Professional Development
Administrative Assistant Development Program
This four-part series is full of great techniques to help those who want to become more effective in the advancement of school and department business objectives. The program encompasses the critical components required to ensure a rewarding and successful workplace experience for college and university administrators, including communication skills (both written and oral), managing time and data, and creating win-win situations. All this and more will be discussed in this dynamic series.
Developing Proven Techniques for Effective Communication
In this session, you will learn the importance of effective interpersonal communication in your position and how to be more effective as a communicator. We will focus on communication with influence, developing critical listening skills, interpersonal communication, and managing upward communication in your area.
You will learn:
- How to communicate your ideas clearly to team members
- How to become comfortable with speaking and listening effectively
- How to identify the needs of your audience
- How to manage effective upward and downward communication
Developing Outstanding Customer Service
In this interactive session, you will learn the basics of good customer service for both the internal and external customer at your institution. We will focus on the important skills of dealing with difficult people, developing a confident communication style, creating win-win interactions in the workplace, and minimizing the time drains of frequent requests.
You will learn:
- How to communicate with customers – your role as a team leader
- How to think like a customer, right from the start
- How to follow up on resolutions to help the customer
- How to deal with difficult customers in a win-win style
Developing Professional Writing Skills
This workshop will help you develop effective and efficient writing skills. We will identify some effective strategies for getting started and for organizing your writing tasks. We will include guidance on overcoming writing blocks, using e-mail effectively, drafting, proofreading, and editing. You will also learn how to “ghost write” for someone else and how to provide effective and diplomatic feedback on written documents.
You will learn:
- How to get started in writing
- How to structure memos, letters and emails
- How to understand the needs of your reader
- How to ghost write for your boss
Developing Effective Management of Paper and Electronic Files
In this session, you will learn the basics of sound organization of both paper and electronic files in your office. The session will give you practical guidance on organizing, labeling, prioritizing, and managing files effectively. Included in this session will be some practical tips on time management and determining management priorities.
You will learn:
- How to determine your management priorities: should do, can do, and must do
- How to set up efficient filing systems – paper and electronic
- How to understand security of files and data integrity
- How to use time management to manage your unit
Administrative Assistant Development Program nomination Form