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Skills for Administrative Assistants
This course will help you build, develop, and hone the key strategic skills needed by United Nations (UN) administrative assistants, boosting your effectiveness on the job.
Administrative assistants have to cover different roles, are constantly juggling a wide array of tasks and have to deal with many people on a daily basis. They are the backbone of any organisation and office, especially in the UN context. This course provides participants with tools, templates and techniques to greatly increase productivity and effectiveness in the workplace. It is about working to the best of one's abilities and encouraging, in turn, the best in those who work in the same environment.
The course is designed and delivered in partnership with the Institute for Leadership, Excellence & Development, Inc., which works with business professionals around the world who want to improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams.
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Explain the importance of professional presence on the job.
- Apply self-management techniques to become more effective and efficient.
- Demonstrate improved communication skills, including listening, questioning, and being more assertive.
- More effectively recognise and manage conflict, as well as deal with difficult people.
- Influence others even without authority over them.
- Make their style work to their favour.
- Use a five-step model for getting things done with less stress.
- Apply easy-to-use templates and tools to successfully deliver projects.
- Implement practical approaches to juggle competing priorities.
This five-week course is delivered fully online and combines synchronous and asynchronous learning components.
The synchronous elements include 5 weekly instructor-led webinars on Zoom, facilitated by a course instructor. These sessions take place once per week from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CET) and provide opportunities for direct interaction, discussion, and guided learning. Participants need a computer (or mobile device), a reliable internet connection, and a headset with a microphone or telephone connection for audio. We recommend using computer audio for optimal sound quality. No special software is required, but participants must be able to access Zoom. Instructions for access will be sent to registered participants, and we recommend testing access in advance.
The asynchronous components include self-paced study, discussion forums, and group activities on the UNSSC learning platform. These elements are available throughout the course, allowing participants to engage with content and peers at their own pace while respecting the overall course timeline. On average, participants should plan to dedicate at least two hours per week for self-paced learning, assignments, and course activities on the platform. The exact amount of time may vary depending on individual learning styles and engagement preferences.
The course covers the following topics:
Week 1: Presence, Styles and Relationships
During this week, the session focuses on recognising different styles and learning how to adapt approaches accordingly to become more effective and influential. It also introduces strategies to build strong relationships based on trust and respect.
Week 2: Project Management for Administrative Assistants
This session provides skills and insights to help administrative assistants deliver projects effectively, applying practical tools and approaches tailored to their roles.
Week 3: Managing Time and Commitments
During this week, the session explores managing time beyond traditional to-do lists, highlighting practical methods to balance multiple commitments and priorities in a dynamic work environment.
Week 4: Influencing Others
This session outlines well-researched perspectives and techniques that strengthen participants’ ability to influence others, enhancing their professional effectiveness and confidence.
Week 5: Managing Conflict and Stress
During this week, the session provides practical insights to help administrative assistants handle conflict constructively and apply strategies for managing daily stress in professional life.
Administrative assistants across the UN system, at both headquarters and field locations.
This course can also be run as in-house/on-site training (both in English and French) for an individual agency on demand – please get in touch with us for additional details and pricing.
The course fee of $1,100 covers full participation in the online course.
