Entertainment or Inspiration?

A few weeks ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to attend an incredible Cirque Du Soleil show featuring talented dancers.  We were excited for an evening of entertained and to enjoy celebrating some recent achievements.  What we received was much more than expected.   We were not only thoroughly entertained - we were inspired.   The dancers performed with grace and strength in movement and art.  It was completely captivating and beautiful.  We couldn't help but notice how   sculpted their bodies were, which gave us a glimpse into the hours spent behind the scenes.  My husband and I were dancers many years ago and we know that having the strength to move with such grace and precision doesn't just happen, it takes hours of dedication and commitment to make the moves look effortless and magical.  It takes teamwork and harmony to work with the other dancers to make sure each movement is in perfect timing with each other.   It takes trust and dependability to know your team will be there to catch you when you leap in thin air waiting for another dancer to catch you.  It takes respect for each other knowing that each dancer is critical to a successful performance.   And last, but not least, putting yourself out there on a stage for everyone to see takes strength, courage, passion and confidence.

It's the same for each of us in our art, our craft, and our profession.  We all need to put ourselves out there and perform at our optimal levels.  We all need to be dedicated and committed to what we've chosen to do in life.  We all need to have teamwork and harmony with those on our team.  We all need to be trustworthy and dependable to our team.  We all need to respect those on our team and ourselves. 

 

What a difference it would make if we treated our art, our craft, our profession the same way as a Cirque Du Soleil dancer!

 

Your Image and You

To be a successful administrative assistant you need to be the entire package. Having strength in only one area doesn't equal success.  Sure you need to have strong technical, organizational and interpersonal skills and a host of other key competencies.   Another key area that you may not have considered, is your image.

Image is much more than the clothes on your back or how you look. It is your essence, it's everything you exude. It's your attitude and your energy. It's the words you choose to use and the messages you communicate. It's your uniqueness and your style.  It's what people remember about you when you're gone.  It's how people describe you. 

Your image is your brand. 

Embracing your image begins with embracing the mirror!

Your image is the person who looks back at you when you look in the mirror.

Collaboration in Action

I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the Office Dynamics Conference last week at the Red Rock Resort. The theme for the event was "Connect, Create and Collaborate." I've spoken at this conference in the past as well as been an attendee. However this year was truly an event of distinction. The attendees were absolutely amazing; they were engaged and hungry for growth. Each speaker was remarkable in their own right providing valuable information to stretch and challenge the attendees and to inspire positive change for the attendees an individual and for their career as an administrative professional. Another fascinating dynamic about this event was the collaboration between the speakers. Each speaker encouraged and cheered on one another. We believed in each other, had respect for one another and genuinely wanted the best for one another. Some could say we are all competitors however if you were an observer, you would have seen a group of friends laughing, connecting and collaborating. Perhaps it was the conference theme that caused our behavior . . . perhaps it's because we are all motivated by the same positive intent ~ to facilitate the success of the attendees. No matter what caused this dynamic, it created an incredible conference experience and one that I will cherish for a lifetime!