Communication and Planning Skills for Administrative Professionals

Good communication and planning skills are essential for all administrative professionals. This interactive and practical programme is designed to help participants review and develop these skills so that they can enhance not only their own effectiveness but also that of their immediate colleagues and teams.

Taking an in-depth and comprehensive approach the programme focuses specifically on:

• face-face communications (both one-to-one and in small groups)
• telephone skills, teleconferencing and remote communications
• written communications (including writing e-mails, letters, reports and instructions)
• meetings skills and supporting presentations
• interpersonal and influencing skills
• personal planning and time-management skills
• project planning and monitoring

By the end of the Communication and Planning Skills for Administrative Professionals training course, participants will be able to:

• Determine how to improve the way they communicate with others through a variety of mediums
• Understand how they can enhance the process of knowledge transfer by creating an understanding in others but also by bringing around change in action
• Identify how to make the most of the time they have, ensuring tasks are achieved effectively
• Understand how to demonstrate a change in ‘mindset’ when it comes to having to deal with workloads and other people

• Administrative Professionals
• Managers
• Team Members

Communication Essentials

• The Communication Process –the Sender / Receiver principle
• Barriers to effective communications and how to overcome them
• Learn how to communicate with just about anyone –understand others’ work personalities
• Vital interpersonal skills to enhance face-to-face communications –it’s about your Words / Music and Dance
• Learn how to engage the thinking brain to develop more assertive communications

Communication Management

• Learn how to communicate with difficult and demanding people
• Manage others rather than them manage you
• Learn how to say ‘no’ more effectively
• Understanding conflict and why it happens
• Learn a variety of conflict resolution styles and use the 4Ps to aid in reaching an agreement

Communication Alternatives / Planning Essentials

• How to run effective meetings –uncover the 3 stages of world class meetings
• Ensure buy-in and participant involvement at meetings
• Determine the 4-point plan for emails and letters
• Discover the 7 steps to effective business writing
• Understand the key principles of effective planning –the Wheel of Success

Planning Essentials

• Determine how to set attainable goals to ensure the best chance of success
• Learn the 3 Principles of effective Time Management
• Learn how to prioritise your workload to aid in planning your tasks effectively
• Discover how to deal with your ’Time Bandits’
• Learn the 5 Steps to the art of ‘Delegation’ –it’s not about ‘Allocation’

Planning Add-ons

• Learn how to get proposals accepted
• Establish problem solving techniques to ensure success every time
• Principles to determine the need for continuous improvement using the WIN /LEARN / CHANGE Model
• Programme Review –Let’s remind, review and reassure
• Let’s plan –action planning for improved Performance and Behavioural outputs

• Presentation & Slides
• Audio Visual Aids
• Interactive Discussion
• Participatory Exercise
• Action Learning
• Class Activities
• Case Studies
• Workshops
• Simulation