About the author Foreword by Jan Hills Foreword by Donna Coulling Acknowledgements Introduction 01 Using neuroscience to maximize your brain for excellence Understand your brain The physiology of the brain The triune brain theory and neurotransmitters Neuroplasticity Neuroscience and self-awareness Habits and how to rewire the brain Heart, brain and gut The importance of sleep Greater thinking U-SOFAR technique, by Sue France 02 Relationship management Our social brains Understand yourself before you try to understand others What the boss-assistant relationship means to your health and well-being Image, perception and first impressions Managing your state of mind The handshake Professional image The beginning of a business relationship What is expected of each other: knowing the boundaries Key attributes, skills and knowledge that bosses look for in an assistant Working styles Constant communication Assumptions Be proactive, anticipate needs, be prepared and exceed expectations Be accountable: take pride in a high standard of work Empathy Honesty and integrity Trust Office politics How to manage your boss 03 Compassionate Communication Body language Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic Matching and mirroring Tone of voice Eye contact Use of space The ''influential'' right side Hands Posture How to influence the ''chemistry'' between you and your boss E-mail communication Listening skills Questioning skills Gossip Telephone etiquette Understanding and communicating with different cultures Language and compassionate communication with yourself 04 Confidence, self-belief and goal setting What is confidence? The feeling of confidence Act as if you are confident Think positive thoughts Focus on your strengths and boost your confidence Self-esteem, self-awareness and self-belief Internal ''negative gremlins'' and internal ''positive coach'' Self-limiting beliefs Tools to change/ eliminate negative gremlin voices The law of attraction The power of experiential learning Continual learning Methods of learning Appraisals and feedback Tips on how to receive constructive criticism Personal development plan (PDP) Goal setting Reticular activating system (RAS) Steps to help you achieve your goals 05 Dealing with difficult people and managing conflict A problem-solving technique Assertiveness Ground rules for discussions Strategies to help you deal with conflict and difficult characteristics of bosses Respond instead of react E-mail rage Real-life case studies on how to deal with difficult bosses/ conflict Different types of management style 06 Time, organizing and stress management Time/ task management Prioritizing the workload ''Time thieves'' Organizational skills Top tips for managing deadlines Stress management Mindfulness-be mindful and focused in the moment The CORE model Time management and lowering stress levels Advice on stress from assistants around the world 07 Organizing meetings and events Before the meeting: prepare and plan! During the meeting/event After the meeting: evaluate 08 Perfect Presentations Preparation Confidence Content Practice During the presentation Ending the presentation 09 Ergonomics: your health and safety The work station A tidy desk leads to a tidy mind Principles of posture Ergonomic health breaks 10 Powerful networking The neuroscience of networking What is networking? The benefits of networking Where to network The secrets of power networking Remembering people''s names What to talk about while networking General points Create an internal network for assistants 11 A chapter to share with your boss Communication What bosses should know to work effectively with their assistants The law of expectations: communicate your expectations clearly How to motivate your assistant Focus on the development of your assistant 12 Confident minute taking Definition Personal benefits of taking the minutes Preparation During the meeting After the meeting 13 Harnessing the power of digital tools and social media The first step to using social media is to sign up The second step is to create a professional, credible profile The third step is to get people to connect with you/follow you The fourth step is to keep on communicating and building relationships Social media time management Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Other useful tools and tips Apps What you can use social media for 14 The successful assistant Compassionate communication Keeping up to date Organizing for success Yourself and others Networking and career development The future of the assistant Index The following appendices can be downloaded from: www.koganpage.com/DefinitivePAHandbook You can also access them from: www.suefrance.com using the password from the Introduction 1 ''U-SOFAR'' technique to help you control your subconscious mind 2 Personal strengths assessment form 3 Personal development plan (PDP) 4 Preferred communication style 5 Pro forma for goal setting 6 Problem-solving technique 7 Positive adjectives /action verbs 8 Mindfulness and meditation techniques 9 (Blank) minute-taking template 10 Example of an informal agenda 11 Generic checklist for organizing meetings and events 12 Business case for creating an internal assistant network Figure 6.1 (Blank) task-prioritizing matrix Figure 6.2 Task-prioritizing matrix guide.