The Little Engine That Could...
Have you ever heard of negative and positive "self talk?" I just recently read something about it and was surprised when I really paid attention to the messages I was sending myself that some of them were negative. I know so many people who are great at what they do, but when I hear them talk about themselves they are very negative and keep telling me how they can't do it. When I look at them however, I see someone who really knows their job and I know they could do it if only they would forget about what they can’t do and concentrate on what they can do. Easier said then done I know because low self esteem may be the roadblock. I found this link to the

Preparing your boss for meetings away from the office or at home
I had a good tip from my boss that I have used to help me prepare him for meetings whether they are away  or at home. He advised that I ask myself the following question when I receive a request for a meeting with him: What would I need if I was going to the meeting? From that initial question, I have developed questions I ask myself before I schedule meetings for my boss that I thought I would pass on in case it would be useful to some of my readers:1. What is the purpose of the meeting?2. Does your boss need to be at the meeting? Can someone go in your boss’s place if he or she is not available?

Too much information...
Some people like to talk. When they write an e-mail they do the same thing and instead of getting to the point they explain and explain and explain. Ugh! I feel I have to dig to find out what is required of me. Too many times I have received one of these long e-mails only to miss the real purpose of the e-mail and didn't see my action item because if was hidden in a P.S. -- after the signature line! Believe me that really happened..., but sometimes the message is buried in the e-mail and requires some digging.Below are some ways that I try to use when communicating by e-mail:Consider your audienceE-mail is not meant for long correspondence. I

A twelve step program to survive as an Admin
My grandson has started walking. He turned 1 year old on October 8th and shortly after that he just took off. He has a unique way of walking. He takes about 12 steps, squats and rejoices in his accomplishment, then he gets up and walks another 12 steps and squats again to repeat the process. He loves his newfound freedom and spends his days going back and forth from one end of the room to the other exploring as he goes.I know the newness of it all will be gone soon and it will just be a normal thing that he is a little walker, but for now it is cute to see him learn this new skill. When I told my boss he said it must be my grandson's version of the 12 step program. I laughed, bu

That is not in my job description...
We have all heard it from our colleagues at one time or another when they do not feel a certain job is their responsibility. And sometimes it isn’t, but from my experience if you read an administrative or executive assistant job description there is usually a statement something like this, “providing administrative support.” But what does it mean exactly and does that include everything?Providing administrative support is a big statement and can be anything from arranging a meeting, making a reservation at a restaurant for a business luncheon, bringing items forward for action, following up for your boss, making travel arrangements, data entry, taking minutes, drafting let