Skills for the Administrative Assistant

Recommended Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required for this course.

Course Overview

Work is not the only thing that matters in life, but most of us want to take pride in what we do. While we don’t have to like the people we work with, or report to, at the very least we should be able to interact positively with them. The biggest influence on our job satisfaction is our relationship with others.

Our work should not be a burden to us and our offices shouldn’t be battlefields. We are human beings working with other human beings. This course is about working to the best of your abilities, and encouraging the best in those who work with you, or for you.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of professional presence on the job
• Learn how to self-manage to become more effective and efficient
• Improve your communications skills, including listening, questioning, and being more assertive
• Increase your effectiveness in recognizing and managing conflict, and dealing with difficult people

Course Outline

1. Course Overview
2. Personal Best, Professional Best
3. The Importance of Appearance
4. First Impressions Count!
5. Putting Others at Ease
6. Distorted Thinking
7. Case Study: Angelique’s Thinking
8. Distorted Thinking
9. The Steps to Feeling Good
10. Understanding Assertiveness
11. What is Assertiveness?
12. Quiz
13. Evaluation
14. Improving Your Assertiveness Skills
15. Communication Skills
16. Asking and Listening
17. Asking Questions
18. Active Listening
19. Non-Verbal Messages
20. Writing Skills
21. The Four C’s
22. Punctuation Pointers
23. Letters and Memos
24. Getting Ahead
25. What Employees Want
26. What Others Want
27. Self-Management
28. Self-Management
29. Making Connections
30. Time Management Tips
31. Where Do You Stand?
32. Organizing Your Workspace
33. Being Proactive
34. Setting Goals
35. Setting Goals with SPIRIT
36. A Personal Action Plan
37. Working as a Team
38. Vegetable Head
39. Brainstorming
40. Working with Difficult People
41. Learning to Say No
42. Expressing Your No
43. Making Connections
44. Case Studies
45. Dealing with Stress
46. Personal Action Plan
47. Recommended Reading List
48. Post-Course Assessment