Professional Skills for Office Administrators PA & Secretaries

Offered by: Lifa n Lúce Consultancy
Duration: 3 days Johannesburg, 3 days Pretoria 
Delivery Mode: In-person / Online / Blended
Target Audience: Office administrators, personal assistants (PAs), secretaries, receptionists, and executive support staff
Course Objective:
To develop core professional, communication, and organizational skills required to perform effectively and confidently in administrative support roles in a modern office environment.

• Defining the role and responsibilities of administrators, PAs, and secretaries

• The importance of professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality

• Office hierarchy and managing up

• Aligning support duties with organizational goals

• Prioritizing tasks and managing workloads

• Creating and managing daily/weekly planners

• Meeting coordination and calendar management

• Multitasking and managing interruptions effectively

• Filing systems: physical and digital organization

• Verbal and non-verbal communication in the workplace

• Active listening, assertiveness, and diplomacy

• Email and telephone etiquette

• Writing professional letters, memos, and reports

• Handling internal and external correspondence professionally

• Welcoming and directing visitors professionally

• Managing front office communications

• Handling inquiries, complaints, and requests with professionalism

• Representing the organization as a first point of contact

• Professional dress and behavior

• Office ethics and cultural sensitivity

• Proper etiquette in meetings, calls, and events

• Confidentiality and information security in an administrative role

• Overview of office software tools (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

• Digital calendars, shared drives, and task management apps

• Basic use of printers, copiers, and phone systems

• Managing virtual meetings and video conferencing tools

• Identifying and analyzing workplace issues

• Approaching problems with logical and creative thinking

• Supporting management in decision-making processes

• Handling stressful situations with resilience and calm

• Building confidence and a positive mindset

• Setting professional development goals

• Time for reflection: strengths and areas for improvement

• Career planning and continuous learning

• Class participation, role-playing, and exercises

• Written test or reflective journal

• Final practical presentation or project

• Certificate of Completion