AssistantForum

myhotels offer design lead boutique hotels located in London (Bloomsbury & Chelsea) and Brighton. The hotels have been designed with Feng Shui in mind and local teams of internationally known interior designers made sure that they are also reflecting a local feel.

We kick off at 6pm in the merkaba bar of myhotel Bloomsbury with some welcome cocktails. The sales & marketing team will be at hand to tell you more about the hotel and the new flexible working space next door - Central. Of course we will arrange some tours of the house to show you a number of guestrooms, suites and meeting rooms.

myhotel Bloomsbury will serve complimentary wine, cocktails and soft drinks until 8pm. After that time a cash bar will be available. Places are strictly limited, so please make sure you book early.

27 September 2011 from 6pm myhotel Bloomsbury

11-13 Bayley Street

Bedford Square

London WC1B 3HD

The event is kindly sponsored by

The closest tube stations are Goodge Street on the Northern Line or Holborn on the Central and Piccadilly Lines, as Tottenham Court Road is still closed for refurbishment.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

We will announce details in early September. Please register if you would like more information!

It has been quiet on the site these past few months. Behind the scenes we were really busy though and have started a number of new projects. 

We are very excited to introduce our new partner French Bubbles. Offering affordable and high quality champagne from artisan producers, who have a limited production, French Bubbles has really filled a niche. Next to offering champagne on their site - from single bottles (including a number of gift sets, now that might come in handy!) to whole cases - the team is running tasting events across London.

Enter promo code AssistantForum and receive 10% off. Cheers!

You can be the best PA in town but it's very difficult to do a good job if you don't have a good partnership with your manager. 

So many managers lose out because they aren't aware of how to work well with their PA (some, I must say, are brilliant!).  The PA will also suffer from having a bad manager.

Here are a few tips on how the PA can make the relationship work:

- ensure you are aware of your manager's objectives (these are YOUR objectives too)

- make sure you spend plenty of time communicating about work issues (be assertive when your manager tries to rush you)

- cultivate curiosity

- be aware of your manager's working style

- improve your skills in building rapport

- be there!

If you would like to know more, visit www.bakerthompsonassoc.co.uk

Successful relationships in the office mean successful business and happy workers!

We all build relationships naturally, but there are things we can do to help those more tricky relationships along.

Building rapport with people takes 4 steps:

Step 1 - the non-verbal level

We can subtly match the gestures, expressions and posture of people.

Step 2 - the voice level

Here we can match the tone, rate and pitch of another person.  There is nothing more likely to cause relationship barriers than a loud person talking to a quiet person, or a chatty person "verbally overpowering" a more pensive person.

Step 3 - the language level

Do you have dinner, supper or tea?  The vocabulary we use tells people a lot about us.  If you can match another person's vocabulary there will be a natural rapport.

Listen also to the types of words they use; are they, for example, visual words ("I see what you mean"), auditory words ("it clicked into place") or feeling words ("how did it feel?").

Step 4 - the beliefs level

Empathise with people's values - family, sports, hobbies, work ethic, etc.

The more flexible we are, the more we can influence our working relationships.

If you would like to learn more about building rapport, please contact me (heather@bakerthompsonassoc.co.uk). And visit www.bakerthompsonassoc.co.uk to find out more about the sessions I facilitate for many different organisations.

New technology means we can communicate with everyone from the security of our own desk.  However, to be a truly professional assistant, it is vital to network with as many people as possible.

What are the benefits?  Building relationships is a basis for career development and success.  You can learn about other people's issues, possibly even better understand your own.  You can expand your company knowledge, build rapport to enhance your existing relationships (watch out for more on this in my next blog) and better assist your manager because of your wide knowledge.

You will be better placed to make wise decisions and will be able to advise others; thus becoming a mentor for less experienced colleagues. 

Other people can lead you to their contacts who may be able to help you with your challenges or help you develop your career.  You will be seen as a dynamic person who proactively aims to improve yourself and help others and your organisation.

Networking gives you opportunities for training, career development, solutions and, of course, friendship.

What can you do?

Within your department - go to see people rather than calling or emailing, talk to people about their roles and experience.

Within your organisation - as above, plus arrange lunch with colleagues based in other buildings or at other sites but to whom you speak or email regularly, keep in touch with your HR department regarding opportunities for training and jobs.  You may want to volunteer to be involved in projects, join meetings or give presentations; all of these will raise your profile within the company.

Outside of your organisation - all the above plus meet up with other PAs or contacts in other companies, visit governing bodies or connected associations, join networking websites such as AssistantForum or networking groups such as EuMA (www.euma.org).  EuMA offers training opportunities in the UK and within Europe and has regional groups in the UK.

How do I actually speak to people at networking events?

- Introduce yourself/make conversation with strangers - plan before the event how you will introduce yourself.  There may be other people on their own who would be glad for someone to chat to!  Don't do all the talking, make sure it is an equal conversation.

- Gain useful information from others - take an interest in other people's business, particularly if there are similarities to your own.

- Identify potential contacts - find out before an event who will be attending and decide who you would like to meet (again prepare your introductions)

- Share information with others - networking is, of course, a two-way thing and you should be prepared to advise, support and help others too.  However, do be aware of confidentiality.

- Follow up - always follow up with people you have met; a short email saying how much you enjoyed meeting them or confirming any future activities you arranged.

Networking skills form an important part of any worthwhile PA workshops and will include areas such as confidence and assertiveness, as well as business awareness.  It may also include image and presentation, such as colour consultations.

If you have found this helpful and would like to learn more from me, just visit the Tip of the Month at my website www.bakerthompsonassoc.co.uk. (There is an archive of tips going back 5 years).

We would love to invite you to our next London event on 21 April.

Please have a look at the eventbrite page for more information and to sign up.

We are still waiting to have sponsors confirmed, so watch this space. Please do join us if you can and please invite your colleagues - the more the merrier.

 AssistantForum and EMC3 would like to invite you to Aura. Aura is a cocktail bar, restaurant and night club all in one.

You will arrive at 19:30 and be welcomed with a drinks reception. At 20:00 you will seated and dinner will be served. Dinner will be substantial food (no canapés or bowl food), however it will be a variety and everyone will be given the opportunity to sample the beautiful dishes Aura has to offer.

After dinner, everybody will have the opportunity to stay behind and enjoy the atmosphere. In addition to the busy Thursday night vibe there will be a fashion show (swimwear) and live band on that same night. So you will really see Aura in full swing!

This is a free event for Office Professionals in support roles like EAs, PAs, receptionists, administrators etc. Please register here.

Places are limited, so if your plans change and you can't make the event anymore, please do let us know.

Aura Mayfair, 48-49 St James's Street, London SW1A 1JT

18 February 2010, 7.30pm

New Year... more exciting news!

As mentioned in our last newsletter, we have teamed up with EMC3 as our Event Partner. At our networking events we will aim to introduce you to a variety of venues that want to get in touch with office professionals. We are also aiming to add some freebies, so stay tuned and join us!

The first event is now planned for 18 February. Have a look at our blog for updates, more info coming soon.

For more information about EMC3 please have a look at their website.

It's time for New Year's Resolutions again. Wouldn't it be great to make some that you will actually keep this coming year? However half the battle lies in how you formulate your resolutions - get that wrong and you're radically reducing your chances of achieving them.

Read the rest of the article here.