Diary Management Tips for PAs

Managing a busy diary is no simple task – as every PA will know.  Some boss’ diaries are so complex, they employ two PAs, one to work on the diary – the ‘diary PA’  – and one to do everything else. In some industries, such as banking, the diary can be as much as 80% of the PA’s work. A good diary manager needs to decisive yet flexible.  Flexibility in the diary is something that a number of PAs are afraid of – they live by the ‘once it’s fixed, it’s fixed’ approach and woe betide anyone who asks them to ...

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Tips for Having More Productive Days

Are You Busy or Are You Productive? There is a big difference between being busy and being productive, yet many of us use the two terms interchangeably. Stop confusing busyness for productivity, and you’ll get more done. Are you making progress on mission-critical tasks and projects? Then, you are productive.       We believe having a productive day is all down to planning, prioritising and focusing. Check out our tips below:   Get enough sleep every night. Wake up early, probably just after sunrise. Many studies reveal that morning birds are more creative, energetic and motivated than night owls ...

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Some of The Top Online Meeting and Conference Tools

In a world where we now communicate and collaborate mainly via the Internet, it’s important to have the right tool available. Not only do you need something that is dependable and works properly, but you also want a tool that is easy for all of your collaborators to use.      Facebook Facebook currently supports online video calling (in partnership with Skype), though you currently cannot do group video calls. You can, however, have group text chats. It’s worth looking into since almost everyone has a FB account.    Google+Hangouts Google+ Hangouts is another social network that supports video chatting ...

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Top Networking Tips to Get You Started

Before you attend networking events, think about the true purpose of them. There is a reason it’s called networking – it is not a social event. So if there is alcohol available, make sure you limit your intake, or it might be best to avoid it altogether. Also consider your industry and target customers before deciding to attend an event – is it right for your business.    Why attend the event? – Write down what you want to achieve from the event.  Is it to meet someone specific? New job opportunity? Improve your communications skills Increase personal confidence? Whatever it ...

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Documents that are commonly used in meetings

For any meeting to take place in a procedural way, there are a few important and necessary documents involved without which the meeting will not go smoothly.   The necessary documents for a meeting are:      Agenda The meeting agenda is the meeting plan. Document created by the PA, secretary or admin. It is then approved by the chairman and circulated to the other members who will be attending the meeting. It can be distributed either digitally or as hard copies. It is always best to have a few spare copies. It lays out the topics that need to be ...

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