02-17-2016 - Administrative Assistants Conference - Houston, TX

Opening Session:

Taking Care of the Office Caregiver ... YOU!
One of the most-cited reasons for career burnout from administrative professionals is they often get so involved in helping others (especially the boss) that they lose sight of their own needs and goals. You may be miles away from burnout — but the point still remains: You must take time to take care of you! In this insightful conference opener, you"ll hear how to care for the most important person in your organization — YOU! Discover how successful admins pamper themselves from time to time and revitalize and strengthen their professional development! This session is the perfect opener for a conference dedicated to YOU!

Track 1: Professional Development

Session 1A: How to Project Credibility and Get the Respect You Deserve!
It"s easily the most powerful business tool you have, and it"s the one most easily tarnished — your image in the workplace! A cool, confident and together administrative professional has always been one of the most respected figures in any organization. During this session, you"ll learn how you can create exactly the kind of persona that demands respect and admiration from everyone up and down the corporate ladder and one that helps you become even more productive at your job.

Session 1B: Secrets to Fabulous-Looking Reports and Proposals
One of our most popular topics for administrative assistants who have the responsibility of creating business documents, this session gives you practical how-to"s for creating polished, professional business documents. Put pizzazz into everything from simple memos to complex reports and proposals. Gain respect and recognition for your ability to transform complex copy, charts, graphs and numbers into eye-catching, easy-to-read documents that reflect positively on you and your organization.

Session 1C: Pain-Free Business Grammar Tips for Administrative Pros — Including 12 Serious Blunders You"ll Never Make Again!
Good grammar is like a stop light at a railroad crossing — you don"t appreciate it until it"s not there! Avoid the train wrecks that happen when you make grammatical errors in your memos, e-mails, reports and more by attending this fun grammar refresher. Yes, we DID use the words "fun" and "grammar" in the same sentence! You will, too, after this fast-paced session that includes a look at the top 12 grammatical mistakes that can crush your credibility.

Session 1D: Strengthening Your People Skills in the Workplace
It"s a simple fact that administrative assistants who know how to work well with people are much more likely to succeed than the ones who don"t. During this powerful session, we"ll share proven and practical tips and techniques for strengthening your own interpersonal communication skills. When you return to the office, you"ll be floored by how your working relationships improve immediately, along with your personal effectiveness.

Session 1E: How to Work Well With Everyone (Even the People You Can�t Stand!)
The true measure of any professional is how well they handle the nasty side of human nature. In your position, you"re liable run into your fair share of unpleasant people. Since you can"t avoid them, you need to know how to deal with these "bad apples" when they come your way. This session gives you powerful how-to"s for handling difficult personalities while maintaining your professional demeanor — even when you feel like choking the life out of them!

Track 2: Professional Enrichment

Session 2A: How to Deal With Interruptions and Time-Wasters
Do you ever feel like it would be great if you could erect a brick wall around your desk to keep out ringing phones, gossipy coworkers and the other ten thousand interruptions that plague you day after day? The bricks may be a no-no, but attend this session and you"ll learn how to deal with unnecessary interruptions that threaten to take you off-task and put an end to time-wasters who rob precious hours from your day.

Session 2B: Is Being "Too Nice" Hurting You at Work? Assertiveness Essentials for Assistants
Nice guys and gals may not always finish last ... but if you don"t learn to set limits, you can be assured that you"re headed for overload! If you"re constantly feeling overwhelmed with work, you need to look in the mirror first before you start blaming others. At this session, you"ll learn the professional way to stand up for yourself without coming across as pushy and discover simple assertiveness techniques that will not only lighten your workload, but will earn you respect at the same time.

Session 2C: Mastering the 3 P"s of a Strong Office Image: Polish, Professionalism and Power!
If you sometimes feel undervalued, maybe it"s time to give your image a professional jump-start that"ll help you be more appreciated as a critical member of your office team. Using the tips and techniques you"ll learn in this session, turn your professional image from bland to dynamic and start getting noticed for your critical responsibilities. Don"t wait for others to recognize you because it may never happen. Blow your own horn and get recognized as a vital member of the work team!

Session 2D: Energy "Pick Me Ups" — Little Things You Can Do to Keep Your Batteries Charged All Day
If you find yourself riding a roller coaster with your energy levels during the day, you need the rejuvenating strategies you"ll learn during this fun-filled session. When you return to work, your coworkers will marvel at your seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy and will want to know how you do it. We"ll leave it up to you if you want to keep it a secret or not.

Session 2E: Making Time for You ... Living Stress-Free and Loving It!
Keeping your stress at a manageable level so you can maintain high productivity isn"t some deep, dark secret — it"s actually quite easy — if you know how to do it. At this session, you"ll learn simple techniques that will keep stress in check and improve your productivity throughout the day and make work more fun than you ever thought it could be. If you"ve ever felt like you were under attack from the stress demons, this is the session for you.