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Description

The Assistant-Manager Partnership: Clarify, Delegate and Decide Together

Build a two-person working partnership with your manager that gains in delegation and anticipation

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

The partnership works well while conditions are calm, then seizes up as soon as the workload rises: the manager takes back tasks that had been handed over, the assistant hesitates to decide alone and information arrives late. Each party waits for an initiative from the other that has never actually been expressed.

Two days to rebuild the partnership from the ground up: clarify what is delegated and how far, organise the exchange points that prevent constant back-and-forth, and prepare to represent the manager with third parties. The session starts from how each partnership actually operates and leads to a written agreement to put to the manager.

Learning objectives

  • Analyse how the partnership currently operates and where it breaks down
  • Negotiate the scope of delegation and the associated decision levels
  • Organise short exchange points that prevent back-and-forth
  • Represent your manager with internal and external contacts
  • Anticipate your manager's deadlines and sensitive files
  • Adjust how the partnership works during a review meeting

What makes this programme different

The diagnosis cross-references the assistant's perspective with the expectations expressed by the manager
Delegation levels are formalised file by file
A working agreement ready to present to the manager is drafted during the session

Programme

1Diagnosing the partnership

Naming what blocks before correcting it

  • Identify the tasks taken back by the manager and the reasons given
  • Identify decisions blocked for want of a clear mandate
  • Measure the time lost in back-and-forth and approvals
  • Distinguish organisational issues from issues of trust

2Negotiating delegation

How far to decide without referring upwards

  • Define delegation levels file by file
  • Set the criteria for escalating to the manager
  • Request an explicit mandate for recurring decisions
  • Report back on a decision taken independently

3Representing and filtering

Speaking on behalf of the manager without misrepresenting them

  • Filter incoming requests against agreed criteria
  • Convey the manager's position without distorting it
  • Hold a position with a persistent contact
  • Protect the confidentiality of sensitive files

4Making the arrangement last

Reviewing rather than enduring

  • Set up a regular review point with the manager
  • Prepare that review with facts and proposals
  • Formulate a request for adjustment without apportioning blame
  • Evolve the working agreement over the months

Who is it for

Experienced executive assistants and office managers who wish to strengthen their cooperation with the executive or line manager they support.

Prerequisites

Holding an assistant role supporting a manager or an executive.

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.