Communiqué Our Motto

Professionalism Through Education

Inside this issue:

Inspiration/Laughs 2

Edmonton Update 2

New Member Corner 3

Weathering the “Storm” 4

QAA Information 4

LinkedIn: Facebook/Twitter 5

Back to School Lunch Tips 6

Self Confidence = Success 6

Barrie/Simcoe Update 7

Fall Fashion Tips 7

MAL update 8

TW Insurance CONTEST 8

Calgary Update 9

Fall Tea Recipe 9

Minute Taking… 10

Sponsors Page 11

Hello everyone, I hope you’re having a wonderful summer! As I wrote this it became apparent to me that the theme of this message is “beginnings and endings”. A huge vote of thanks to our Hamilton Branch for organising our

spring workshop, National Board Meetings and Annual General Meeting last

May. All were well attended by members from across the country. We had some worthwhile discussions and I was pleased to make the acquaintance of many new faces. It was just prior to these meetings that Barb Grogan resigned her position as Past-President due to health issues. We said thank you to Barb and welcomed back Wendy Neelin, a former member of National Board, who graciously agreed to step into the role of Nominations/Constitutions Chair. Wendy has already begun to assume the duties of the Past-President for the upcoming year.

Janet Young ended her term as Hamilton Branch President, and we welcomed Charlene Hands-Lourie as the new President for the Branch. Nineteen QAA students graduated and were able to begin using their hard earned designations. I think that might be a record! Speaking of the QAA, one of the issues that we discussed at the AGM was a potential name change for our designation. QAA has been seen by many people as suggestive that those who do not have the designation are somehow “unqualified”, so we might be retiring the name. It should be noted that this would be a designation name change only. During discussion of numerous options, we narrowed our choices down to four and are now investigating if these are acceptable with the trademarks office.

Having been the Communiqué editor for the past two years, Bridget Cochrane felt earlier this year that it was time to move on. She has done a great job and we thank her for her

contribution. Christina Walters was elected as the next Communiqué editor. Unfortunately, Christina was not able to produce this issue and Bridget came to our rescue as the temporary editor. That’s what teamwork is all about!

It’s never an easy task to announce the passing of one of our Association members, and it saddens me to share the news of the death of Jackie Cook, at the age of 86. Jackie had been a member of the Toronto Charter Branch since 1984. She died on July 24, 2015. A lot of members from all branches, including many MALs, will remember Jackie from the many years she attended AGMs, be it in Vancouver, or those in Alberta, or around Ontario – Jackie was there – thoroughly enjoying every minute of the festivities.

One fall NBM that was held in Toronto, several years ago, Jackie graciously opened up her home to the entire National Board at the end of our agenda-packed full day meeting and served us a delicious supper. She was that generous. She was also dedicated to the Association, even taking on the role of Toronto Branch president several years ago when they could get no one else to step up to the plate. She was feisty, funny and witty. Everyone who knew her remembers her special gold pendant - she loved showing it off. To use the words from that pendent . . . Oh Shit! . . . We’ve lost a great friend and she will be sorely missed by those who knew her and loved her. Jackie is survived by her four children and eight grandchildren.

In these tough economic times with increasing unemployment, the networking that our members have had the luxury of could now prove to be very valuable. Remember, it’s not who you know but who they know that matters. Perhaps your Association contacts will be the catalyst to a new opportunity in your future.

As we look forward to the beginning of another membership year, I would like to ask all our members to please share the word about what a great organization our Association is. Sometimes I feel as though we are one of Canada’s best kept secrets. Let’s change that!

From the President’s Pen...

ASSO CIA T ION O F A DM IN ISTRA T IVE A SS I STAN TS

A SSO CIA T ION DES A D JO IN TS A DM IN ISTRA T IFS

Our Vision

The Association envisages itself

being widely recognized, both by its

professional peers and by the broader

business community. Its members

will demonstrate, through consistently

excellent performance in the work

place, the value of the professional

designation Qualified Administrative

Assistant. This designation will

become important criteria in the hiring

and promotion of key personnel.

