Administrative Assistant's Update

May 2016

Focuses on the training and development needs of admin professionals and features topics such as hard skills (software competencies, writing, communication, filing) and soft skills (teamwork, time management, leadership).

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UPDATE PM #40065782 P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O R C A N A D A ' S O F F I C E S U P P O R T S T A F F Administrative Assistant's UPDATE INSIDE High-potential employees � � � 2 If we look hard enough, we will discover them Your LinkedIn profile � � � � � � � 3 Easy ways to get testimonials Self-coaching � � � � � � � � � � � � 5 Asking the right questions Establishing a VA business � � 6 What to do/not do By George Pearson Administrative professionals are taking a chapter from their executives' how-to-get-ahead playbook, honing their communication and leadership skills through membership in Toastmasters International. For years, Toastmasters has been a stopping-off point for upward-bound managers and executives to smooth out the rough spots in their presenta- tion abilities and build their capacity for listening and organizing as well While admins are not generally fast-tracking their way up in manage- ment, they are building skills and organization perspectives that will serve them and their executives well, and could promote them to a higher and more demanding position. Strong interview nets promotion Joan Binetti, an executive legal as- sistant with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Toronto, is convinced her Toastmaster training contributed to a strong interview that netted her a position with the Blakes chairman, a job she held for eight years. Binetti is a 22-year member of Toastmasters. Her affiliation began af- ter she was asked to do a presentation at work. "I was so nervous my voice was shaking, my hands were shak- ing," she recalls. Her office manager suggested she try Toastmasters. She did, and she remembers vividly her first speech, an "icebreaker" in which the new member introduces herself to club members. "I basically clutched onto the lectern and kept my head down." Before long, however, she had gained confidence, growth she at- tributes mainly to encouragement from her speech evaluator and club members after that first speech. They were supportive ("they told me I had a beautiful smile") as they made sug- gestions as to how she could improve. "I'd say within three months it [her Toastmaster experience] had made a tremendous difference," she says. Curbing scent: A workplace concern Perfumes are delightful, except when they're not. Today's fragrances are usually made from natural and synthetic materials, triggering allergic reac- tions from certain cleaning and personal care products or when an employee wears scent in the office. Perfume issues need to be taken seriously to ensure good in- door air quality, urges the Canada Safety Council. Informally, em- ployees could be asked to wear less – or no – perfume. But for a formal policy, the council sug- gests guidelines developed by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety www.ccohs.ca. For more information, see www.canadasafetycouncil.org MAY 2016 Toastmasters: A level playing field where execs and admins sharpen their skills Credit: Halfpoint/Shutterstock Continued on page 4 Joan Binetti

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