Programs for Administrative Professionals
Administrative Professional Day Programs - Staff Training & Development - Admin Conference Speaker
Keynote & Breakout Programs to Educate, Inform and
Support the Supporters of your organization
Sandy Geroux has more than 18 years of administrative experience. She now helps other administrative professionals create the WOW factor, become more effective and efficient, and achieve their personal and professional dreams. Since the year 2000, she has conducted over 100 keynotes, training programs and workshops for more than 13,000 administrative professionals in 41 countries. Her columns and articles appear in many administrative publications, including ASAP, IAAP, Progressive Business Publications' Administrative Update, and Executive Secretary Magazine.
Contact her today to discuss bringing an educational and entertaining program to your administrative staff!
"Thank you is clearly inadequate to express, on behalf of the APN network, our thanks for your being with us last Wednesday and presenting to our admins across the enterprise. What we are hearing is nothing less than expected….it was truly a great day in the life of admins across the company! Thank you so very much!
- Betty Blodgett, CAP-OM / Capital One
"I just had to send you a note and say THANK YOU for your words of inspiration the past couple of days when you came to P&G and talked to our group of admins. You are a very special person doing very special work, and I appreciate you and the path that led you to where you are – and to us.
Julie Schuster / P&G
EMCEE APC 2010 - Las Vegas EMCEE APC 2011 - Nashville Admin Professionals Day - NY IAAP Intl Convention - Tampa
Visit our home page to view videos of Sandy in action
Sandy will kick off her program (or your conference) with her song parody, "Man! I Feel Administrative!"
Click to hear a demo of the song!
- If you’re looking for ways to reach the next level...
- If you’re at the top of your game and wonder, “What’s next?”...
- If you're looking for effective ways to gain buy-in for new ideas and initiatives...
- If you want to let your hidden talents and abilities shine through and advance your career and the success of your company...
… Sandy’s programs to “Support the Supporters”, containing real-life examples from her experience as an administrative professional, are for you!
High Impact Skills Training Programs
Customer Service, Leadership, Grammar & Writing
Book them individually or as a monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly training series!
Customer Service: Creating the WOW for Customers (designed for 1.5 days, but can be customized to fit your required length)
"I never realized how the intent expression on my face when I'm concentrating affected others until you had us look at the inadvertent messages we're giving with our body language. Thank you for helping me realize this - it's made a BIG difference!" (Customer Service training program attendee)
As an administrative professional, one of the most important aspects of your job is delivering world-class customer service - sometimes to outside customers, but most often to internal customers who need your assistance to help them do their jobs better. In fact, usually an admin's job is to "look good by making others look good!" Questions and considerations addressed in this training seminar include:
- Critical customer service mindsets & key concepts
- Setting & handling up-front customer expectations
- Polishing your proactive thinking and critical thinking skills
- Communication skills: nuances of face-to-face, telephone and electronic interactions (and inadvertent messages sent via body language)
- Differing communication styles, negotiation, stress management and dealing with difficult people
- Teamwork, cross-training and backups
- Brainstorming of specific customer service situations and how to make them "WOW!"
View a full outline of this outstanding program!
Leadership in the WOWplace (designed for 1.5 days, but can be customized to fit your required length)
"One of the things I appreciated most was the depth of the information." (WOWplace leadership program attendee)
Leadership does not always come with a formal title. Administrative professionals must be exceptional leaders, with or without the title, in order to do their job effectively, get others on board with organizational objectives and foster teamwork, accountability and loyalty in the workplace. Questions and considerations addressed in this training seminar include:
- Desirable leadership traits in management and administrative positions
- Identifying your leadership style and how it may be helping (or hurting) you; tips on using the right style at the right time for highest impact
- Becoming "invaluable" rather than "indispensable" - proving your value in the organization
- Emotional leadership: human duties vs. job duties
- Gaining buy-in and overcoming the "intimidation factor"
- Fostering trust through consistency, reasonable risk-taking and keeping your eye on the goal
- Conflict and conflict resolution
- Communicating assertiveley and delegating effectively
- The power of humor
View a full outline of this outstanding program!
