Admin to Admin

One of Lisa Olsen’s favorite topics to discuss with assistants is the art and science of personal mastery. At the core of personal mastery is self-awareness.

A hard look at soft skills

October 5, 2017 Categorized in: Admin to AdminSkills Check

Sometimes it’s worth taking a hard, honest and brutal look at our soft skills. As administrative professionals, we often worry more about keeping up our technical skills, while our interpersonal and self-management attributes end up on the lower rack of our administrative toolkit.
When we are living fully, we feel it. We get the sense that our life is moving along steadily and we take things in stride; we relax enough to feel joy. So why does achieving and maintaining balance seem so difficult?
One of the most important qualities an assistant can develop is credibility. It can take a bucket full of thoughtful actions to establish and yet can be seriously undermined by a single thoughtless move that creates a slow leak.
Making sound decisions is an administrative skill set that needs to be developed like any other. Here are six ideas to consider.
Spring is a great time for assistants to organize, rethink processes and do a little workplace inventory. Here are some suggestions on how admins can SPRING into action.
It is surprising to hear assistants tell me they don’t want a boss standing over their shoulder telling them what to do and how to do it all the time. But in the next breath, many of these same assistants complain that their bosses fail to convey expectations clearly enough. It’s an administrative dilemma.
Consider these six qualities of the remarkable assistant that may surprise you.

2017 is here. What will you do?

January 11, 2017 Categorized in: Admin to Admin

Gretchen Rubin, who wrote The Happiness Project and has a weekly podcast, suggests that each year we choose a theme: a one-word theme or short phrase that represents the new year ahead. What might be your word for 2017?
This can be one of the hardest times of the year to strike a good work-life harmony.
Personal empowerment involves developing and demonstrating confidence and strength to fulfill your individual potential.
Whatever the scope of your position as an administrative professional, it’s paramount to your success to be visible and show others how your goals benefit everyone. This is a key element in building respect with your boss and co-workers. Consider these five ideas to get you thinking in a new way about how you are earning respect in the workplace.

5 things to do before a trip

August 8, 2016 Categorized in: Admin to Admin

For conscientious administrative professionals, the few days prior to a well-deserved vacation can be stressful and twice as hectic. Here are a few ideas beyond setting your out-of-office email message that might be useful.