Communication Skills for Administrative Assistants Training

The Face of the Office: Communication Skills for Administrative Assistants

Program Overview

Administrative assistants are the face of the office. They often are the front line to departments or even whole divisions. Therefore, great communication skills are essential.

Program Objectives

At this program's conclusion, participants should be able to:

• Understand the importance of professional presence on the job.
• Learn how to self-manage to become more effective and efficient.
• Improve their communications skills, including listening, questioning, and being more assertive.
• Increase their effectiveness in recognizing and managing conflict, and dealing with difficult people.

The following outline highlights some of the course's key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the participant materials prior to the session(s).

Course Outline

Ready for Work: Personal Best, Professional Best

To begin, participants will discuss what affects a first impression and how they can improve the impression they give to others.

Rolling Out the Welcome Mat: Putting Others at Ease

One part of making a good impression is to get so comfortable with who you are that you can forget about you and concentrate on the other person. During this part of the program, participants will explore ways to do this.

Accentuating the Positive: Turning Around Negative Thinking

This session will give participants a three-step process to turn negative thinking or emotions around.

The Assertiveness Advantage: Positioning Messages

Assertiveness is a word we tend to use without really understanding what it means. This segment will get participants thinking about what assertiveness is, using a lecturette, quiz, and group discussion. Next, participants will explore how they can become more assertive in difficult situations.

A Two-Way Street: Communication Skills

In the components, participants will discuss different forms of communication and barriers to each. They will also learn about two key elements to verbal communication: asking questions and listening. Next, participants will explore various types of non-verbal communication and their possible interpretations.

Helping Yourself by Helping Others: Getting Ahead

Two main components of getting ahead in the workplace are identifying what you want and helping others to get what they want. This section looks at both of those concepts.

Self Management: Keeping It Together

In this unit participants will practice some tools to help them improve themselves, including establishing rituals, time management, organization, and planning.

Working as a Team: Challenges and Opportunities

Administrative assistants are often a key part of a workplace team. This final segment explores some of the benefits and challenges of working as a team. And tools to deal with difficult people.

By the end of the program, participants will understand how to be a successful communicator in their roles as administrative assistants.