Competence Development Master Class for Secretaries and Administrators

Introduction

This Master Class is designed to give delegates a better understanding of the ‘people skills’ which are needed in a business environment and which can help them develop their existing competencies into superior skills.

The programme focuses on:

• The ‘HOW!’ - using critical skills and behaviour to develop personal competencies
• The ‘WHAT!’ - developing task competencies needed to achieve successful process delivery
• Building on your existing personal knowledge and skills-set
• Giving you a better understanding of how you and your colleagues might work together more effectively in any office environment
• The production of a follow-up action plan which can help you implement new skills back at work

The seminar is split into two modules:

Module 1: Developing Core Skills for Administrators & Secretaries

Module 2: Professional Skills for Administrators & Secretaries (Certified Office Professional)

Each module is structured and can be taken as a stand-alone course; however, delegates will maximise their benefits by taking Module 1 and 2 back-to-back as a two-week seminar.

Seminar Objectives

Attendance on this unique 10-day programme will enable delegates to:

• Identify, develop and improve key competencies necessary for superior performance
• Improve creative thinking, problem solving and decision making skills
• Develop reading skills and note-making effectiveness
• Learn to use and apply simple memory systems
• Be better able to understand personality and behavioural characteristics in order to achieve what they want from other people
• Develop a plan and approach for self-development

Training Methodology

We use a combination of formal presentations, group and individual exercises, psychological and work inventories, case studies, role-plays and discussions.  Inter-group discussions to share working experiences are also an important ingredient. Skills are introduced and then revisited at regular intervals throughout the programme. This helps reinforce and imbed skills and performance.
The tutors are also available for one-to-one discussions with delegates on issues or problems they may wish to raise.

Organisational Impact

Organisations can expect delegates to:

• Better understand the skills and competencies required within current and future job roles
• Practice competencies that can contribute to achieving individual and business objectives
• Have an improved appreciation of other peoples needs, perspectives and objectives and how they may support the achievements of others
• Better appreciate their own strengths and weaknesses and have a plan to develop themselves accordingly (especially in the areas of interpersonal communications skills, working in teams and providing first-class customer service)
• Have improved self confidence and an improved ability to think for themselves and to develop action plans
• Be better able to cope with and manage pressure, tensions and demands in the workplace

Personal Impact

Attendance on this programme will give delegates:

• An enhanced set of practical skills that can be used at work
• A better understanding of personality, self and other’s behaviour
• Improved self-belief and self-confidence
• An understanding of how others achieve their objectives and of the importance of networking
• Useful tips for achieving superior performance in their supporting role
• Exposure to a range of tried, tested and proven approaches which can be tailored and modified to suit individuals and their respective organizations

Who Should Attend?

• Anyone involved in the operational supervision of an office environment
• Secretaries and administrative support personnel needing to develop superior performance in their working environment
• Senior Personal Assistants
• Senior Secretaries

Seminar Outline

Module I: Developing Core Skills for Administrators and Professionals

Day 1: Thinking Skills Part I plus Memory Systems

• Thinking about thinking (and how you handle problems)
• Your Brain Skills: the brains behind a business
• The importance of thinking skills to any organization
• Thinking about remembering
• Memory systems introduced (Memory magic?)
• Memory linking
• Memory journeys
• Remembering numbers

Day 2: Effective Note-making and Reading Skills Part I

• Thinking about reading (and identifying your current skills)
• How to be a 'successful' reader
• Reading for understanding
• Reading strategies: the theory
• Thinking about note-making
• How to make notes using mind mapping
• Practice using mind mapping
• Revision: memory systems at work

Day 3: Effective Note-making and Reading Skills Part 2

• Review of reading theories
• Using a guide to increase reading speed and effectiveness
• Reading strategies: reading articles and books
• More on mind mapping
• Using mind mapping and reading strategies together
• Thinking and working in groups
• Revision: linking memory systems to reading
• Revision: handling information overload

Day 4: Thinking Skills Part 2 and Inter-personal Communications

• Outcome planning for better results
• Getting your point across: know what to say and when to say it
• Getting your point across: the first 4 seconds & the last 4 feet
• Group projects
• Can anyone be creative?
• Approaches to Creativity and Problem Solving
• Revision: how to read a book
• Revision: memory journeys

Day 5: Your Personal Skills-set: Putting It All Together

• Your role and job in the context of any organization
• Group projects
• How we remember
• Planning for success
• Linking learning to time management
• Practice routines

Module II: Professional Skills for Administrators & Secretaries (Certified Office Professional)

Day 6: Setting the scene and evaluating existing skills

• General introduction
• Mapping your current skill base in preparation for action planning on return to work
• Perceptions & biases
• Type 1. v Type 2. thinkers
• Time management skills
• Short exercise on creative/lateral thinking – Tie a knot
• Video on Time Management
• Group Exercise using communications skills (oral & listening), planning & problem solving skills, memory & sequencing, creative/logical thinking and teamwork

Day 7: Understanding & use of personality characteristics, team roles & communications

• Characteristics of individuals in effective teams – your preferred & least preferred style
• Personality/Work profiling and its impact upon individual behaviour –completion of Myers Briggs Type Inventory
• The four main components of effective communication Part 1.
• Broadcast communication exercise – use of planning, teamwork, creative thinking, verbal & written communication & presentation skills. The value of listening skills.
• Video ‘The Power of Words’

Day 8: Communication using assertiveness, difficulty in gaining consensus, team exercises

• Communications Part 2 - listening skills
• Group feedback on Myers Briggs Team Inventory (individual feedback by appointment in additional sessions)
• Assertive not aggressive communications – cultural considerations
• Video – Assertive communications
• Gaining consensus –– individual, team & group working, getting your view across to others, persuasion, accepting views of others & being prepared to change your own views
• Updating of personal skill base – SWOT analysis in preparation for action planning using Force Field Analysis
• Colour Code Exercise – team working involving sequencing, problem solving & concentration and memory
• Video - working with different personalities & cultures 

Day 9: Creative thinking, problem solving and teamwork including team exercise

• Creative thinking and Problem Solving for Secretaries & Administrators
• Creative thinking exercise – Tantrix – creative & innovative thinking, sequencing, visual perception, hand/eye co-ordination, memory & persistence
• Understanding, managing & coping with stress.
• Team exercise –– visual skills & co-ordination, recognizing patterns, problem solving, innovative thinking, memory, individual & team-working, competing & coping with frustration
• Video – ‘The Power of We’ – teamwork, working together, appreciating others roles and viewpoint

Day 10: Communications –understanding & using body language, conflict management & team exercise

• Communications Part 3. Body Language for the office
• Managing your Boss – Managing difficult people
• Video – Management of Conflict
• Team Exercise – Mast – leading a team, transference of information accurately, understanding data, listening skills, teamwork, creative thinking, monitoring & control and working to a time criteria
• Review of the week

ILM Certification (Module 2 only)

The Certified Office Professional is a fully endorsed programme and completion of the seminar and assessment, successful applicants will also be awarded a Certificate from the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).

ASSESSMENT (Module 2 only)

Following your attendance at the workshop, you are required to complete an action plan demonstrating how you intend to develop and you should bear in mind the topics covered on the programme. The action plan should be classified into short-term, mid-term and long term plans.

Oxford Management Centre
John Eccles House
Robert Robinson Ave
Oxford Science Park
Oxford
OX4 4GP
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 1865 338088

Fax: +44 1865 338100

email info@oxford-management.com