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Description

Administrative Assistants: Saving Time, Getting Organised and Setting Priorities

Regaining control of a working day fragmented by interruptions and other people's urgent requests

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

An assistant's day is made up of interruptions: a phone call, a colleague dropping by, a request arriving by email while another is still being handled. Substantive tasks slip further back day after day, and the feeling of having finished nothing takes hold despite an intense workload.

Two days to build an organisation that withstands the realities of the role: measuring where time actually goes, separating urgency from importance when priorities are set by others, protecting blocks of focused working time and handling interruptions without damaging relationships. The organisation plan is built on a real week taken from the participant's own diary.

Learning objectives

  • Measure how time is actually distributed across a typical week
  • Distinguish urgency from importance in requests received from others
  • Plan substantive tasks while protecting dedicated time blocks
  • Handle interruptions without losing track of the task in progress
  • Organise the handling of email and follow-up reminders

What makes this programme different

The analysis starts from an actual time log completed before the session
Priorities are arbitrated on competing requests coming from several stakeholders
Each participant leaves with a redesigned typical week, tested against a disruption scenario

Programme

1Knowing Where Time Goes

Measure before trying to save

  • Record how one working week is actually spent
  • Identify low-value tasks and repetitive tasks
  • Pinpoint the most frequent interruption moments
  • Distinguish imposed time from chosen time

2Arbitrating Priorities

When others set the urgency

  • Tell genuine urgency apart from pressure being applied
  • Apply explicit and defensible priority criteria
  • Negotiate a deadline rather than accept an imposed one
  • Make your trade-offs clear to your stakeholders

3Planning and Protecting

A typical week that holds up

  • Build a typical week that factors in known disruptions
  • Reserve blocks of focused working time and have them respected
  • Group tasks of the same nature together
  • Anticipate recurring peaks of activity

4Holding Firm Against Interruptions

Picking up the thread without losing everything

  • Deal with an interruption in moments or defer it
  • Organise email handling into dedicated time slots
  • Set up a follow-up tracking system that does not rely on memory
  • Close the day by preparing the next one

Who is it for

Administrative assistants and secretaries dealing with a high volume of requests and simultaneous tasks.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.