Day One: June 2, 2008
8:30 Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 Opening Keynote: Upward Mobility: Taking Your Career to the Next Level
In the business world today, having good work experience and being able to market yourself are crucial for your advancement. In order to sell yourself effectively as an Administrative Professional, you need a clear and concise marketing plan.
• Discover how you can effectively demonstrate your skills
• Cultivate your talents and learn how to utilize them for a promotion
• Acknowledge your strengths and work on your weaknesses
Rosita Hall, President, Motivated Minds

10:15 Break

10:30 Interacting With your Superiors: Strategies You Should Know
Oftentimes, Administrative Professionals are unsure of the correct behavior when approaching executives or your boss. In this session, learn how to speak to senior management, and how to approach the situation as an equal.
• Master the use of humor when communicating with senior leadership
• Respond appropriately to your boss’s demands
• Display your personality and learn how to leave a good impression
Sandy Dumont, Impression Strategies

11:15 Negotiate With Confidence
The ability to exude confidence in all areas of work life is essential. Without strong negotiating skills, most professionals lose out on prime opportunities to advance professionally. In this session, find out how to discuss and attain what you want or need with finesse.
• Focus on the relevant issues of the negotiation without allowing personal feelings or negotiator tactics to effect your decisions
• Understand the important benefits of win-win negotiations to continue valuable relationships and form new partnerships within the office
• Improve personal and professional profitability
Robin Ashbey, President, CapitalP, LLC

12:00 Lunch Break

1:00 Control Your Day: Setting Priorities to Get the Job Done
Administrative Assistants are usually given several tasks at a time by different people. The stress of trying to complete several tasks at once can be overwhelming. Supervisors expect quality work in a timely fashion. In this session, you will learn how to you’re your deadlines and combat procrastination so that you can organize the details and beat your deadlines.
• Implement alternative planning in the event of absent management authority
• Avoid small mistakes by paying attention to detail
• Deal successfully when handling multiple projects
Syndester Irvin, Certified Gov’t Administrative Manager & Professional Speaker

2:00 Break

2:15 Diversity Management: Adapting to Your Surroundings
The modern Administrative Professional works in various job industries amongst individuals with contrasting backgrounds, ages and work ethics. One must be able to accept and become acquainted with the differences that exist within the workplace in order to thrive. This session will teach you how to handle diversity in your office.
• Develop an appreciation for diverse characteristics in your office
• Achieve a cohesive work environment
• Adjust to your surroundings to get the job done

3:00 Hurdle Jumping: Overcoming Obstacles Inherent In the Workplace
Encountering issues in the workplace has become an everyday occurrence, whether it is work-oriented or personnel matters. This session provides you with tools to overcome these difficult situations.
• Take the moral high ground when resolving office disputes or complaints
• Focus questions to uncover underlying problems and clarify the situation between the parties
• Develop a goal-oriented approach to achieving results
Cynthia de Lorenzi, Founder & President, Success In the City

3:45 Stress Management: Reduce, Regroup, and Rejoice
The pressure of meeting deadlines, and the anticipation of more tasks added to your to-do list are just two of several ways that trigger stress. This particular topic will supply ways to manage your trigger button to alleviate anxiety.
• Discover techniques to reduce your stress and in turn make your day more productive
• Develop a daily schedule for both work and home to organize your time and fit more into your day
• Recognize your limits and prioritize tasks accordingly
Donna Messer, ConnectUS International, Inc.

