Course Ref: SS.1A

Course Subject: Secretarial Skills

Who should attend?

• This course is designed for senior secretaries, executive secretaries, personal assistants and top-level management secretaries aiming to improve their performance and maximise opportunities for promotion to executive positions.

Course objectives

• To examine the evolving role of the modern secretary
• To carry out your duties more efficiently and effectively
• To update and raise stands of office management
• To align personal performance to organisational vision and success
• To develop interpersonal skills and manage excellent teams
• To enhance career opportunities and promotion capabilities

Course content

Office organisation

• Practical solution focused management skills
• How to support good workflow in the office for employee productivity
• How to manage the day-to-day running of the office
• Dealing with suppliers and developing good buying relationships

Arranging meetings and taking minutes

• Best practice for handling meetings
• The role of teams and teambuilding
• Taking accurate minutes and following up
• Arranging the environment for best meeting atmosphere

Event management

• Planning, arranging and monitoring events
• Coordination and facilitation skills
• How to manage different suppliers to deliver a successful event
• Managing on time and on budget

Verbal communication skills

• How to communicate clearly and concisely
• How to express ideas and core objectives to diverse audiences
• Communicating with a confident voice

Written communication skills

• Report writing, structure, theme, and executive summary
• Aiming reports to different stakeholders
• Email communication best practice
• Letter writing skills

Team-working

• Creating winning teams, key roles and team dynamic
• How to motivate staff and ensure results
• How to create interventions for team conflicts and problems
• The pitfalls of under-performing teams and how realign them

Time and stress management

• Emotional intelligence vs. Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
• The psychology of well-being and performance
• How to deal with pressure and stress in the workplace
• How to encourage high performance without creating stress

Presentation skills

• Delivering professional and memorable presentations
• How to write a speech for conferences and events
• Proven public speaking tips and techniques for charismatic presentations
• Managing nerves and overcoming fear of public speaking

Travel management

• Making travel arrangements (i.e. arranging flights, accommodation, visas)
• Managing timelines and preparing contingencies
• Negotiation with suppliers and getting the best quotes
• Researching the best routes for a journey both locally and internationally