About
“Robyn kept everyone focused on the topics being explained and made the course very interesting. Diverse programme, good networking and good participation by all involved.”
Karen Fenwick, PA, Auckland City Council
“Robyn is a warm, friendly person and an excellent tutor. She has practical knowledge of our roles and a sound understanding of the challenges we face daily.”
Sue Reid, Regional Operations Administrator, St. Johns
“Very active and involved, very friendly and knowledgeable. All information was real-life related and extremely practical.”
Bevan Chuang, PA to Head Public Programmes, Auckland Museum
ATTEND THIS COURSE TO:
• Understand the fundamentals of writing and the entire writing process
• Learn effective minute writing using a powerful four-step technique
• Develop, write and edit manuals, proposals, presentations, media releases, job descriptions, performance appraisals while ensuring good content and readability
• Learn to effectively structure reports
• Gauge appropriate writing style and tone
Get your business writing skills right for improved effectiveness and efficiency!
Bad business writing is costly. It not only wastes time but any misrepresentation of important facts can be damaging and reflect poorly on the organisation. It could also cause unnecessary stress for the reader, having to plough through piles of poorly structured documents.
Writing clearly, effectively and concisely in the language of business is increasingly important today as administrative professionals simply don’t have enough time to write and re-write important business correspondence and documents.
To make your writing efforts stand out in today’s avalanche of paperwork - and get them read and understood - Essential Business Writing Skills for Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants has been designed to make your writing tasks simpler, less time-consuming and impactful.
Essential Business Writing Skills for Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants will increase the clarity, impact, and overall professionalism of on-the-job emails, letters, memos, and reports. This two-day interactive seminar will guide you through techniques used to organise, draft, compose, and edit your work while teaching you some tricks of the trade to ensure you have time to focus on other aspects of your hectic role.
KEY BENEFITS
• All writing exercises are modelled after real-life documents.
• The workshop is structured to be highly interactive, lively and encourage maximum participation.
• All participants are given a pre and post-course evaluation of their writing samples.
• Individual feedback is given to help ensure long-term reinforcement development.
• All participants receive a complete workbook, which can be used as a guide for future reference.
• Learn effective techniques used to organise, draft, compose, and edit your written work
• Produce powerful and persuasive letters and proposals
Outline
Essential Business Writing Skills for EA/PAs
The Fundamentals
• Grasping the principles of grammar and punctuation
• Putting the theory into practice
Writing Effective Business Documents
• Understanding the entire writing process
• Selecting the appropriate approach: understanding your reader
• Basic formats – and when to use them
• Letters that get results: using power and persuasion
• Memos and e-mails
• Policies and procedures
• Presentations, proposals and media releases
• Job descriptions and performance appraisals
• Minutes
• Reports
Writing For Your Manager
• Confidently writing and ghostwriting for your boss(es)
• Gauging appropriate style and tone
• Gaining recognition as your boss’s back-up and representative
Effective Minute Writing
• Identify requirements for effective meetings
• Prepare agenda
• Identify methods to record minutes
• Identify the best minute style and template for your meetings
• Writing effective minutes using a proven three-step technique
Policies and Procedures
• Learn the essential components and appropriate formats for writing policies and procedures
• Identify the difference between a policy and a procedure
• Write an effective manual for your role
Presentations
• Identify the four main points for ensuring well written and formatted PowerPoint presentations
• Share your hot PowerPoint tips with other participants
• Use special effects to support the presentation
Proposals/Business Cases
• How to organise your proposal/business cases
• Use the principles of good proposal writing that will gain attention
• Write to ensure your proposal will be accepted
Reports
• Identify different reporting formats
• Learn how to effectively structure reports
• Identify the correct display of graphs, charts and tables
Media Releases
• Structure a press release using six key points
• Effectively critique a press release
• Avoid the common mistakes people make when writing a press release
Job Descriptions
• Recognise the importance of a well written job description
• Write effective job descriptions which cover both the quantity and quality aspects of a job
• Identify the essential components, included in a job description
Performance Appraisals
• Learn how to write an encouraging performance appraisal
• Handy phrases to use when writing a performance appraisal
• Note the difference between a mediocre performance appraisal and a well written performance appraisal
Additional third day: Advance Minute Writing
Role and Responsibilities of the Minute Taker
• Building familiarity with the agenda and issues to be discussed
• Identifying what is important and needs to be captured
• Understand what is going on in the meeting, both contents and dynamics
• Understand the importance of the relationship with the chairperson
Best Practices Relating to Minute Writing
• Developing effective listening techniques
• Selecting the most important and relevant information to be recorded
• Effective note taking – distinguishing between facts & opinions
• Translating notes to minutes
• Summarising skills
• Write to ensure minutes are unemotional and unbiased
Practical exercise:
Individual and group practical exercises to develop and strengthen your skills with feedback provided by the trainer and other course participants
Refining your Minute Writing Skills
• Recognising how mediocre minutes can be turned into a professional document
• Ensure your use of language is professional by turning colloquial into formal
• Proofreading techniques to ensure your work is 100% correct
• Deal with unfamiliar terminology and jargon
• Question and Answer session
Formatting and Presenting Minutes
• Identify documents that need to be attached
• Using different formats of minutes for different purposes
• Learn the most accepted style used in organisation’s today
• Following up on actions after the meeting
Facilitator
Robyn Bennett, Director, Team Link Training Ltd
Robyn Bennett is the director of Team Link Training Ltd, a business that provides training in office administration to individuals interested in a professional administrative career. Team Link Training Ltd’s courses are in demand throughout New Zealand with courses being run through The University of Auckland, Victoria University (Wellington), CPIT (Christchurch), Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, NZIM (Dunedin and Invercargill). Robyn is known for her interactive and fun training style ensuring at the same time participants are learning and increasing their skills and knowledge.
From 2000-2004 Robyn ran a successful secretarial business. Before that she worked in a number of secretarial roles supporting senior management.
Robyn is a committed administrative professional having belonged to the Association of Administrative Professionals New Zealand Inc for over 20 years. She was their National President from 2000-2002. Robyn was the first woman to receive Accredited Speaking Member (ASM) status from the National Speakers Association, Christchurch Group.
Robyn Bennett is also facilitating:
