An office runs on countless small decisions — which email gets answered first, which meeting gets rescheduled, which document needs to stay confidential. How well an executive secretary or administrative assistant handles those decisions often determines how smoothly an entire organisation functions.

This training programme from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy builds the full skill set behind that role: modern secretarial practice, time management, administrative communication and structured work organisation, alongside performance improvement, report writing, correspondence handling, meeting coordination and safeguarding confidential information. It positions the administrative assistant as an active partner in management, not just a support function, and equips participants to raise productivity and adapt confidently to changing organisational environments.

Who Should Attend?

• Executive secretaries and administrative assistants working across government and private sector organisations.
• Office employees looking to raise their efficiency in administrative tasks.
• Administrative support professionals aiming to grow their career in this field.

Knowledge and Benefits:

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Organise time, set priorities and complete responsibilities efficiently.
• Apply modern executive secretarial skills and effective administrative work practices.
• Communicate professionally, manage information, prepare reports and coordinate meetings.
• Use continuous-improvement methods to raise performance and the quality of administrative work.

Module 1: Mastering Time, Priorities and Executive Schedules

• Principles of effective time management in administrative work, and setting priorities by importance.
• Reducing delays and raising personal productivity.
• Organising appointments and executive commitments, and coordinating management priorities.

Module 2: Keeping Files, Records and Correspondence in Order

• Methods for organising files, administrative information, documents and official records.
• Developing efficient office work systems.
• Preparing professional correspondence, with accuracy and confidentiality when handling documents.

Module 3: Communication That Works — With Managers, Colleagues and Callers

• Principles of communication within organisations, and choosing the right method.
• Building professional workplace relationships and understanding management needs.
• Professional handling of phone calls and electronic communication, including email.

Module 4: Writing Clearly — Reports and Professional Correspondence

• Characteristics of effective administrative reports, and organising information before writing.
• Choosing the right style for administrative documents and written communications.
• Improving clarity and accuracy in written content.

Module 5: Planning and Running Administrative Meetings

• Planning and organising formal meetings, and preparing agendas and related documents.
• Following up on outcomes after the meeting ends.

Module 6: Digital Tools and Smart Office Systems

• Using digital tools to organise administrative tasks and manage information electronically.
• Concepts of electronic office management and organising data through modern systems.
• How technology improves access to information and secretarial performance.

Module 7: Confidentiality and Professional Ethics

• The importance of keeping information confidential, and employee responsibilities toward sensitive data.
• Principles of secure document handling.
• Applying professional conduct, integrity and trust-building in the workplace.

Module 8: Solving Problems and Supporting Decisions

• Identifying sources of workplace problems and developing administrative thinking approaches.
• Selecting suitable solutions for different situations.
• The administrative assistant’s role in gathering and organising information to support management decisions.

Module 9: The Modern Administrative Assistant’s Role

• Key responsibilities of administrative assistants, and organising daily tasks by management requirements.
• Managing multiple responsibilities and priorities effectively.
• The evolving role of the executive secretary in supporting senior management.

Module 10: Continuous Improvement, Performance and the Future of the Role

• The concept of continuous improvement, and performance indicators for evaluating administrative quality.
• Building work habits that support professional excellence and a strong professional image.
• Modern trends and digital transformation shaping the future of executive secretarial work, and the importance of continuous learning.