Great Resource for Personal / Executive Assistants
583726
All Assistant should read this book -- what a great place to start for those who desire becoming a Personal / Executive Assistant and, for those of us who are more experienced, to use as a reference book.

Not only did Bonnie Low-Kramen write this amazing book in which she shares her wealth of knowledge and her years of experience with the readers, but if you're fortunate enough to take one of her "Be The Ultimate Assistant" workshops, you'll get an added bonus.  Bonnie is -- in my opinion and others who took the class and read the book -- the best in the field of teaching "from soup to nuts" what Assistants need to know to be successful.  I highly recommend this book ... and Google her for info about her workshops too if you like.

A fan ...

Deborah, PA of 15 years
635893
Elaine Quinn has written a fantastic resouce for those dealing with the challenges of working from home. Clealy written in the tone of a friendly coach, she covers various aspects of becoming organized, staying motivated, and getting work done--including managing the physical environment as well as one's time. Her advice on perfectionism, procrastination, and structuring one's day is especially useful.
2984125
Jan Jones spent ten years as the executive assistant to personal productivity mogul Tony Robbins and in this book she describes how an exceptional executive assistant can improve the CEOs effectiveness in profound ways.

What I Liked About the Book:
My experience with executive assistants is that they are effective gatekeepers - preventing you from contacting the actual person you'd like to speak with. Therefore it was enlightening to learn about the purpose behind all that blocking and deflecting - namely that the executive assistant acts as an extension of the CEO so that she can focus on the things only she can do. I also enjoyed reading the many examples of what executive assistants have done for the people they support - if you're looking for models of what a good EA (executive assistant) looks like this book is an excellent resource. And lastly, there is good advice for the CEO on how to select a good EA and communicate with them so that they are set up for success.

What I Didn't Like
While the book indicated that entrepreneurs would benefit from hiring an EA, most of the examples and guidance seemed focused on extremely wealthy executives. Many entrepreneurs are not in a position to hire a 100K executive assistant which is what an "excellent" EA would demand according to the text. Many of the examples were also geared toward the mega-rich, such as the EA who directed the private jet pilot to provide a business suit for a CEO, because he needed to change on the plane. In the end I wasn't able to translate this book into action as much as I hoped because while I may be an entrepreneur, I'm not a member of the 1%.

In the end this is a well written book with a lot to offer a powerful CEO who is ready for a full-time assistant. But there isn't a lot of actionable advice here for those of us with smaller businesses and smaller hiring budgets.

Full Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this book for review purposes.
4616646
This is an excellent little book! Full of tips and goodies to help you become more productive both at work and in your personal life, this little gem is written in an easy to read and understand style. You'll see at a glance whether the tool or app is suitable for Mac, PC, iphone or Android, or if it is web-based.  I love that the author tells us her personal favorites and how she uses them together to get more done while staying organized!
4125288
This was a great resource for me in my job as Program Coordinator for a local non-profit organization. I am charged with recruiting interns and managing all their tasks and outcomes. This book gave me some great guidelines and pointers to help me build on my leadership skills.
3158256
Once again Paul has put together a consultant in-a-box that is easy to read, yet overflowing with workplace wisdom that comes from years of experience.  This is a key resource if you want to make a change in your organization and shift from defense to a productive and creative environment.  Kudos.
4254232
Hired! is a whole person catalog of job-finding strategies and tactics.  It covers just about every approach there is and explains each one.  There are checklists to help you go about your personal marketing campaign methodically and thoroughly.  Social networking sites are not only mentioned, the authors provide instructions on how to maximize your activity and results. The only disappointment for me was the lack of blank pages, which gives the physical text a crowded feeling, hence the missing fifth star.

Throughout, Jeff and Al apply their considerable personal concern for your success to bolster bruised egos and, in effect, hold your hand through each phase of the journey toward your next job.

To my mind, one of the most valuable sections is Chapter 5, Keywords & Boolean Searches.  The reason is that it is crucial to be sure you are findable for those 82% of jobs in the hidden market.  Thats how many positions start out with Dont call us, well call you before you are even on their radar.  So how are they going to call you if they don't know your name, let alone your phone number?  Jeff and Al explain that this is where the magic of the right keywords comes in.  Employers spend a lot of time, money, and effort on trying to hire excellent employees and they need your help to find you.  Applying the procedures the authors explain step by step on various social platforms will  make the difference.

Because the instruction is clear and can be applied in brief sessions, you will be encouraged to actually DO the activities suggested.  That will bring you closer to your goal of getting Hired!  They also include a list of other authors they recommend, typical of their reciprocal nature.  There, thanks to Tyrone Griffin, I learned that bunny slippers are evil.

