EP9:The Administrative Assistant's guide to using new tech.

This episode was brought to you by Autograph Events , our sponsor . Thank you for tuning into the Codie Files .

I'm Craig Bryson and I'm Jodie Mears and together we are the Codie Files .

In this episode , we are going to talk about an administrative assistance guide to using new tech . This is always difficult , isn't it ?

It is Again . It's a hot topic , isn't it ? It is Everybody's talking about it AI is the new technology , but there are hundreds of other new technologies out there .

I think because the hardware of computers is evolving with every six months everything goes out of date , so hardware becomes obsolete , because the software is sort of working on the hardware . So that's why new software always coming out with it , maybe every week .

that I found this new Feels like it .

There's another software to learn , another software to learn .

And because they're usually productivity time , efficiency saving types of collaborative software , it really relates to our industry .

It does .

And it's really important that we do sort of stay on top of what's coming out , just to be knowledgeable and ready for any change .

Yeah , I think sort of playing around with software , new tech , is really fun for me . You always call me the geek .

It's not your thing , I can think of other things to do A bit more fun . Craig loves a laptop .

I do With a new technology and new I'm okay , I'm okay .

I definitely embrace the software part of it . Yeah , laptop , I don't really care how thin or thick it is , does it ?

switch on .

Yeah , what's my password ? Yeah great , let's go .

You're a bit more wooed . Yeah , because , as a graphic designer , to make sure , when you're rasterizing something in Photoshop .

What a tech what Arising ?

Rasterizing .

Rasterizing .

The computer has to convert all the colours and stuff . It takes hours if you haven't got a fast-forward laptop or a high-definition screen . So the hardware is important as well as the software .

I was going to say why are you not in IT support ?

You are , aren't you , everybody in the office always comes to me . It is on the first floor . It's all quick setting right over there .

We spoke about internal networking and getting to know your IT guy .

I am the IT guy . You're just everything mixed up .

So , with learning and development , this all comes part and parcel of learning new things in general . We've had a few questions concerning CPD . What is it ? How does it tie into what we're talking about as well ? So we thought we would cover CPD .

What is that ?

I'm going to tell you it is continuous professional development , cpd In the UK . That's something that's quite poignant in learning and development . I'm pretty sure it's similar everywhere else as well . Let us know , because I know we have a lot of listeners globally . So if continuous professional development is different in your country , do let us know , email us .

We'd like to know and understand a bit more . Share the knowledge , yeah .

There's also CIPD , which is a governing body . So for me it's been really useful understanding what CPD is , how it works , how it affects me and how it can benefit me .

What is points ? How does that work ?

Yeah , so , cpd , you can collate the points . There are various platforms and agencies or companies , if you like , that help you collate them For me . I'm a member of the IAM , the Institute of Administrative Management . Every year I , in the members portal , I will document and upload my evidence of what I've done , learning and development-wise .

Attending events or doing a course ?

Yeah , all of that Webinars , attending events , industry-related events , networking is on there as well . Having panel discussions that's on there . Of course , all the industry-related learning and development courses as well , and at the end of the year it gives me an overview , a tally , me being organised and make sure I'm accountable for my own learning and development .

It's like a digital imprint of you , isn't ?

it Of my year yeah .

Which you can use at the end of your reviews . God couldn't you ?

Yeah , my annual appraisal , end of year review . I will bring that up as a really good reminder . Not only do we have that tally or that sheet that we spoke , about before what you keep a list of all the projects you've been involved with , but also on the professional development side of things .

Well , that's exciting . And how did you do that ?

You just go into IAM and sort of set it up , count , or yeah , you become a member and you can use the member portal to track your learning and development . There's a minimum number of points you need every year , but it really does give you a focus on your own accountability for learning and development . So I like doing that .

It's so exhausting because you might have done so much Exactly Remembering .

So I think it's quite important , and using new technology kind of wraps into that the importance of continuous professional development . If you think of that , you're constantly keeping abreast of what's happening in our industry . But don't be afraid of new technology at all . Be excited , be curious , ask questions and try them out .

Trello .

Light Trello Click up Mirror boards . Mirror boards yeah , we use those and Asana . That's just like a couple , Just like just a few . There's so many more .

What I do . Well , I don't do this at work . I do it on my personal time on the weekend , as you know , like a bit of a geek . So download the software . You have a sort of a two week or 30 day trial period and you can play around and see if you like it or not . And then there's always a subscription of like six pounds per month .