Our Mission

The Association’s mission is to assist

members in the continuing develop-

ment of administrative skills, underly-

ing knowledge and professional

growth, thus enhancing employment

opportunities and contributions to

both workplace and community.

Jackie Pontin

National Director - President

August 2015

Communiqué Page 2

Inspiration and Laughs

Edmonton Branch Update

I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. It was definitely a beautiful and very hot summer in Edmonton to enjoy and take in all of the festivities.

I had the opportunity, along with a number of our Edmonton Branch Executive Committee members, to attend the Annual General Meeting held in Hamilton. On behalf of the Edmonton branch, we would like to thank the Hamilton Branch for hosting this event. I would like to thank the Edmonton Branch Executive Committee for nominating me for the Honour Roll for the Edmonton Branch, I feel honoured to have received this award and to work with such a dynamic team. Thank you to Carrie Mittelstadt for the great job in putting together our newsletter and Carol Ethier for the great job in producing our yearbook. Congratulations to our four Edmonton Branch QAA Grads Carman Christie, Erica Hussey, Mary Currie-Pfeffer, and Hilda

Upcoming Meetings

September 14 – Relax, It’s Just a Crisis – Danny Burrell, The Performance Group OE Inc.

October 5 – Personality Types – George Boelcke CCP, Vantage Seminars. This is also our QAA Graduation Recognition.

November 2 – Generations @ Work – Renee Paul, HR Consultant

December 7 – Bare ‘n Von Hair – You can expect song parodies, videos, pictures, skits, games and audience participation during a Bare n’ Von Hair show.

Respectfully submitted, Chrisy Burton, QAA

Edmonton Branch President

Opoku who will be formally recognized at our QAA celebration in October.

Our June Wind-Up Event held on June 3rd at The Horses - Northlands Park was a fun-filled evening of food and great company for all our members and guests who attended. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was spectacular. Everyone had a great time and for those who won some money even better! Thank you to Roshila Singh for organizing this event.

Roshila, our Program/Facility Coordinator, is working with the Executive Committee on finalizing our 2015-16 Program Schedule and has done an outstanding job. Thank you Roshila for putting together an exceptional program. The 2015-16 Program Schedule will be available on the Edmonton branch webpage.

The Edmonton Branch 2016 annual workshop will be held on May 5, 2016 at the Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre.

New Members Corner

August 2015

Page 3

On behalf of the Association of Administrative Assistants, we would like to welcome our newest members to the organization. By joining the Association, you have demonstrated a commitment to continued learning, the desire to keep on top of emerging trends, skills and technologies, and the willingness to share knowledge and expertise with our members across Canada. We encourage you to continue your path to success through our motto: Professionalism Through Education.

Submitted by Katherine Vaillancourt National Director-Treasurer

Barrie/Simcoe County Branch Marie-Josee Agostini Lee Ann Crilley Lorri Hogarth

Calgary Branch Gabriella Farrell Maria Gatti-Grant Jody Keenan Carolyn Mayrand Dawn Norrington Nipa Shah Mandy Slater

Edmonton Branch Perla Azul Michelle Hrycauk Nassif Terilynn Lefebvre

Hamilton Branch Amanda Brodnicki Julia Campolongo Robin Colley Patricia Durocher Tami Harvey Shamarukh Shahnaj Lise-Anne Weaver Tiffany Wolsey

Members-At-Large (MAL) Ferauna Berezitzky Gina Di Palma Judy Durkee Lisa Hoffman Jessica Morin Kristina Mudge Maryanne Takala Karen Vary

Toronto Charter Branch Amparo Beddow MaryAnn Chathanat Madeleine Juanche Lisa Lahey Annie Leong Mei Hung Arlyn Parra Grace Segal

Vancouver Branch Melissa Salt Tara Stephens

Communiqué Page 4

Fort McMurray Branch...Weathering the “Storm”

As things get going for another year of great things within the AAA, I must report that the Fort McMurray Branch is weathering the “storm” of economic difficulties.

Three years have come and gone since we were first inaugurated; it was wonderful, full of excitement and plans. The Branch overcame some difficulties on more than one occasion, we pressed through with some hard work and a little tenacity and we are still here.

