Achieving Excellence in General Service Administration

Achieving Excellence in General Service Administration

OBJECTIVES

• Define and understand the role of the general service administration.
• Make better general services management decisions
• Acquire time management skills required for better office productivity.
• List the main causes of stress and the techniques needed to control
• Learn communication strategies needed for carrying out responsibilities in an effective manner.
• Develop a service attitude and mindset aimed at the internal and external customer
• Manage a network of working relations
• Communicate effectively
• Manage time for yourself and others
• Organize office systems
• Review their working relationships
• Develop an action plan to help your manager
• Evaluate your Key Performance Indicators and make them more useful
• Use simple frameworks for planning, including allocating and managing priorities, scheduling work, working proactively and reactively and project planning.
• Identify and avoid causes for contractual claims.
• Recognize the different types of claims and how to prevent and/or deal with each type.
• Understand the different approaches to claims handling including alternative dispute resolution.
• Practice and discuss, through a project, all aspects of handling and resolving contractual claims.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Office Administrators
• Office Professionals
• Executive Secretaries
• Personal Assistants
• Office managers
• Senior administrators

COURSE OUTLINE

Day 1

The Role of the General Service Administration

• The role and duties of general service administration
• Setting work objectives
• Identifying common issues and challenges
• Handling petty cash, estimating costs and monitoring expenditures
• Administration development tools
• The planning process
• Planning work in progress
• Analysing and managing risk
• Contingency planning
• Developing procedures
• Problem solving techniques
• Defining Business Processes
• Defining Roles and Responsibilities
• Work Performance
• Sourcing suppliers and negotiation skills for contracts and services
• Equipment Effectiveness
• Staff Competence
• Organization policy and procedures
• Organization and contractors relationship

Managing Time & Desk Management

• Managing interruptions and access
• Planning and priority setting
• Office layout and ergonomics
• Managing the paper-load
• Getting the best from e-mail and office technology
• Report and letter writing
• Setting & developing company writing standards
• Editing and proof-reading skills
• Dimensions of performance
• Motivation
• Appraisal
• Coaching and on-job training skills
• Action planning and influencing others

• Identifying and Eliminating Time Wasters
• Setting Goals and Priorities
• Delegation – giving and receiving
• Communication and listening skills
• Assertiveness, conflict and criticism
• People problems and problem people

Day 2

Effective Communication Skills

• Improving communications within an existing team
• Oral and listening skills
• Reporting to Management
• Negotiation skills and techniques
• Managing difficult people
• Comparison of telephone / face to face / written communications, their effectiveness and suitability for different situations
• Improving Credibility and Gaining Recognition
• Speaking and Listening
• Being Assertive
• Selling Your Ideas to the Boss, Colleagues, Subordinates and Clients
• Handling requests and conflicting priorities
• Briefing skills – giving, receiving and passing on
• Delegation – giving and receiving
• Assertiveness, conflict and criticism
• People problems and problem people

Written Communication Style

• Layout
• Clear Writing
• Proof Reading

Using the Telephone Properly

• Professional Telephone Behavior
• Rules for Good Listening
• Making Appointments

Controlling Stress

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Solutions

Serving the Internal and External Customer

• Understanding the Needs of Internal and External Customers
• Having the Right Attitude
• Providing Excellent Service
• Handling Complaints

Day 3

Organizing Meetings , Setting and Meeting Objectives

• Planning skills
• Project management approaches for support staff
• Managing time
• Strategies for managing change
• Identifying and dealing with Pressure Points
• Implementing Action Plans
• Preparing the Agenda
• Taking Minutes

Claims

• Nature of Claims
• Types of Claims
• Claims Process

Claims Management

• Collect and review data regularly
• Highlight potential issues as they arise
• Identifying specific claims
• Following the timing within the contract/or be reasonable
• Issue with applications for payment
• Maintain communication to achieve agreement

Day 4

The Claims Process

• The legal principles and practical procedures of payment claims
• Key considerations in valuing claims
• Claim generation
• Charge entry
• Payment entry
• Payment claims
• Delay costs and damages
• Procedures for variations
• Extensions of time

Contractors

• The key elements of a contract
• Oral or written?
• Terms of the contract

Contractors’ Objectives

• Profits
• Fair and Unfair Practices
• Keeping Records

Contracts in Progress

• Avoiding Problems
• Know Your Contract
• General and Special Terms

Day5

Relationship with contracts

• External and internal dimensions of a business relationship
• Formation of a Contract
• The key elements of a contract
• Terms of the contract
• Inter-business contracting
• Developing legal knowledge and skills
• Potential Problems with Standard Form Contracts

Payment Issues & Post contract Liability               

• Variation of Contract Terms
• Variation of Scope of Work
• Management of Variations and retaining control of the contract
• Payment and money events
• Delay, suspension and extension of time
• Finance and Payment in International Trade
• Bonds and Guarantees
• Defects Liability
• Termination of the Contract and Remedies
• Mitigation of losses and claims

Issues of validity of a contract

• Precedence of documents in a contract
• Delivery, acceptance and transfer of title and risk
• Liability in negligence – relationship with contract conditions
• Product liability and defective goods
• Overview of requirements of a valid contract
• Letters – Intent; Instruction/Award; Comfort; Awareness
• Conflict of Laws and Choice of Law and jurisdiction Clauses

Resolution of Disputes

• Negotiation, compromise and settlement
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Litigation
• Arbitration
• Managing disputes
• Developing an exit strategy
• Review of programme, and final questions