Professional Development

Over the past couple of months, we have looked at renewable energies and how they affect the conveyancing process. In each article, we have mentioned that these renewable energies are to be kept in mind when providing an estimate of fees to your client. 

Education does not lie outside society. One can learn from life experiences, whether you are learning physics, mathematics, music, art, the social sciences, law or any other subject. We live in a time when information is more accessible than ever before, and using this to your advantage is an important and useful study skill. 

We have all, at some time, encountered the steamroller and the sniper. ‘Steamrollers’ are aggressive, hostile and intimidating; they don’t listen, they talk over what anyone else may have to say and they bludgeon others with their views and demands. ‘Snipers’ are far more insidious; they seek to undermine, often indirectly, and pick fault.

Steamrollers have a great need for control, and snipers are essentially insecure. So, how can we best take the sting from their poisonous tails? Let’s consider some examples:

Steamroller Case Study

Everyone recalls a time or a particular situation when we wish we had been more assertive. Assertive communication is all about putting our point of view over – clearly and calmly, free from the distortion of mood or circumstances – so that we can best communicate how we feel about something and what we need as a result.

 One of the biggest concerns for anyone studying a course is finding the time and motivation to commit to it. This is easier for some people than others, depending on a number of different aspects which are prevalent in your life. One of these aspects is having a good diet and being healthy. 

You can’t really “manage” time, which is why I’m not the biggest fan of the term “time management”. I use it only – and then only very reluctantly – because that’s the term most people are familiar with.

But in actuality, the only thing you can control is what you do with your time; you’re really managing your activities, not your time.

This may seem like a silly distinction, but this small shift in thinking can profoundly and positively affect your productivity. 

Challenging unhelpful negative thoughts is a skill. These thoughts are not facts, and by challenging them we can differentiate between what is real and what is distorted emotional interpretation. When we temper and control the emotional black-and-white thinking, which comes from an agitated emotional brain, we can better access our thinking rational brain (our higher intelligence) and see things with a far clearer perspective. This is good emotional intelligence, not least because it is fair, realistic and balanced.

If you haven’t already heard, 12 September 2012 is National PA Day. This will be the 2nd annual celebration of Britain’s PAs – the people who make Britain’s offices work – so why not be part of it by spending the day with your fellow PAs at Office?

This annual day will celebrate Britain’s PAs – the unsung heroes of Britain’s offices – and aims to highlight the increasing importance of the estimated 600,000 highly skilled PAs working in offices across the UK and to promote the profession to well-educated young people seeking an exciting and stimulating career.