There were some difficult times this past year, having lost some of our key members, but there has been renewed interest in the Branch despite the circumstances.

Fort McMurray is a wonderful place, full of opportunity, diversity and challenges that some other places don’t have. We, as a Branch, are embracing that culture instead of trying to change it! We will be working through some plans for this year and deciding what works best for us here in our dynamic environment.

I would like to thank the members of our Branch and hope they will continue with us for another year of great learning and development. Without you we wouldn’t be here! I would also like to thank all of the ladies who offered advice and continue to support our Branch in our future endeavours.

Please contact us at fort-mcmurray-membership@aaa.ca for any questions about our Branch; and as our National President, Jackie

stated in her article, we are “Canada’s best kept secret, let’s change that!”

Submitted by,

Bridget Cochrane

President, of the former Fort McMurray Branch

QAA Information

have at least a general understanding of what is involved in obtaining a designation and that it really isn’t something done on a whim. This fosters a greater sense of trust knowing that you will apply your professionalism to whatever the task at hand is.

If you haven’t considered getting the QAA designation I strongly encourage you to consider it…you never know where it may lead. For more information about the program our website has lots of good information on the QAA page or if you prefer send an email to registrar@aaa.ca.

Does having a few letters after your name really make a difference?

You bet it does! Job candidates are taken more seriously if they hold a designation. Employers understand that it takes hard work and dedication to study and take exams so to them it shows that the candidate has self-discipline, a commitment to their profession, and the ability to multi-task. It demonstrates that you take your skills/profession seriously and have a drive to succeed.

When deciding to go for a professional designation, such as the QAA, consider the three main benefits – benefits to yourself, benefits to the profession, and benefits to your employer and co-workers.

First and foremost the benefits to yourself are pretty straightforward;

besides being able to use the letters after your name there is the great sense of accomplishment in having earned it…and then there are the monetary rewards that often come with it. How does having a designation benefit the profession you might ask? You will belong to a group of people that like you are committed to the profession, are proud of their skills, and are of a similar mind to yourself. A designation can take you from having a job to having a career. In the case of the QAA it shows a commitment to professionalism through education.

Finally, there are the benefits to your employer and co-workers. I’ve already mentioned (ok, maybe a few times), that it demonstrates your commitment to your profession, that you take it seriously, and that you understand its value but it also generates respect and trust amongst your peers. Most people

