Calendar Management

I share the CEO's Outlook calendar with my assistant.  Since we both book meetings for him, it is important if we have proposed dates for a meeting that we secure them in his calendar so one of us doesn't use it for another meeting.  We do this by putting a hold on the date and time with a brief note with what the meeting is about, for example 'HOLD Strategy mtg w/DCEO'.  You can also set the meeting as tentative, but since your boss may not be familiar with the various Outlook settings, it is best to put HOLD in the name.  Of course it is then important when you finalize the meeting date that you go back and take the holds out of the calendar.

We use a meeting sheet and note the dates we offered, the purpose of the meeting, attendees, location and a notes section to write anything we need to remember such as any items to bring forward or if we need to remember to make a reservation.  This is helpful if either of us is away so we can easily take over from the other.  Even if we use meeting tools such as www.doodle.com to offer dates, we still like to use the meeting sheet to document our progress in arranging the meeting.  Getting the dates is just the first part of meeting organization.

For most of us, meeting organization is a huge part of the job.  The more organized you are, the better the experience will be for you and your boss.  And if you share the calendar like we do, it is very important that you are both on the same page.

For those of you who take minutes, I am giving a minute-taking webinar on November 22, 2013, if you would like to join me.  It's at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and you can register at this link. Rhttp://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/plp/49284/index.html?campaigncode=740PR

Filing Rules

I found this great site with basic filing rules for names.  I found it very useful so I thought I'd share: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/recmgmt/forms/FilingRules.pdf?mswitch-redir=classic

I've also added it to my sidebar under Filing for your future reference.

Patricia

Minute taking can seem scary at first but once you know what you need to record, you will get better at it over time.  My next minute-taking webinar will be on May 31 at 1 p.m. EST and I will go over the basics of minute taking as well as the actual process so you will feel more confident in this role.  This webinar is well suited for those who have never taken minutes but want to learn, beginners or those at an intermediate level.  If you are interested in joining me, please click here to register.

Business Management Daily also offers an advanced minute taking course with Christy Crump and I would encourage those who are interested in that webinar to sign up for it here. 

How do you stay organized?

I replied to this question on a Linked In forum so thought it was worth repeating here.  If I was an employer, I would want to ask this question of any admin who was applying at my organization.

Since it is almost second nature to most admins to be organized it is sometimes a difficult question to answer, but it is just for this reason that it needs to be asked. An admin has to be a strong organizer and an employer doesn't want to hire someone who isn't.

When answering this question think about what you do when you first come in in the morning. For example, this is what I do when I come in in the morning: After I turn my computer on and it is loading, I check my voicemail messages and write anything down that I need to follow up on, action or pass along. I then go through my emails and prioritize what is urgent for the day. Our job is to keep our boss organized, so at the end of the day I get everything ready for him for the next day by providing meeting materials, travel tickets, reservation information etc. I do this by having a good bring-forward system and then I explain my system of ensuring I have everything when I need it.

I make checklists so nothing is missed and I have a to-do list for daily work but also for projects to keep things on track. To keep my boss organized, I also need to be organized by keeping my desk clutter free and having a place for everything and within easy reach. I also pile my work to the left of my computer in order of priority. It often gets reprioritized as more urgent matters come up but it is a good system. I have what I call a Wait bin where I put things that I am waiting for an answer. I go through this each morning to see if there is any follow up I need to do. I also do this with my emails and have a TO-DO folder where I put anything I need to follow up on and go through that each day.

You should always try to give real examples in an interview. Think about a big project you've successfully completed and then walk them through how you accomplished it. They will then have confidence that you are able to to the job.

A big mistake some employers make is to assume that anyone can do our job. It is a smart employer who asks this question.