WOWplace® Grammar Workshop: Say What You Mean & Mean What You Say! (designed for 1.5 days, but can be customized for required length)
"This class was exceptional. I keep my workbook on my desk next to me at all times so I can refer back to it when needed!" (WOWplace grammar training program attendee)
Do your written communications make you and your boss look better... or worse as a professional? Your spelling and grammar skills speak volumes in professional settings and if you want to put your best foot forward - on behalf of yourself and your organization - you must master the words and phrases that can either boost your credibility or destroy it. Questions and considerations addressed in this training seminar include:
- Grammar basics and tips on using the basic parts of speech properly
- Confusing word choices - which to use when
- Who vs. Whom, Which vs. That, Its vs. It's - how to choose and how to use plurals, possessives, and conjunctions
- Vocabulary-building: little-used and foreign words you should know, as well as metaphors and analogies
- Using numbers and numerals properly
- Dangling participles, mixed modifiers, ending sentences with prepositions - and other "sins" to avoid in order to eliminate confusion
- Spelling basics
- Sentence structure: run-on sentences, clauses, fragments, tense agreement and more
- Using technology
View a full outline of this outstanding program!
WOWplace® Writing Workshop: Effective Writing is a WOW! (designed for 1.5 days, but can be customized for required length)
"I have problems getting to the point quickly. Your tips and organizational tools and templates will help me tighten up my writing." (WOWplace writing workshop attendee)
In addition to requiring excellent spelling and grammatical skills, your writing style, concise explanations and interesting style can help make communications clear and enjoyable to read, or create a situation where they are time-consuming to understand and difficult to get through. In this workshop, attendees bring sample work products and projects to work on while in class in order to help them use their newfound skills in real situations that will help them boost their writing skills even before they leave the class. Questions and considerations addressed in this training seminar include:
- Getting organized using templates to help you determine: what is the point
and what impact do you want to make?
- Creating a draft and getting immediate questions and ideas on paper
- Brainstorming, mind mapping and mindstorming techniques
- Using stories and examples to support your points (one "story" is worth a thousand words!)
- Tone and professionalism and the role of active vs. passive "voice"
- Eliminating errors
- Editing and polishing your work: less is more
- Types of written documents - their importance and use
- Using technology
View a full outline of this outstanding program!
High Impact Special Event & Conference Programs
If you're looking for a program to kick off new intiatives for Administrative Professionals, provide an inspiring keynote, general session or full-day program for Administrative Professionals Week, or offer exciting breakout programs for your Administrative Professionals conference, Sandy is the ideal speaker for you!
Sandy can also EMCEE your conference with entertaining and inspiring messages that combine your content and hers to create conference experiences that have attendees raving about long after they are through!
With over 18 years of experience as an Administrative Professional, from entry level through Executive Assistant, Sandy can relate to all professionals at every level. Due to Sandy's success in inspiring Administrative Professionals to achieve their personal and professional dreams and goals, she is:
- An annual conference presenter for the APC hosted by ASAP (American Society of Administrative Professionals);
- A frequent keynoter and general session presenter for corporations, organizations and universities who host Administrative Professionals Day/Week programs;
- A columnist for the American Society for Administrative Professionals; and
- The author of many motivating and inspiring webinars for Administrative Professionals.
Below is a list of select programs Sandy can present for Administrative Professionals. Choose from the list of programs below, or call Sandy to arrange an inspiring customized program for your organization!
Creating the WOW for Your Company, Your Career and Your Life!
Whether you want to create the WOW in your personal or professional life, several elements are critically important, and we must not simply accept the status quo as inevitable and/or unavoidable. We can begin making huge impacts in our lives and our careers by answering one question:
Will I
Or
Won't I
...do what is necessary at this particular moment to make a difference in my own life or the life of someone else? Will I take the action necessary to satisfy this customer? Will I go out of my way to help this colleague, even though I'm tired or in a bad mood today? Will I act according to my values, each and every time I have the chance to make a difference in the life of someone else? If the answer is yes... the WOW will happen for you - and everyone around you.
In this program, you will:
- Discover what you need to consider in order to create the WOW
- Learn why "the land of comfortable enough" is a dangerous place to live
- Realize that the WOW will never happen without taking reasonable and appropriate risks
- Uncover the value and importance of innovation and creativity in your life and your work
- Get rid of the "glass ceiling" in your job and in your mind
- Realize the value and importance of connecting with your values and passion to create joy and immense possibilities in your life and your work
No Risk, No Reward: Creating Breakthrough Performance Through Effective Risk-Taking
(Alternatively titled: The Risk Not Taken: Sometimes It Can Cost You More)
As a society, we're often taught to avoid risk and focus on playing it "safe." What we're not taught is that some level of risk is necessary in order to progress forward, nor are we taught what this level is, how to gauge and leverage it for our own success, and the high personal cost of "playing it safe" - especially in today's competitive business environment. This program is designed to help attendees create breakthrough performance by learning to think differently about taking risks and realize the critical importance of taking calculated and appropriate risks. They will also discover the factors they will face when deciding to take risks, as well as principles to follow to achieve their goals and gain buy-in from others. Sandy shares personal experience and the experiences of others who have escaped the trap of "playing it safe" to inspire attendees to think more creatively about taking personal and professional risks. With this program, Sandy also helps organizations create a climate that encourages and rewards reasonable and appropriate risk, so employees feel empowered to connect with their values and creativity to produce exceptional experiences for themselves, their colleagues and their customers!
