Table Of ContentDefinate Pers Asst TP:Comp Sec US TP 30/4/09 16:53 Page 1
The Definitive
Personal
Assistant &
Secretarial
Handbook
A best-practice guide for all
secretaries, PAs, office managers
and executive assistants
Sue France
London and Philadelphia
Publisher’s note
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this
book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and author cannot
accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility
for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a
result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher
or the author.
First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2009 by Kogan Page
Limited
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism
or review, as permi�ed under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this
publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmi�ed, in any form or by any
means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of
reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the
CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the
publishers at the undermentioned addresses:
120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241
London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147
United Kingdom USA
www.koganpage.com
© Sue France, 2009
The right of Sue France to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted
by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 978 0 7494 5345 9
The views expressed in this book are those of the author, and are not necessarily the
same as those of Times Newspapers Ltd.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
France, Sue.
The definitive personal assistant and secretarial handbook : a best practice guide
for all secretaries, PAs, office managers, and executive assistants / Sue France.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-7494-5345-9
1. Administrative assistants--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Secretaries--
Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Office management--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4.
Office practice--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
HF5547.5.F69 2009
651--dc22
2009009614
Typeset by JS Typese�ing Ltd, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan
Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt Ltd
This book is dedicated with all my love to Sara Hoodfar and Samantha
Higgins, my two wonderful daughters who never complain when I
am out working, studying, networking, socialising and writing this
book, and who encourage and support me.
Contents
Foreword by Gillian Richmond ix
Introduction 1
1. Relationship management 5
Understand yourself before you try to understand
others 5
What the boss–assistant relationship means to
your health and well-being 6
Image, perception and first impressions 6
Managing your state of mind 9
The handshake 10
Professional image 11
The beginning of a business relationship 12
What is expected of each other: se�ing down the
parameters 14
Working styles 17
Constant communication 18
Assumptions 20
Be proactive, anticipate needs, be prepared and
exceed expectations 21
Be accountable: take pride in a high standard of
work 23
Empathy 23
Honesty and integrity 24
Trust 25
Office politics 26
How to manage your boss 27
vi Contents
2. Communication skills 31
Body language 31
Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic 32
Matching and mirroring (reflecting) 34
Eye contact 36
Use of space 37
The ‘influential’ right side 37
Hands 38
Posture 38
How to influence the ‘chemistry’ between you 38
E-mail communication 39
Listening skills 40
Questioning skills 45
Gossip 46
Telephone etique�e 48
Understanding and communicating with different
cultures 49
3. Confidence, self-belief and goal se�ing 53
What is confidence? 53
Think positive thoughts 55
Focus on your strengths and boost your
confidence 55
Self-esteem, self-awareness and self-belief 57
Conscious and subconscious minds 57
Internal ‘negative gremlins’ and internal ‘positive
coach’ 58
Fear 60
Tools to change/eliminate negative gremlin voices 62
The power of experiential learning 67
The feeling of confidence 68
Act as if you are confident 68
The law of expectations 69
Action plan 70
Goal se�ing 71
Steps to help you achieve your goals 72
Continual learning 75
Methods of learning 77
Appraisals and feedback 78
Tips on how to receive constructive criticism 80
Personal development plan (PDP) 80
Contents vii
4. Dealing with difficult people and managing
conflict 83
A problem-solving technique 84
Assertiveness 85
Ground rules for discussions 91
Strategies to help you deal with conflict and
difficult characteristics of bosses 94
Change the way you react by using affirmations 97
E-mail rage 98
Real-life case studies on how to deal with difficult
bosses/conflict 99
Different types of management styles 105
5. Time, organising and stress
management 111
Time management 111
Prioritising the workload 112
‘Time thieves’ 120
Organisational skills 124
Top tips for managing deadlines 125
Top-10 ways to save time dealing with e-mail 126
Stress management 127
Time management and lowering stress levels 130
Advice on stress from around the world 133
Summary 136
6. Organising meetings and events 139
Before the meeting: prepare and plan! 140
During the meeting/event 152
A�er the meeting: evaluate 154
7. Presentations 155
Exercises to reduce tension 156
Principles for preparing your presentation 158
During the presentation 161
Ending the presentation 165
8. Ergonomics: your health and safety 167
The work station 167
A tidy desk leads to a tidy mind 170
Principles of posture 171
Ergonomic health breaks 174
viii Contents
9. Networking 177
What is networking? 177
The benefits of networking 178
Where to network 179
The secrets of good networking 180
Remembering people’s names 183
Some general points 184
What to talk about while networking 185
Conclusion 186
10. A chapter to share with your boss 189
Communication 190
What bosses should know to work effectively
with their assistants 192
The law of expectations: communicate your
expectations clearly 194
How to motivate your assistant 195
Focus on the development of your assistant 197
11. Conclusion 203
The future of the personal assistant/executive
assistant/secretary 206
Appendix 1: Personal strengths assessment form 209
Appendix 2: Personal development plan (PDP) 213
Appendix 3: Preferred thought-processing style 223
Appendix 4: Proforma for goal se�ing 231
Appendix 5: Problem-solving master 237
Acknowledgements 239
About the author 241
Index 243
Foreword
The past 10 years or so have seen a revolution in the office
environment. Today’s PA is an expert who is o�en more quali-
fied than the person they work for – the role has evolved
from a traditional ‘take a le�er’ secretary into a multi-skilled,
dynamic member of the management team. The demands of
the job are huge. Developments in working practices, relation-
ships, IT and self-knowledge have all contributed to this
evolution.
The 21st-century PA is o�en the interface between the com-
pany and client; the board and the senior manager; themselves
and other company employees. It is a complex role – one min-
ute requiring support and the next a proactive approach in a
highly pressured environment is required. So it is interesting
and pertinent that a large section of this book concentrates on
communication and relationship management. The establish-
ment of cooperative and strategic relationships is vital in
today’s business environment and there are lots of tips here
to help along the way.
I wish that 30 years ago, when I was that traditional secretary
and rather green behind the ears, I had had the opportunity to
reference a book such as this. The Definitive Personal Assistant
and Secretarial Handbook contains a wealth of knowledge, ex-
perience and ‘real life’ learning from the author, Sue France.
As well as being recognised by her current and past em-
ployers and peers as a true professional, I have also known
