Author of Be the
Ultimate Assistant and co-founder of New York Celebrity Assistants
Bonnie Low-Kramen is an Instructor, speaker and Coach. She
is the author of, Be the Ultimate Assistant. The Be the Ultimate Assistant workshop is a
15 hour, 2-day workshop that teaches attendees the essential skills needed to
be great assistants. Her workshops include instruction on leadership,
technology, and communication techniques. Here is the link for the upcoming
Santa Monica workshop on Jan 19-20, 2013 http://conta.cc/PDMICF
Bonnie began her career 25 years ago as the Personal
Assistant to award-winning actress, Olympia Dukakis. She noted that she had no
experience or training; everyday was like "winging it." Bonnie did
whatever it took to get the job done. Her passion for education caused her to
resign and start her own business with the goal to provide training so that no
other assistant has to "wing it." As a result, Be the Ultimate Assistant was born.
Bonnie is a strong advocate for mentoring. “Mentoring is
very important in anyone’s professional development.” In today's corporate
world, reverse mentoring has become a
popular method of learning as the lesser experienced professionals are training
the more experienced employees. Bonnie recommends that assistants should strongly
advocate for the support of their employer to increase professional development
opportunities. Managers question the R.O.I. (Return on Investment) of providing
training for the administrative staff. Bonnie believes that the R.O.I. is
revealed in the improved productivity of the managers and in the increased
profitability of the company.
The Real Issues in
the Workplace
Bonnie states that communication is key and that lack of
communication is the number one problem within companies. Employees are
reluctant to make their voices heard out of fear. As a result, they are
quitting jobs in order to avoid having difficult conversations about a
misunderstanding with a manager, for example.
Another concern is that graduates from business schools are taught
how to manage a business, but not taught how to manage people. Business
graduates are taught how to make a profit, but are not taught the necessary interpersonal
skills that would benefit the organization and strengthen workplace
relationships amongst employees. She suggests that this problem can be confronted
through education and training, awareness provided by the media, Human
Resources departments, deans, and educators of institutions and businesses to design
employee training plans on techniques for effective communication.
Organization doesn’t have
to be Electronic
Bonnie stays organized by using an At A Glance Weekly
Calendar and paper lists. She is a fan of the "pen to paper"
technique. In her office hangs an 12-month laminated wall calendar in order to
"see the big picture" at all times. Since today's priorities may not
be tomorrow's, she conducts an "administrative triage" by reviewing
to-do items regularly.
Tips for Success
Bonnie offers two pieces of advice to be successful: First,
get a mentor; someone who has "been there and done that." They will
teach you valuable skills as a result of their experience. Second, volunteer
for as many projects as possible. Volunteering provides exposure and will diversify
skills. Choosing a mentor and showing others your talents exude great
leadership skills.
One of her strengths is the ability to “read” people - body
language, facial expressions, and tone. She remarks that everyone is different
and the differences make her strength valuable. She says, "If you can find
out what makes a person tick, you will be able to better work with them."
Want to follow Bonnie’s advice and get trained on how to Be an Ultimate Assistant? Here is information about an upcoming workshop in January.
Connect with Bonnie via social media:
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