Training Day off to a great start

Attendees of the PA Life Training Day have already learned some new skills this morning as we head into a networking buffet lunch break sponsored by taxi-booking service Gett.

First up this morning, PAs learned The importance of networking and building your little black book from celebrity assistant Donna Coulling. Others sat in on a session titled Setting boundaries and creative problem solving, taught by the founders of PA Access All Areas, Merryl Futerman and Josephine Green. Meanwhile, Angela Garry mentored attendees on Meetings, note taking and minutes while Heather Baker talked about The art of communication.

While some of the PAs learned How to be a better PA from Donna Coulling, I sat in on PA Access All Areas’ session on Supporting an alpha personality. Merryl and Josephine gave us some excellent tips on understanding why our bosses sometimes seem a bit overbearing and taught us how to handle difficult situations.

One of the best tips I walked away with is the ‘mirror’ technique, whereby you imagine a mirror in front of your boss’s face reflecting his negativity back on him without losing your cool. After all, he doesn’t always mean it and it’s not always a problem with the way you’re working – sometimes bosses just get stressed like everybody else.

There’s lots more learning to be done this afternoon. Check back with us later to find out which skills you can take away from our Training Day. And if you’re not attending today, be sure to keep an eye out for information on the next event, taking place on Thursday, 12 November. Visit palife.co.uk/trainingday, email trainingcourses@palife.co.uk, or call Jack on 01992 374064.

Molly Dyson, Features Writer, PA Life