If you don't want it , forever . If you don't want it forever .

You're just trying for two weeks or 30 days . Make sure you have a diary reminder , because when you've got a credit card , that sort of statement , and it's like where did that come from ? And they're oh , I've got to cancel that software .

And don't download it on your work . Pc Just in case you know , it come purling through the doors and I want to shut you down and kick you out of the door . Do ask questions .

know with Y company they've been amazing because being dyslexia , it's something that you can't have any control over .

We have Grammarly . I like using Grammarly . It's a really good reminder , especially like once I get creative and into the flow of things . I'm typing it a million miles an hour and making a lot of mistakes and having to go back and proofread it . I do like Grammarly .

Grammarly I use personally .

I like that , but we have a license at work , so maybe there's like a corporate version of . Grammarly ? I'm sure there is , but do check them all out . Ask IT . You might be surprised . There might already be something that the company has subscribed to anyway , yeah . Yeah , be curious .

Yes .

I do believe you can be a strategic VA as well , and we speak to a lot of virtual assistants .

Yeah , we do .

They are so knowledgeable with their tech .

Oh my goodness , it is shocking . They are really on top of it , did you feel ?

slightly threatened .

There you did say oh , hello , where did this come from ?

A fellow , a fellow .

IT boss .

VA's . I take my how .

Yes , me too .

You learn so much . It's quite astounding really . It's so interesting to work with or speak with , network with a VA . Ask them the differences between an employed corporate EA and a VA . Really interesting to learn . They are always on top of new tech because their time efficiencies need to be there when they're working on certain clients .

They're not . They're not . They're not invisible , are they ?

That's probably why I think yeah , that too , but we work for just one entity .

Exactly .

VAs can work for up to I don't know how many can you take on Like four or ? Five entities , companies that you're working on so having these platforms to keep everything together . They do get exposed to a lot of new tech .

Yeah , be open to trying new things . I think that's also important . Don't be afraid to experiment . I just think you try it If you don't like it . Sometimes you're being like with that . So we were talking about in another episode . Oh , I don't like using Google because the way it is , I only can use it out . But we are trying it .

We're using that .

So that is new technology .

And just because it don't maybe look a certain way of what you're used to , there probably is the capability there to adjust the settings . So if you're at a loss as to why is it looking like this , why doesn't it do that ? It probably does . You can probably just need to go and listen to a webinar . I think we can say the problem is ?

well , no , it's not a problem . I think when computers started coming out , microsoft was on the forefront and therefore we had to learn how that software worked . So the layout , this is how you do it , control C , all that .

And attend those webinars Definitely . Be , furious Enlisted to help an expert , our contributor Shelly Fischel . She is an amazing MS Office suite guru . Tap into those resources . There's paid resources . They're free . Sometimes there's newsletters there's .

YouTube as well . There's YouTube .

Yeah , there are so many different ways to get the information you need , so if you do need any sort of personal recommendations , do get in touch . Email us through the website . Greg and Jodicom would be more than happy to sort of tailor some advice to you .

And if we don't know , we can reach out to our networks .

Definitely , we're always able to say I'm not sure , but I'm going to find that out for you . The CRODIFILES is brought to you by Autograph Events , our show sponsors .

Hi CRODIFILES . I have two liais with another EA and another organization to organize meetings between our two executives . This EA is rather prickly and the tone of their emails is always short and snappy . Do you have any tips in building a record in gaining their trust , please ? So this is a difficult one . I've always I've had difficult clients that are prickly .

What is prickly to you . Let's give some context to that .

I think when it's a sentence . Remember when I was talking about one sentence no , yes , or I need this done now . You haven't replied back to my email , you know . And then they see see , your boss is there .

So a little bit . You know you're brushing me up the wrong way . You sound a bit off you sound a bit curt , you sound a bit rude . Rude yeah a bit to the point , but not everyone's going to have those fluffy intros and outros to their . I know you just I always do .

I did I always do because I think every person is the new person that you're going to meet and you don't know who you're talking to .

Definitely . I was working with someone years ago that was racing to a meeting in London . There was a lot of pushing and shoving on the tube and anyway it was a long story .

Yeah , I've always stuck with it . Kill them with kindness , definitely Kill them with kindness . You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar .

Just being sweet as anything .