Following this program, you will:
- Recognize the absolute necessity and benefit of taking appropriate risks in business and life.
- Identify and mentally prepare for the 4 factors they must fight when deciding to take risks.
- Learn 5 valuable principles for taking risk, including steps to take to motivate themselves and how to gain buy-in from others whose help they may need/want.
- Identify and eliminate the excuses they use to hold themselves back, and begin a plan to add more risk in their lives to accomplish their goals.
- Learn the importance of being a positive role model of high personal and professional performance.
It's My Dream... And Who Am I To Stop Me?
(Alternatively titled: It’s A Do-It-Yourself World: Who’s Really Responsible for Achieving Our Dreams?)
Are you good at setting goals? Maybe you’re great at it…but do you usually accomplish them, or do they often go by the wayside, like so many New Year’s resolutions? Are you continually setting goals, or “getting ready” to accomplish them…without ever reaching the desired result? Do you feel you’re being held back? We’re all good goal-setters, but how many of us actually achieve the goals we set – especially the big ones? Let’s face it – it’s a Do-It-Yourself World! We must accept personal responsibility for successfully achieving our dreams, or we’ll never reach the desired results. Whatever your dreams, this interactive, hands-on program is designed to help you discover how to effectively make plans to accomplish your dreams. You will learn key principles and tips for doing so by developing the right mindsets, creating a framework and plan to achieve success, and increasing your self-reliance and self-confidence. You will actually begin the path to setting – and achieving - your own personal and professional dreams before you leave this session!
In this program, you will:
- Learn 7 critical mindsets and habits of high achievers, and how they succeed
- Discover the basics of success and motivation: why we fail; how we plan for success; eliminating instant gratification and other unrealistic expectations; personal responsibility
- Learn 10 tips for ensuring goals are attainable – and attained
- Learn 5 additional tools, tips and techniques to keep yourself motivated and accountable
- Develop action items in “baby steps” to accomplish goals, including deadlines, budgets and monitoring tools to track your progress along the way!
Help Yourself to Greater Confidence
Do you have confidence in your knowledge and abilities when you’re alone, only to have all that confidence and courage disappear in the pressure of a real-live situation? The good news is that confidence is not something you’re simply born with – you can acquire greater confidence by focusing on self-improvement, being willing to overcome fear and take action, and changing the way you think, speak and act with regard to your talents and abilities. Sandy will take you on a journey of self-discovery that will allow you to capitalize on your strengths and help yourself to stores of buried confidence you never knew you had!
In this program, you will:
- Identify situations in which you do - or don't - feel confident, and learn how to capitalize on, or deal with, them.
- Discover 4 categories of focus for boosting self-confidence
- Receive a (Baker's) Dozen ideas to boost self-confidence
- Learn an effective method for giving and receiving construction criticism
Take the Initiative: Make Things Happen and Get Noticed at Work
Do you sometimes wonder how certain people receive opportunities that the rest of us just don’t get? How do they position themselves to receive those opportunities – is it just luck, or do they do something special to make things happen for them? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, this program will help you realize how to position yourself to recognize opportunity when it knocks, cause it to “knock” more often, and capitalize on it when it does. Learn the importance of taking action to create positive circumstances and opportunities for yourself at work – and in life in general!
In this program, you will:
- Realize the importance of being creative and learn ways of expressing your creativity in positive ways at work
- Learn how to “stand out from the crowd”
- Understand how you can help yourself by helping others
- Discover why it’s important to sometimes say “yes”, even when you’re tempted to say “no”
- Learn the crucial roles of diplomacy, preparation and persistence
- Learn how to keep your eyes and ears open for opportunity
- Realize the importance of being a leader
The Executive Edge and Beyond: Challenges and Opportunities for Seasoned Administrative Professionals
Seasoned administrative professionals face many challenges, including boredom with repetitious duties, burnout and resentment due to limited options for positions at the desired level. In addition, bosses change, co-workers change, technologies change… duties may even shift to other individuals, leaving them disconnected and confused as to what their exact duties are and to whom they will report.