4:30 Day One Adjourns

Day Two: June 3, 2008

8:30 Registration & Continental Breakfast

9:00 Motivating Your Office to Achieve a Common Goal
Working as a team is a fundamental principal in all workplaces. This session will teach you how to motivate others by communication and encouragement to reach the objective.
• Identify key words and phrases to get your points across concisely and effectively to ensure all parties are on the same page
• Compile and plan your thoughts to make the core message more accessible to a wide range of co-workers
• Learn to give solution-oriented feedback
Larry Ray, Instructor, Institute for Organizational & Professional Development

10:00 Break

10:15 Collaboration and Communication: Working and Connecting With Your Colleagues
Your organization does it all the time – in fact, you’re probably engaged in one right now: a coalition or in some type of collaboration with other organizations. In this session you will learn how to develop strategic alliances to help your case.
• Develop quality relationships based on your judgment
• Implement work-objectives to define the purpose of the collaboration
• Make better decisions on partnership and agency collaboration
Ronnie Moore, Moore Communications

11:00 Follow the Leader: Demonstrating Leadership Skills without the Authority
In order to become a leader one must first exhibit the necessary characteristics and work ethic in order to be acknowledged as such. This session shows you how to utilize your role as an Administrative Professional to display your dexterity as a leader.
• Utilize your intelligence to influence without positional authority
• Understand where your managers are coming from and how they are effective in times of uncertainty
• Clarify your role and excel in working with peers, multiple managers and demanding clients
Milton Fletcher, CEO, Great Minds Incorporated

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Jack of All Trades: How to Effectively Expand Your Role in the Office
Supervisors and managers find value in an employee that can do their job well and take on other tasks that do not directly correlate with their role in the office. This session will show you the importance of cross-training in different areas of your office to be an indispensable member of the organization.
• Acquire skills from other job roles
• Develop ideas that will improve the whole organization
• Discuss your desire to broaden your role in the organization with your supervisor
Ennis Harris, Career Consultant, Global Consultants, LLC

2:00 Break

2:15 Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No
Understanding the demands of your job as an Administrative Professional means that you may not always be able to do everything for everyone at the same time. It is important to set your level of comfort in the workplace and to express it when necessary. This session explains how setting limitations can improve your work productivity and relationships with your colleagues.
• Learn to say no effectively and at the appropriate times to move your career forward and build your personal credibility
• Gain the willingness and support of your colleagues to work as a team and become a support structure for each other
• Adapt successfully to changes in your roles and responsibilities
Valerie Richardson, President, TreWyn, Inc.

3:15 Closing Keynote: Eye on the Prize: Staying Focused and Being Positive
For any employee, your role in the organization is what you make it. For those that desire to advance must know what steps to take to do so. This session addresses how to remain positive in times of uncertainty and to persevere.
• Minimize the distractions that keep you from accomplishing your important goals at the office
• Work effectively in an open office environment by focusing your day on high-return tasks
• Maximize your energy with an optimistic and constructive attitude
Ricardo Kisner, Finance Director, City of Daytona Beach

4:30 Conference Adjourns

Day Three: June 4, 2008

Workshops are designed to be an interactive way for participants to learn the latest management techniques in order to implement them in their workplace. The workshops provide a platform to learn practical applications of current best practices. Space in these comprehensive workshops is limited, so be sure to reserve your seat today.

8:30 Workshop Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 Workshop A: Developing Project Management Skills
A great way to expand your skills as an Administrative Professional is to develop project management capabilities. In this interactive workshop, you will learn essential tips to complete a project effectively, on time and to the liking of your supervisor. You will also understand how you can reduce complex projects into manageable tasks throughout the project to achieve success.
• Review emerging project management trends
• Acquire methodologies used within government programs
• Learn how to stay on time and within budget limitations
Steve Callahan, PMP, Consulting Director, The Performance Institute

12:00 Lunch Break

1:00 Workshop B: Leadership and Teambuilding in the Workplace
In today's fast-paced society, where most administrative professionals focus on efficiency and productivity, it is a challenge to communicate effectively. This interactive session will help you listen to people more closely and compose your message more clearly. In addition, you will also understand how working and communicating effectively with team members is an essential function of a leader.
• Discover the difference between management versus leadership
• Develop the basic skills critical to working in a team environment
• Learn ways to encourage team building within your office group
Annette Dubrouillet, President & Owner, Annette Dubrouillet

4:00 Workshops Adjourn