And then , if that doesn't work , pick up the phone , have a father , might have died or somebody needs you know something that has happened on that side for that person to be prickly . But I mean , if it's once , okay , fair enough . If it's twice , okay , and then three strikes , we need to have a conversation .

We need to have a conversation , yeah , and if you don't and you don't feel confident to have a conversation and it's going to be difficult approaching it . But sometimes you'll be surprised where they say I didn't even know , I'm so sorry it come across like that . Just let me know . If I'm ever like that to you again , let me know .

Just suck it up . What do you mean ? I'm not like that . I'm not like that . Yeah , in these three strikes .

I think you owe it to yourself to let people know how you want to be treated .

Yeah , but it's like you getting blamed for being the victim . What were you saying the last time ? You said you're having ?

this animosity and you're the victim . Yeah , that's how I spoke to . Yeah , when you get told to be the bigger person .

Oh , bigger person . Yeah , I don't like that , no .

Because why should you bear the brunt of someone else's rudeness ? By being the bigger person . It never comes back to the instigator .

Yes , yeah .

The instigator of the rudeness in this example .

They should be the bigger person .

Yeah , yeah , exactly . Why does it always fall on the shoulders ? Of the victim . Or the receiving end of someone else's rudeness and it's because we don't like having difficult conversations .

We don't . We always push under the carpet and then we talk about it .

Oh , did you see that email . For me . I will say well , did you let her know Exactly ?

Like no , I didn't . I'm too scared to yeah well .

Well then it's still going to keep on to continuing . It's going to be a vicious cycle . Yeah , I would pluck the courage to have that conversation and the ways you can do that , because I know for me I would be thinking it's all right you're saying that , but how do you approach that ?

From me I would say you have one is a reaction which is talking from the heart , so your feelings . The other one is a response which is thinking with your head .

So don't react immediately . So having our three strikes is kind of good because you're allowing that buffer time for things to reoccur again . Yeah , maybe sleep on it , let emotions die down , but I really think it's important . You should be able to let me know how I made you feel .

Yes .

Because I might be repeating unconscious biases and unconscious catchphrases in my head that I don't realize are offensive . And I've heard people do that to me .

And .

I've had to say do you realize the way you respond to certain questions ?

It's really a nice thing .

Yeah , it's actually not the dumb thing to do in this day and age .

Yeah , people don't like talking about their feelings , do they ? It's like , but that vulnerability of you upset me , oh okay , so what do we do about ? That Right yeah .

Partnerships and relationships at work are really important . You need to set your boundaries with people , how you want to be spoken to and just approach it calmly , collectively . Don't send texts . Don't fight the fire with the fire . Don't send back a lengthy email either .

Yeah .

Pick up the phone , see if we can have a conversation , if you're interested in maintaining that relationship . Yeah but you know it's still .

Respect for myself . I would give her a call and just be sort of you know , in a nice voice and say how are you and all that , but don't say you really hurt my feelings .

You're like there's a way of saying it yeah , if you want to escalate it you can come with me with that one .

Yeah .

We have got to have some conversations . Those emails , as we mentioned in a previous episode , is try not to use them one-liners . No that will come across short and snappy , using like three or four words , and then you read those three or four words You're going to think , oh , okay .

Is that all I get ?

Yeah , it will come across like that . So using effective language to get the point or the question across initially really helps eliminate that if you're the instigator of the prickly conversations .

Yeah , so what are your top tips in this episode , if we have two conversations , one with tech and one with prickly so interesting ?

With the new technology again , just like with the AI , be curious , network , understand what others are using , ask questions and if you're not able to use the new technology now , don't just go along to these webinars and training sessions just because Try and take some of what you've learned and absorb and apply them into your personal life .

But I'm always putting out fires every time Because we have this problem . Yeah , if we just do this and this and this , we're going to use SharePoint for that . We can use Teams for that . So , knowing that you can always sort of have answers to solutions or problems , definitely Mine would be Champion of Change . Oh yeah , champion of Change .

And not being afraid of having difficult conversations .

Be patient .

Be patient with people and allow people to breach your boundaries . Have the confidence to approach difficult conversations and let people know when they've upset you .

Next episode we shall be discussing how can administrative assistants achieve a better work-life balance ? I'm Craig Bryson .

And I'm Jody Mears .

And together we are the CRODI Files . This episode was brought to you by Autograph Events , our sponsor .