| The
Bluffer's Guide to Secretaries |
| By
Sue Dyson |
| |
| Extracts
from the book | |
| |
| Breaking
in |
| Breaking
in a new boss is a bit like learning how to use a new keyboard: once you've mastered
the basic controls, you wonder why there was ever a problem. |
| |
| Systems |
| Don't
make the mistake of revealing your own special systems. During your absences the
office will subside into chaos and your boss will believe you have supernatural
powers. |
| |
| Down
time |
| Keep
a stock of non-urgent work in your desk - things which have to be done sometime
but have no particular deadline, and which can be carried out piecemeal on 'quiet'
days. That way, you can always avoid the cardinal sin of appearing to be totally
idle. |
| |
| Discipline |
| Managers
seem to think that secretaries are like gun dogs: excellent working animals, tireless
and loyal if properly trained - and a real liability if given their head. Secretaries
know that their bosses have got the wrong end of the stick: it is managers who
need a disciplined training programme, and managers who have that unique capacity
for disruption if allowed to slip their collars for ten minutes. |
| |
| Play
hard |
| Never
allow yourself to become the office workhorse: the people who have the greatest
career success are rarely the people who work the hardest. |
| |
| Reviews |
|
| |
| If
you fancy yourself as Top Secretary but you haven't just come top in the Chamber
of Commerce Diploma, don't despair. Bluff your way there. |
| The
Daily Mail |
| |
| The
Bluffer's Guides are not only wryly amusing but packed with useful information.
Its a winning formula. |
| Sunderland
Echo |
| |
| Success
in a given field can often involve a substantial element of bluff. |
| Evening
Advertiser, Swindon |
| |
| Table
of Contents | |
| |
|
Introduction Secretaries
at Work
Getting Qualified
Trendy Training
The Art of Looking Busy
Your Image
Secretary's Survival Kit
Conquering Electronic Equipment
Communicating
The Paper Mountain
The Mighty Memo
Letters of Complaint
Presentation
Talking to your Boss
Mastering the Telephone
Getting to Grips with the
Grapevine
Handling VIPs
Fending and Defending
Playing Hostess
Training Your
Boss
Devising a Training Programme
Dictation
Diaries
Deception
Delegation
Some Do's and Dont's Changing
Your Job
Agencies
The Job Ads Jungle
Temping
Your Working
Environment
Starting Your New Job
A Strategy for Success
A Career
for Life |
| |
Fortune
Telling