Gale Belcourt, QAA National Director—QAA Registrar

Page 5 August 2015

LinkedIn: When Facebook and Twitter Meet for Coffee - ResumeTarget

As an executive recruiter and head hunter, let me start by saying that I have helped clients use just about every means of social media in their quest for a fulfilling career. It is the modern-day job fair that never ends. I have always viewed the two icons of social media, Facebook and Twitter, as such. Facebook is the place where you reconnect with friends from school and share stories or hear about their marvellous jobs. Twitter is the place for the creative and the motivated to share information instantly; this is where ideas and advice are exchanged. Now one might ask, surely there must be a place that would merge the two ideas into a unified experience? In walks LinkedIn.com with its swagger and charm. LinkedIn is like Facebook dressed in a suit and Twitter carrying a briefcase. The emphasis of LinkedIn is on making the network of professional contacts visible. It helps you see who you know and suggests new connections for you to forge. It follows the familiar “friending method” of Facebook. Using a streamlined interface, which mirrors aspects of the social icons, LinkedIn offers a forum and online community of thousands of employers, large and small, from Microsoft and Nike to your local home town poutine truck simply trying to do business. In my opinion, LinkedIn is like Facebook but for professionals only. I posed the question on Recruitingblogs.com about other recruiters’ impression of LinkedIn and how would they explain LinkedIn to people who might not have heard of it using just one sentence. While most recruiters agree on LinkedIn being the most relevant professional networking platform of our times, others like Tony Palm liken it to “going to a business after hours event on line.” Katrina Collier writes, “LinkedIn allows you to reach hiring managers without going via HR or an agent.” Recruiting Animal sums it up as “an online database of professional profiles” – Read more here:http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/how-do-you-explain-linkedin-to LinkedIn is aggressively trying to have white collar workers everywhere make LinkedIn their number one choice. In the past 7 years, LinkedIn has grown to over 200 million users. LinkedIn gives you options on how deep you want to expand your connections, offering a variety of packages to increase your modes of communication with existing and new connections. The value in these packages is unmatchable and crucial for success. If you are just starting out and want to connect to someone you have no connection with, Bill Gates for example, it says to that potential new connection, “I would like to do business with you,” but it doesn’t say that half-heartedly at a bar over drinks. It says it with a pressed (electronic) business card and a firm handshake. So, if you are starting out your career, LinkedIn for you can be like an exclusive contact list in a brand new smart phone. Speaking of smart phones, LinkedIn also has a mobile app. This allows you and the new connections you make to instantly connect via LinkedIn. The mobile app has a very intuitive interface that allows you to navigate many of the common features of LinkedIn. Just like the Twitter and Facebook apps, it is free. As a result, you are not only on the market for a professional social setting, you now also have the ability to find and access your online community anywhere you go, plane, train or long commute, and you can keep your LinkedIn account with you at all times. And of course, the most important thing to remember is that this is not the place to share your every thought or opinion; you have Twitter and Facebook for that. Nobody on LinkedIn needs to know what you did last night, in fact, it might even harm your chances of getting that new opportunity. This is the place where you share advice on anything and everything concerning your career, including resume tips. So no sharing pictures of your “exciting” weekend. Be prepared, LinkedIn could be the ticket to your next interview. ResumeTarget.com provides professional resume writing services for clients of all career levels across North America. We are the only resume writing company that offers a professionally written resume coupled with the guidance of recruiters, to guarantee that your resume will get results.

Page 6

Tips for Back to School Lunches

We all want to be successful no matter which profession we are in. However, success in your professional life does not come only from being highly qualified, but also by having self-confidence. There are so many people who lose out on their dream jobs and have unsatisfying careers because they are unable to get over their fears. This is a classic case of lacking self-confidence. Whether you are in a managerial post in your company, an administrative professional or an entrepreneur – self-confidence is the key. If you think you lack self-confidence, which many people do, get help and improve your self-confidence, which will only have a positive impact on your personal and professional lives.

Achieve more by improving your self-confidence Self-confident people are able to achieve more success as they obviously more confident, they do not over think every small decision and they don’t get into situations expecting to fail. People who lack self-confidence set themselves up for failure because they expect to fail even before they even start off with any project. As an administrative professional, the stresses of the job and the constant need to multi-task can get you down. With improved self-confidence, you will be prepared to take on and tackle more responsibilities, have an optimistic view, and be able to handle bad situations in a much better and more diplomatic way.

Winning attitude

Self-confident people have a winning attitude. This exudes a good vibe to those around you who will also behave differently towards you. When step into any responsibility or task with a winning attitude instead of expecting failure, you will be less stressed and will be able to focus more and this can drastically change the outcome of your work and the overall task. When you are able to face life – be it at your job as an administrative professional or your personal life, you will be better equipped to handle whatever comes your way with a winning attitude that comes with increased self-confidence.

Removes hesitation and obstacles

For most people their biggest obstacle is themselves. Negative thinking, low self-esteem and irrational fears are all manifestations of low self-confidence. All these factors can come in the way and can prevent you from achieving success and fulfillment in your professional life. With hesitation and low self-esteem, you will not be able to finish work on time and this can hurt your productivity and efficiency. As an administrative professional, you will have to deal with a wide range of problems and responsibilities throughout the day. With improved self-confidence, you can finish all your tasks efficiently giving you more time to spend with your family and focus on yourself. Article by: Administrative Assistant Resource - April 2014

Communiqué

How Self-Confidence Equals Success

Page 7

Barrie/Simcoe County Branch Update

supporting administrative assistants to become “the ultimate assistant”. One of our members recently attended a webinar hosted by Bonnie, “Speak Up: Find Your Voice”. According to Bonnie, 96% of American employees have experienced bullying in the workplace, but only 51% of companies have policies in place to address bullying. A good strategy to adopt is, “If you see something, say something – to the bully or to the authority figure”, as silence equates to acceptance. Bonnie is facilitating a Be the Ultimate Assistant session in Toronto October 3 and 4th. To learn more visit www.bonnielowkramen.com.

