June 21, 2018 By Joan Burge Leave a Comment

Staying Energized Throughout The Week

As you know, I usually share tips on combating the Monday-morning “blahs,” especially after a nice, relaxing weekend. I recently met someone who says she has a different problem: “Monday, I am refreshed from the weekend and ready to tackle just about anything,” she explains. “But by Friday, I am usually struggling to finish what I started. I’m pooped!”

That’s an interesting twist on the same theme and a challenge that some of you probably face as well. So this week, let’s look at a few effective ways to replenish your energy during the week:

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June 20, 2018 By Brian Burge 2 Comments

Office Dynamics Top 10 Blogs For Administrative Professionals

Last week Office Dynamics sent an email to all of our subscribers saying, “Thank you,” and we also provided the Office Dynamics Top 10 Blogs For Administrative Professionals. We would like to make that message available to our social media and blog followers as well because you are part of this great family we have. Enjoy and once again, THANK YOU!

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June 6, 2018 By Joan Burge 1 Comment

5 Powerful Communication Strategies for Administrative Assistants

Do you have a healthy curiosity that you use in your day-to-day communications?

I was inspired today to share with you 5 powerful communication strategies for administrative assistants that I often teach in my World Class Assistant™ Certification and Designation Program. However, I want to assure you that if you are not in the administrative profession, you will still greatly benefit from today’s topic. So continue reading.

In order to excel in today’s workplace, you will need to be a good investigator.

Why?

Because so often in the fast-paced world we work in, people do not communicate well or perhaps better said, completely. What seems clear to them is incomplete to us. [Read more…]

May 3, 2018 By Dana Buchanan Leave a Comment

Avoid Burnout by Creating Your Own Utopia

Avoid Burnout

In Utopia, burnout would be a term no one ever used or heard of. Everyone would be matched perfectly with the career they not only enjoyed but knew exactly how to succeed at. Unfortunately, burnout is real, it’s draining, emotional, stressful and typically affects both professional and personal lives. As an administrative professional for the past 20 plus years, I have learned how important it is to avoid burnout in one of the largest career fields in the world. One key point is keeping day to day tasks fulfilling even if you are not matched with your ideal position. Another key is personalizing the position with your uniqueness. [Read more…]

May 1, 2018 By Joan Burge Leave a Comment

Before You Retaliate

Before you retaliate

It’s almost instinctive to yell back or to be offended at someone who is yelling at you—be it a co-worker or a manager. But yelling back or arguing accomplishes little. It can destroy a business relationship and certainly dims your professional image. So before you respond to a verbal attack, keep these things in mind. [Read more…]

March 9, 2018 By Joan Burge 2 Comments

Setting Healthy Boundaries Today

Setting Healthy Boundaries

I was teaching a class two weeks ago from the Star Achievement Series®. Our theme for that day was the attitude component of Star Achievement. Under that umbrella, we addressed topics such as self-management vs. stress management, learning specific difficult people types and how to handle each of them, the benefits of conflict and much more. Of course, we had plenty to talk about and one tip an attendee mentioned was, “setting healthy boundaries.” She definitely got a big star for that one because setting healthy boundaries is important!

So, what kind of boundaries are we talking about and with whom? After all, as administrative assistants and executive assistants, you sometimes feel like you can’t set boundaries or you might get fired or your leader will think you are not a team player. Some people think when I’m talking about setting boundaries, they have to do with sexual harassment in the workplace. [Read more…]