Do you really “show up” for your conference? Of course, we all physically show up but do we mentally show up? Do we really engage ourselves in the conference or do we expect to sit there and be entertained? Below are 15 tips on what you should do to get the most out of an administrative assistant conference, gain real value, and enhance your opportunity for creating behavior change.
Self-Improvement
Networking at Administrative Conferences
The Office Dynamics’ Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence is a way I am reminded of the value of networking with your peers. I realize, though, this is not easy for everyone.
I’d like to share an excerpt from my book Who Took My Pen…Again? In hopes that you will see there is more to it. If you can shift your focus as mentioned below, you will be on your way to meeting new and exciting people.
Office Dynamics Administrative Conference – Thursday Sessions
Thursday began with The State of the Profession, live-streamed on Facebook Live, featuring Joan Burge, Debbie Gross, Lisa Olsen, and Julie Reed.
Then the conference broke for the first set of four concurrent labs. Debbie Gross (Strategy) suggested administrative assistants to work at a higher level by using their Outlook calendar like their own personal admin to help keep them on track with the many projects to be managed. She said admins need to FOCUS more and observe “cones of silence” to get work done. She has a 3-point system for managing email: first pass. Second pass, Do (as in under two minutes). Third pass, Defer to tasks anything remaining that requires focus and project management.
Administrative Assistant’s I Wish for You
After more than 40+ years of living in and with this profession, these are my wishes for every administrative professional, especially you. I hope you will pass this on to your peers so that we might light a fire that burns in all administrative professionals’ hearts.
Increase Your Value By Influencing Executive Decisions
While I was working on some new material for my Star Achievement Series® training program for executive assistants and administrative assistants, I came across something I wrote years ago. It was an extra handout I used to give participants when I was teaching persuasion skills in class. I want to share the ideas with you. These ideas might come in handy in persuading your leader to send you to a conference or any training program.