Submitted by Nancy Hastings

The Barrie/Simcoe County branch welcomed summer with an exciting event at Canvas and Cabernet, a local art studio which hosted our members, giving them a tutorial on oil painting, while they enjoyed a glass of wine and sharing a few laughs. We all got in touch with our inner Monet that night (see below picture).

The Executive Committee (EC) has been busy planning the 2015-16 speaker series. As we get excited for a new year, we are also pleased to welcome member Jane Manning, to the role of Membership Chair. Nancy Hastings has filled the recently new position created by the EC, called Community Connections Coordinator; this role will encompass social media activities, creating branch newsletters and the branch’s annual yearbook. Although, we are sad to see summer escape us, we are looking forward to the fall, as we resume our meetings and get back in touch with familiar faces.

Barrie/Simcoe County branch had the pleasure of welcoming Bonnie Low-Kramen to speak to our members on several occasions. Bonnie is a dynamic and engaging speaker with a passion for

Communiqué

The beginning of the year always marks an urge to remix our work wardrobes. And since it's our personal belief that office-ready pieces are the most investment-worthy, we've got our credit cards locked and loaded. Here, six looks that will not only keep us chic, but also empower us, from our desks to the boardroom.

by LAUREN VALENTI - Marie Claire Marketplace

For these six looks and more fashion tips please visit the website here

Fall 2015 Office Fashion Tips

Page 8

MAL Update

Well, membership renewals continue to pour in as many members have taken advantage of the extended renewal period from the first of April to beginning of September. So it’s great to see members starting to get geared up for fall and the settling in to work after some summer fun (and yes, sometimes summer madness). But . . . if you haven’t renewed – don’t delay – you won’t want to be removed from our contact/mailing lists!

As we are all aware, the economy has taken a hit across Canada, and Fort McMurray is no exception. Our thoughts of encouragement go out to our Fort McMurray colleagues . . . “Hang in there and remember you have a network of professional colleagues across Canada as back-up and support!”

Speaking of hanging in there – Vancouver members continue to keep in touch and we continue to get new members. Recently a new member who is moving from the UK was in Vancouver for a visit this summer and when I put out the “call to Vancouver members” to take advantage of her being in town to meet up and share professional news with her – one member did indeed contact her and they met up! I just love it when we support each other!

And also speaking of Vancouver – remember to put the first weekend of June 2016 in your calendars as members from across Canada in addition to the national board head to Vancouver for our AGM events!

Arlene Stone, QAA

Vice President and MAL Liaison

August 2015

Communiqué Page 9

Calgary Branch Update

Also for the first time, we held our

“Speakers Appreciation” night –

something like a press

conference with a Q&A portion.

We asked them questions about

their impressions of AAA, about

their overall experiences in their

presentation and we also

gathered their input for future

topics and enhancements.

We held a silent auction as a

fundraiser in support of the

“Dream Takes Flight”

organization.

Our upcoming meetings for 2015 are as

follows;

September 17: Enabling High Performance Organizations through Mindfulness by Dorota Ulkowska October 19: Public Speaking by Joanne Smith November 16: Our Community Involvement Night: Dreams Take Flight

If you are in and around the city, please feel free to join us. We would love to have you.

Submitted by Evelyn Serbout, President

You just never know what a year will

bring....last year in September we had

the most wicked snow storm in Calgary.

This year, we experienced wicked

weather as early as July. Yes, Calgary is

very well known for its unpredictable

weather but this year it’s like a

phenomenon. Tornado funnel

formation, hail as big as golf balls, wind

that blew roofs and patio furniture...it

was a whirlwind.....but I must say we

are still very lucky compared to other

places who have experienced even

greater weather anomalies. Our hearts

go out to them.

