something inspirational.
Soak in a tub with bubbles or a Jacuzzi.
Go easy on yourself.
Share your feelings with a dear friend and co-worker. It helps us when we can express ourselves.
Exercise.
If you have a dog, take a nice long walk.
Clean your house.
Watch a funny video clip or movie.
Eat your favorite junk food! I had a big bowl of popcorn last night and watched a good movie at home.

I hope you have a good week.

Joan

Dream BIG

Joan Burge — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:36:00 GMT

Hello Monday Motivators!

Well, the big 60 came and went! In January, I had thought about having a special celebration/big party for my 60th birthday. I love to celebrate milestone birthdays, mine or someone who is near to me. At first, it seemed likes months of waiting for my special event. Jasmine and Michele helped plan the main event with fancy invitations, music, sit-down dinner, flowers, a huge star cake and more. (By the way, they did a fabulous job!) Family flew in from Ohio and California and many of my friends from Vegas arrived in their fancy evening attire. Saturday night, August 18, was like a fairy tale evening. I could not have asked for a more perfect celebration. Thanks to any of you who may have sent me an e-card, note, little gift, or card in the mail. Most of my out-of-town guests left Las Vegas this morning and now it is time for me to get back to work. A part of me is ready to settle down, have a little quiet in my home and get back on schedule with working out at the gym and eating nutritiously but I know it will take me a day or two to fully switch gears.

The message I want to give you this morning, August 20, 2012 – is that life flies by much too fast. What are you longing to do in your life? Is there a trip you have wanted to take? Have you ever wished you could have a big birthday party for yourself? Is there someone in your family who is hitting a milestone that needs to be celebrated? Is there something you didn’t get to do this summer with your kids that you should do before they are back in school?

It won’t be long and we will be coming down the home stretch for 2012. We have 4 ½ months left. What do you want to fill the rest of your year with that has meaning? What relationships at work do you need nurture?

At Office Dynamics, we will now be in full swing for our 19th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence and right after that, something BIG is happening. That is all I can tell you right now. You will have to keep your eyes open for more news.

What plans do you have for your career for the rest of 2012? When was the last time you looked at your professional development plan? Are you leveraging your talents and letting your inner light shine?

Many of you are getting your kids ready for school this week. In Clark Country, kids will start next Monday. As you head into this crazy week of preparation, last-minute school shopping, or just winding down from summer, I hope you make some time for yourself. Take some quiet time to dream about what you want to accomplish during the rest of this year. Remember, always dream BIG. You don’t know what you can accomplish until you give it a try. And just the fact that you tried something is a success.

Have a wonderful week.

Joan Burge

P.S. We are still celebrating! During the entire month of August you can receive 60% off of all Joan Burge authored products (books, CDs, DVDs) - shop now. Prices are already marked down and will remain this great steal until August 31.

Are You Letting Your Star Shine?

Joan Burge — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:42:00 GMT

Last week, I spent 4 wonderful days teaching Level II of our Star Achievement Series to 23 administrative professionals at their corporate offices in Columbus, Ohio. All were seasoned, talented assistants and yet discovered through my program that they still had areas in which they could shine. Also, something special emerged--a light bulb went off for several attendees. The message was: "It is ok to shine. It is ok to show my greatness at work."

Why is it that we are afraid to stand out? To let our talents blossom? To toot our horn without being braggadocios? Why do we find it hard to sparkle?

Actually, as President Nelson Mandela says, "Your playing small does not serve the world."

As an executive with employees, I want to see each employee's talents. I purposely look for their strengths so I can leverage those talents. I want to direct work their way in which they have a core talent. They will be a happier person and our company will benefit as well as our clients.

The key to all of this is being humble as you shine. Be gracious when talking about your accomplishments.

This week, I would love for you to bring forth your talents. Speak up when you have done a good job. Share your good news with peers or your leader. Display one or two of your achievement certificates at your work station. Share your good ideas with others.

Do not cheat the world out of what you have to offer. You are here for a reason. Also, when you shine, you give others permission to shine. Wishing you a stellar week.

Joan

Photo credit: www.iStockPhoto.com

Barriers Don't Mean The End

Joan Burge — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:02:00 GMT

Happy last Monday of July! Do you believe it? I certainly feel like I have been on the fast track this year and feel like soon I will be putting out my Halloween decorations. In fact, in my mass of catalogs that arrive in my mail, I saw the first one promoting Halloween decorations. Really? Can I please finish my summer?

Anyway, life is passing by quickly and I want to share something exciting with you and encourage you that while you may have to put your dreams or goals on the back burner, they are in your reach. You just have to be patient and never, never give up.

Office Dynamics launched its first e-book (Who Took My Pen … Again?) on July 25! This project was in my heart last winter 2011. It was on our project list for the first half of 2012. Well, others things came into play, business was moving fast, we had new projects that demanded our attention and time and before we knew it, the e-book was postponed. I was disappointed but after being in business 21 years, I know that is what happens. As months passed, the e-book was in the back of mind and Jasmine, too, was giving it great thought. Nancy Fraze, our third author who lives in California, was patiently waiting in the wings.

Finally, I decided we needed to move the e-book back onto the front burner. I must give tons of credit to Jasmine Freeman who jumped in with both feet and took control of the project. She found a local e-book expert, met with her a few times, attended some training, mapped out the entire path for the e-book links, and coordinated the entire project! So, thanks to Jasmine’s effort, the e-book was launched! We had a 2-day special on Amazon to celebrate the launch. Within only hours of it's release the eBook and the paperback versions of Who Took My Pen ... Again? Were numbers 1 and 2 on the Amazon Best Seller list in the category of Secretarial Aids and Training!

So what does all this mean to you? What do I want to share that you can apply this week at work (or at home)?

Never give up on your dreams. Be patient. So many give up when they hit roadblocks or barriers or become distracted with life.
Be open to new projects and opportunities presented to you by your leader or a team.
Test new skills.
Jump in with both feet.
Build networks every day as you never know when they will help you out. Jasmine had met the e-book expert, Peggy a while back and remembered her.
Set stretch goals for yourself.
Involve others at work in your goals.
Know when to bring a project or goal back into play. So while we had to move the project from an “A” priority to a “C” priority, I knew when we had waited long enough. At some point, you have to say, “Yes pull this forward and let’s jump in with both feet.”

What have you been sitting on for a while that you need to bring forward this week? Maybe you aren’t moving forward on a goal because you are afraid. You will never know what you can accomplish until you try.

Wishing you a great week and welcome to August.

Joan

Who Took My Pen ... Again? eBook Now Available on Amazon.com!