Disclosure: Much of this review also appears in connection with Jeff and Als interview on The Social Network Show in August 2014: http://thesocialnetworkstation.com/using-social-media-to-look-for-a-job-listen-to-the-experts/ The website for the book is http://hiredthebook.com
798584
This is a great book for Executive and Development Directors of larger nonprofits, or perhaps those with little experience in fundraising. This book is professional and easy to read. It is clearly organized with detailed instructions, worksheets, quick tips, and real life examples. It even has a good index so you can quickly find the advice you need. The chapters cover fundraising tools, planning, attracting and keeping donors, major donors, legacies, special events, sales activities, grants, printed materials, and this third edition contains chapters on website design and using social media. At 512 pages it is not a quick read, but it is a thorough reference you will want to keep on hand and share with the rest of the staff.
2475800
Peggy Duncan has compiled a wonderful group of organization and efficiency tips based on her years of experience in both her personal and professional life.  It is a quick, easy read.  The book is full of ideas that will help with time management, daily task control and how to keep your work area clean and organized. A department in our company was having constant problems with timely follow up and losing questions and requests submitted to them.  We implemented a task log based on this book's recommendation and saw immediate and dramatic improvement.
3280249
While I am not the CEO of a major company or a dean at a university, I do find myself in more small-scale leadership situations, both short and long term. My background may be quite different from that of Mr. Palmer, but I found a wealth of information in his writings.

The main theme of this book is the context of leadership. Leadership isn't just a set of tools that can be plugged into any social/professional environment and get right to work. Understanding the people that you're working with, the environment you share, and the individual needs and goals associated with all of the above is crucial to being an effective leader. True to its claims, this book examines not only specific context, but also provides valuable skills for evaluating and responding to the context that you're in.

Palmer backs up his theories with anecdotes gleaned from decades of experience in several fields. His diverse background has produced a nondogmatic approach and a refreshing amount of flexibility. This makes this an effective and useful text regardless of what level of leadership you find yourself at. Additionally, the approachable voice makes this ideal not only for corporate executives, but for those who may find themselves in less vaunted but no less important leadership roles, from middle management to acting as a role model for family members.

A highly recommended resource with many broad applications.
3380621
I purchased the book to see if I could take some of the ideas that Apple uses to train their employees and give their customers the perfect experience.  I restructured a lot of my business based on the information I received from this book.  I highly recommend it for any corporate executive, business owner, and it works really well when I consult with non profits organizations too.
1925317
As a former federal personnelist and now a professional job searcher and writer/editor of federal style resumes and KSAs, I can tell you that this book is an excellent resource for the federal job seeker. The chapter on writing KSAs alone is worth the price of the book, since this seems to be a major hang-up for those seeking federal employment. The section, "Writing the Unwritable KSA" is invaluable. There are numerous sample resumes, KSAs, and templates in the book and on the accompanying CD-ROM and links to a "document builder" web site. If fact, your resume and KSAs are practically already written for you. All you have to do is fill in information about your own experience.

There are however a few shortcomings: There is scant information on grammar and proper usage. Also, there is no information on writing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) for Senior Executive Service (SES) positions. I find this to be inexplicable since this is a book on federal employment. SES aspirants will have to look elsewhere for help or pay Troutman's company to write their SES packages. Finally, there are only a few examples of resumes or KSAs for GS-13/14/15 level positions. Most of the examples provided are for entry, mid-level, and Wage Grade positions.
4680579
I had a few hours this morning to take a read through this resource and found it to be quite insightful. As a new manager, it's great to have these handy tips for dealing with tough situations as well as how to build a successful work team. This is also a great resource for anyone thinking about opening up their own small business - lots of great practical advice for starting from the ground up with employee handbooks and hiring. This book will be one of my go-to resources as the information is laid out well and applicable to any industry. My only concern about this book is the number of grammatical errors. There seem to be a lot of misplaced/extra words in the Kindle version.
2230647
Amy's book, 50 Asks in 50 Weeks is an easy to digest book full of manageable tasks. This book is great for a first-timer or a seasoned fundraiser. I found content to share with committee and board, Development Team and Executive Director.

Her templates throughout the book are very helpful, and gave me several ideas to streamline the work we perform daily!
495898
A good read for any admin., excutive assistant or super organized individual that is ready to try something else.
2248659
What a wonderful resource  terrific workbook! Personal (R)evolution offers the reader the perfect structure  including a rich set of tools, exercises, models, questions, insights, and actions to help you identify and achieve your Goal. That is a GOAL that is meaningful to you and based on your own values, talents, and skill set. Task writes in a way that is easy to follow, casual, and upbeat - her energy and passion are contagious. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in becoming or hiring a life coach!
4379976
A superb one-stop reference volume covering topics highly relevant to the duties of secretaries and personal/admininstrative assistants, this handbook has withstood the test of time. The third edition dates from the early 1990s, but most of the many tasks treated comprehensively in this handbook have changed very little over the years: forms of address, basic grammar and punctuation rules, formal business correspondence, organization of meetings and travel, postal mail procedures, telephone etiquette and procedures, and so on.  A few chapters that are very technology-sensitive (computers and word-processing equipment, desktop publishing, etc.) have dated considerably, but the handbook overall is so useful that it's worth having within arm's reach in just about any office-for both secretaries and their managers.

In an increasingly global business environment, this handbook is also very useful for assistants and secretaries outside the U.K. and U.S. who must deal with English-speaking colleagues on a regular basis by phone, e-mail, or mail.