Office Administration and Secretarial Masterclass

The programme

Programme overview

This comprehensive Masterclass is designed to equip current and aspiring Office Administrators and Secretaries with the essential skills required to excel in today’s dynamic workplace. Participants will learn to effectively manage office operations, enhance productivity, streamline administrative processes, and foster professional growth.

Office administration plays a critical role in organisational efficiency, fostering innovation, managing workflow, and ensuring seamless communication across departments. At the centre of this Masterclass is the POGCDCC framework — Planning, Organising, Guiding, Communicating, Directing, Coordinating, and Controlling — a practical, repeatable system for running any office function, which you’ll apply throughout the course rather than encounter as an abstract model.

Who should attend

Who is this programme for?

• Office Administrators
• Administrative Supervisors
• Secretaries and Personal Assistants
• Administrative Support Staff
• Office Managers

Learning outcomes

What you will learn

• Develop essential competencies for effective office management, using a structured seven-function framework
• Enhance problem-solving, decision-making, and creative thinking abilities
• Improve organisational, note-taking, and comprehension skills
• Utilise Microsoft Office Suite and AI-powered productivity tools proficiently
• Implement effective communication strategies
• Master time and priority management
• Handle documents, records, and meetings professionally
• Deliver excellent customer service, including through AI-assisted CRM tools
• Manage workplace stress effectively

Explore the programme

Detailed programme outline

2-Day Essentials — Training Outline

• Definition, roles, and responsibilities
• Key expectations for administrators and secretaries
• Essential skills: soft skills and hard skills
• Handling workplace requests and conflicts
• The seven core elements of office management: Planning, Organising, Guiding, Communicating, Directing, Coordinating, and Controlling
• Implementing standardised task procedures using the POGCDCC framework
• Leveraging technology, including AI-powered office automation tools, within the framework
• Core time management and priority-setting techniques
• Essentials of setting up and managing effective meetings
• For deeper practice in communication, minute-taking, and time management specifically, see Ratomac dedicated Executive PAs and Administrators Communication Masterclass and Minute Taking and Professional Report Writing courses
• Essentials of customer service systems and effective communication methods
• Using AI-enhanced CRM software and chatbots for routine customer queries
• Deciding whether the 5-Day Comprehensive programme is the right next step
• Building a personal action plan applying the POGCDCC framework to your role

5-Day Comprehensive — Training Outline

• Effective office management practices
• Fundamentals of effective time management
• Tools for scheduling and appointment management: daily planners, digital scheduling software, and AI-assisted calendar tools
• Setting reminders and managing deadlines
• Mastering delegation techniques
• Identifying and avoiding common time-wasters
• Priority setting and effective multi-tasking
• Essentials of teamwork
• Identifying and optimising team roles
• Techniques: mind mapping and brainstorming
• Promoting accountability and clear communication
• Setting up collaborative workspaces, physical and virtual
• Basic Human Resource Management principles
• Conflict resolution within teams
• Developing an organisational communication strategy
• Internal vs. external communication channels
• Setting up and managing effective meetings
• Preparing agendas and notices
• Minute-taking and disseminating meeting outcomes
• Improving listening and feedback skills
• Building and maintaining professional rapport
• Implementing effective on-the-job training
• Resolving conflicts proactively
• Techniques for motivation and employee engagement
• Delegation: effective giving and receiving
• Building a robust professional network
• Understanding organisational structures and culture: flat vs. hierarchical vs. functional
• Stakeholder communication strategies
• Trust-building and maintaining professional integrity
• Fundamentals of process, people, and resource management
• Leveraging technology for efficiency: Microsoft Outlook, digital schedulers, and AI-powered office automation tools
• Applying the POGCDCC framework as a practical, repeatable system for running any office function
• Basics of information management: scheduling, filtering, and digesting information
• Information interpretation and presentation, and effective dissemination practices
• Fundamentals of financial management
• Budget creation, management, and monitoring
• Essentials of customer service systems
• Effective communication methods: verbal, written, email, messaging, and chats
• Implementing and using AI-enhanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, including AI-assisted chatbots for routine queries
• Collecting and utilising customer feedback
• Providing quality technical support

Learning approach

How you will learn

Our diverse instructional approaches ensure effective learning:

– Lectures & Presentations: Engage with expert-driven, stimulating content.– Course Material: Access well-crafted supporting resources.– Group Work: Collaborate on discussions and case studies for practical insights.– Workshops & Role-Play: Participate in immersive, scenario-based activities.– Practical Application: Focus on applying theoretical knowledge in real situations.– Post-Training Support: Receive extensive support after training for skill implementation.

Discuss your requirements

Dates, duration & arrangements

Contact Ratomac to confirm dates, duration, delivery format, entry requirements and any applicable assessment or certification before booking.