In this highly interactive, situation-based program, seasoned professionals will not only learn guidelines and principles for reducing and eliminating boredom from their daily positions, but will also share with each other best (and worst) practices for building credibility, utilizing skills transferability and coaching and developing others (including their bosses), as well as creating options and opportunities outside the Administrative field into management… and beyond.
In this program, you will:
- Identify and discuss the challenges of seasoned administrative professionals
- Discuss best and worst practices for building and leveraging your network
- Learn the top 6 networking mistakes
- Discover, compare and contrast the top qualities for Administrative Professionals with the top qualities for Managers and Executives
- Examine how to build credibility, increase visibility and create better control over your own career and life situation.
Don't Drop the Ball... Methods to Help With Multi-Tasking
In the old days, support staff had limited responsibilities and could focus on one task at a time. No more! Today’s admin typically has not only routine daily tasks, but also undertakes special projects, managerial responsibilities, and teamwork. That’s not to mention the unexpected and urgent things that come up each day. Help is here. This fast-paced session provides realistic techniques for setting priorities, tips on managing time so that the unexpected doesn’t control you, and ideas for boosting your ability to focus and reduce distractions.
In this program, you will:
- Discover the critical distinction between multi-tasking, background tasking and switch-tasking
- Prioritize and categorize what should be multi-tasked and what should not
- Learn how to manage your time, your actions and your emotions
- Uncover how to optimize your best time
- Obtain strategies for maximizing your strengths and those of your team
- Learn effective methods for allocating your time and breaking up your activities
- Discover tools and techniques to help you get more organized.
The Power of Using a Skills Portfolio
Skills Portfolios have been used for many years in the creative and artistic fields. However, many professionals in other areas are beginning to realize the power of using this invaluable tool to advance their careers, differentiate themselves in job interviews and demonstrate their unique skills. Join Sandy as she shows you how to create an effective physical or electronic Skills Portfolio, how to use it properly in an interview… and how to advance your career – or even create a new position for yourself – within your current company. In this workshop, participants will work with each other to begin thinking about, writing and actually creating their own personal Skills Portfolio before the course ends!
In this program, you will:
- Discover how to use a Skills Portfolio to advance your current position, obtain a new position or demonstrate your ability to take on new responsibilities within your organization
- See how a Skills Portfolio is most effectively organized and used
- Learn the value of standing out in any situation - especially in interview and review situations
- Understand the importance of a personal mission statement and begin to craft your own statement
- See examples of critical elements of a Skills Portfolio
- Learn the value of a leave-behind item, and how it can be effective utilized.
More comments from attendees of Sandy's programs for Administrative Professionals:
About Sandy's keynote programs for Administrative Professionals:
Thanks again for doing the most fabulous keynote address we have ever had, in my humble opinion!
Dynamic, inspirational. Just what I needed for encouragement today. One of the most authentic speakers I've had the pleasure to listen to.
Sandy should have been our first keynote speaker. We need someone that great first thing in the morning.
Awesome presentation. Sandy imparts such practical but powerful advice.
Best song ever. Sandy is great. Best ever performer!
Great energy & spirit. Funny, encouraging and interesting, and amazingly positive. I loved her!!!
Great speaker! Really motivated and opened my mind.
She was the best speaker of the day. I would love to learn more from her!
She was very good - really positive and great for the afternoon. She made me re-energized!
Very inspirational! Bring her back for all conferences. She was absolutely wonderful.
Best speaker yet!! Phenomenal at getting the message across!
This was the best workshop. Thank you, IAAP!
The presentation was right on target with my current needs at work
About Sandy's training and breakout programs for Administrative Professionals:
Fantastic tools!! Genuine – high energy – positive! I thoroughly enjoyed her stories and how they related to what she was teaching. Bring her back again for more topics!
The speaker was very, very prepared for the session. She was very motivating and because of this was able to get a lot of audience participation. She presented real-life stories that we were able to identify with.
Very uplifting and positive – motivational – inspiring. Everyone seemed to love the entire program. Can’t think of anything to improve it.
Best workshop I have attended. Excellent workshop – extremely motivating.
She was so energetic and passionate! What a great speaker to have early in the morning! Kept our attention at all times!
The worksheet that makes you think and work through your responses was most useful. I really liked her enthusiasm and motivation.
Sandy was excellent. Class kept moving. She had me totally awake at 8:00 am.
Extremely good information presented with tremendous energy. Sandy was optimistic and a very enthusiastic speaker.
Not just a "pep rally." Great information
Call us today at 407-856-1188, or e-mail us for more details regarding Sandy's enlightening and interactive programs designed to help you create breakthrough performance by taking reasonable and appropriate risks in your personal and professional life!
