MYTRAINING.NET
Jason Aitkens is Marketing and
Community Manager for mytraining.net
and producer of EA&PA Professional
Series, programs designed for
Executive and Personal Assistants.
ed. sat down with Jason to talk about
his work and why he chose to write
programs specifically for EAs and PAs.
How did the EA&PA Professional
Series start out?
Working as part of the mytraining.net
team, I wanted to build awareness of
mytraining.net as the online tool to
search for, compare and book training
from leading training providers across
Australia.
I thought what better way to do that
than to let people experience a slice
of what was on offer, and that is what
still happens. All the speakers on the
EA&PA Professional Series programs
are also providers that partner with
mytraining.net
What do the programs cover?
I’ve delivered 4 programs since the
launch in 2010, and they’ve covered
topics including Effective Negotiation,
Building Relationships, Leveraging
Personal Brand and Powerful
Communication.
Most recent was a leadership program
specifically for EAs and PAs. Many may
not see an EA or PA as a leader within
the business, but I feel that they are a
critical element of the leadership brand
of the organisation. We structured the
program to bridge the three spheres
of leadership – Leadership of Self,
Leadership of Others, Leadership
with the Business. At each stage of
the journey we built skills and linked
these skills to direct application into
the workplace.
I have to say I loved the program, and
we received amazing feedback from
the delegates.
Why do you think you’ve had
success with these programs?
I think it comes down to three key
assets:
Firstly, respecting the critical role EAs
and PAs play in their organisations and
dealing with content that challenges
them while adding to their skill set both
professionally and personally. The most
satisfying feedback I can receive from
a delegate at one of my programs is
that they have taken away skills that are
going to lead them to getting more out
of their personal life, as well as helping
them become more effective at work.
Secondly, access to amazingly
passionate and engaging educators
through mytraining.net. When I first
started writing the programs I was blown
away with how equally passionate they
are about building the profile of EAs
and PAs.
Finally, if you get the work done, then
you can have a bit of fun too. We cram
a lot into each of the one day programs
and ask a lot of our delegates. But I
always try to make sure that the whole
experience is powerful and memorable.
Not just content, but also through the
social components of the programs.
We always host in great venues, most
recently The Observtory Hotel in Sydney
and InterContinental on Collins in
Melbourne, and make sure the breaks
and networking sessions are also a
celebration of the work EAs and PAs
perform in their organisations.
What is the plan for the next
program?
concepts for Project Management in the
context of event management.
There are strong similarities between
the skills of a highly effective EA and
those of a successful project manager
- Communication, Problem Solving,
Managing Conflicting Priorities and
Stakeholder Management.
I’m a great believer in experiential
learning – where you learn new skills
through action rather than just listening
to someone telling you.
The next program will be part theory
and part experience. The morning of
the program will cover of the theory of
project management, with the afternoon
set aside to put these new skills into
practice by planning and executing an
event, at which they will be the guests.
mytraining.net is an online
marketplace for the leading
training providers across Australia.
If you need to find training, at
any time, you’re likely to find it on
mytraining.net
Website: www.mytraining.net
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 8998 4900
To join the mailing list to
hear about the next EA&PA
Professional Series, email
[email protected]
Well, I have this idea for a full day
program that will bring together the
executive decisions
l
51