On a happy note, our Branch has been

busy. In my last report, we were to

embark on two major events; our

annual AGM in April and our annual

Professional Development Workshop

(PDW) in May. Both were successful

events again this year. I am very happy

to report that:

In June we had our Wind Up Party.

Our party was sponsored by

Jets-On Inc. for the first time.

Jets-On Inc is a booming

private jet business in Canada

with an office in Calgary,

offering luxury and highly

organized private travel to

everyone from ordinary people

to the highest of corporate

executives. They are the

limousine up in the air!

At our party, we celebrated “Toast with our QAA Graduates” as well. I handed out the certificates and gold pins to those who didn’t make it to Hamilton for the graduation ceremony.

(from left to right: Kate, Dixie, Teresa & Geraldine)

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 15 min.YIELD:12 servings Ingredients

5 individual tea bags ∙ 5 cups boiling water

5 cups unsweetened apple juice ∙ 2 cups cranberry juice

1/2 cup sugar ∙ 1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Directions Place the tea bags in a large heat-proof bowl; add boiling water. Cover and steep for 8 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add the remai ning ingredients to tea; stir until sugar is dissolve. Serve warm or over ice. Yield: 3 quarts.

Fall Tea Recipe

For this and more great

recipes click the button below

Page 10

Minute Taking Doesn’t have to be Difficult - Rhonda Scharf

August 2015

Remember the game, Telephone, that we played as kids? One person would whisper a message to the person beside them, and they would whisper it along to the person beside them. When the message reached the end of the line and the last person shared aloud what the message was, it was never the same as the original. Everyone would laugh at the garbled end result. That was fun. The same thing has happened with your minute taking, only it isn’t fun. And for your company, it can be downright problematic. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way. The purpose of minutes is to provide a corporate history. To capture the discussions, the decisions and the rationales made during a meeting. Minutes are not meant to be a transcript of what happened at the meeting, and that is exactly where it has gone off the rails for many of us. Minutes does not equal transcript. Most of us have been following the example of the person who did the job before us, and she was doing the job the person previous to her had done. That’s not fun. It’s probably wrong, too; and it will likely result in a garbled Telephone mess. But no one will be laughing. The rules for taking minutes have changed over the years, and if you are following a confused version of what someone did years ago, no wonder you find it difficult to take minutes. Keep in mind that your document needs to be a summary. That means you don’t have to capture everything that is said, or even every topic that is discussed. Ask yourself, “What will the company need from this document in the future?” You can immediately get rid of all the social updates that occur during meetings (births, marriages, etc.). While it’s perfectly acceptable for that type of information to be shared in a meeting, the company will not need this information from your document. You can get rid of a lot of the discussions, too. We do need the rationale for decisions that are made, but not necessarily all the discussion that came with it. Summarize it. The company also doesn’t care what Bob said, or Mary said. This is without a doubt the most common mistake minute takers make. The company is not concerned with Bob’s brilliant oratory. (Bob’s ego may be fascinated by what Bob said, but the company is not interested.)

Keep it simple. Keep it brief. Summarize it.

Minute taking doesn’t have to be hard. Ask yourself what will be needed in the future from this document, and put that in.

If this still sounds too daunting, there are other options Rhonda has available. On November 17th she will be having a full day program called Minute Taking Made Easy in downtown Toronto. If Toronto isn’t convenient, you can attend the online program, or the one-hour Introduction to Minute Taking. Of course, if there are several people at work who need this program, Rhonda can come to you. Find out all the details of the public, onsite, online and webinar at www.MinuteTakingMadeEasy.com

Rhonda Scharf, CSP

Certified Speaking Professional,

Trainer & Author

Our Sponsors

Rhonda Scharf

www.on-the-right-track.com

www.apccanada.com

www.clickety-quick.com

www.incentiveworksshow.com

Communiqué Page 12

www.smart-sheets.com

Jackie Pontin Gale Belcourt Evelyn Serbout

Nancy Hastings Chrisy Burton Rhonda Scharf

Arlene Stone ResumeTarget TW Insurance

Bridget Cochrane Katherine Vaillancourt

If you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please email contact@aaa.ca

Newsletter typeset and design by Bridget Cochrane