When we think disaster, we typically imagine tornado sirens blaring or floodwaters rising. But not all disasters are caused by Mother Nature. An employee choking on a bagel in the breakroom. An electrical fire caused by faulty wiring. A hazardous material spill....
![Top 10 Tips for Procedures [Infographic]](https://ata-medialibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/ata2018/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ATA-Top-10-Procedures-featured-image.jpg)
Procedures are an essential component of keeping your office – and the entire company – running smoothly. They are your professional safety net! It may seem like an overwhelming project to develop them, but it doesn’t need to be! You can create procedures that help...
When I was first introduced to project management 20 years ago, it was love at first sight! Getting more involved in the projects my executives were working on meant I got to exercise my attention to detail and my obsession for organizing at a much deeper level. And I...
If you’re like most assistants, you have plenty of recurring tasks. These are things you might do on a daily or monthly basis, or even just once a year. But there’s no need to start these tasks from scratch each time. Anything you do repeatedly can be turned into a...
Managing projects means keeping track of a lot of moving parts – tasks, people, deadlines, deliverables – which can often be overwhelming. One of the best ways to reduce that stress is by utilizing procedures. Many view procedures as a great way to help someone cover...
Systems and procedures both help your office run smoothly. They facilitate stress relief, make your job easier, and allow someone else to do your job with little to no problem if you’re sick, on vacation, or out of the office. Yet systems and procedures aren’t exactly...
Many assistants balk when they hear the term “project management.” Being asked to take on a large project can seem overwhelming, especially if it’s something that falls outside your typical job description. But all project management really entails is breaking the...
As administrative professionals, we’re hardwired to give our all on every task – and sometimes it seems those tasks just keep coming, one after another. No sooner do we finish one than another pops up – and we don’t want to leave the office with an important job...
When it comes to getting organized, there are two big reasons most people struggle: perfectionism and procrastination. In my experience, perfectionism hinders a lot of assistants in one way or another. We think our file folder labels have to be perfectly typed, so we...
By Laura Stack This article was originally published on TheProductivityPro.com and is reprinted here with permission. There may be a few perfect employees out there who have never once dragged their heels on a task…but I doubt it. While procrastination is nothing to...
How long does it take you to get your coffee each morning when you arrive at the office? How long does it take for your computer to boot up? How much time do you spend filtering through yesterday’s email before you get started on today’s work? The average worker...
When my mom slipped on the ice a few winters ago, we quickly realized that procedures aren’t just for the office. Since my mom was the primary person who managed the household finances, insurance, and medical matters, my dad and I had to quickly get up to speed on how...