Ultimate Assistant Training & Consulting Inc.

??Feb 23 is the 2-year anniversary for Staff Matters, People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace and I want to celebrate with you! Starting at 12:01 AM on Sun, Feb 23 until midnight on Mon, Feb 24 get the Kindle e-book of Staff Matters for FREE as my gift to you! ??And…Staff Matters has become a Book Club offering at many companies. I will attend your virtual meeting at no charge. Save the Feb 23 date and share the news with all your colleagues – Leaders, Assistants, HR pros, Recruiters, Leadership Experts, and Business School professors. Kirkus Reviews calls the book “Extremely thought-provoking. A vision for a vigorously compassionate realignment of the modern workplace.” ?? I wrote the book to be a catalyst for discussions on teams – from the top down, from the bottom up, and everyone in the middle. If you believe that there are important things going unsaid in our workplace, you are not alone. That is why I wrote Staff Matters. From 1,500 interviews with staff, I am telling your stories – unfiltered and in your words, walking in your shoes. Let’s start talking! SAVE THE DATE! Sun, Feb 23 12:01 PST/03:01 EST for your free e-book when the price changes to zero. Read more about Staff Matters here: https://lnkd.in/eu43YrmA

?? It’s tomorrow! Join me on Wednesday Feb 5th for a free webinar to get the inside scoop on what leaders need to know in 2025 about managing others. It’s a whole new ball game, isn’t it? Drawing from my book, Staff Matters, People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace and TEDx talk called “The Real Reasons People Quit”, I will discuss the amazing simple yet hidden gems that can transform leaders into exceptional managers. Discover how these four simple secrets can enhance staff retention, loyalty, team dynamics, boost productivity, and foster an authentically positive workplace culture. This interactive session promises to be a game-changer for anyone looking to elevate their leadership skills and support their staff more effectively. Reserve your free spot now and unlock the potential within your team! https://lnkd.in/ehtgrQ-q This session will be recorded and sent to all registrants. PS Want to check out the TEDx talk? Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3P80liv

???? The Executive Assistant role is not going away. In fact, salaries are going up.

???If you are looking for real-life solutions to fixing what’s broken in our complicated workplace, then Staff Matters, People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace is the book for you. That’s why I wrote it. Check out this latest review from Literary Titan to help see what’s possible. “Bonnie Low-Kramen’s Staff Matters is a compelling dive into the nuances of workplace dynamics and the critical role staff play in building thriving organizations. The book doesn’t just identify problems—it presents people-focused solutions to create a respectful, collaborative, and efficient workplace. Drawing on her rich experience and more than 1,500 conversations with professionals across various fields, Low-Kramen provides a comprehensive guide for leaders, HR professionals, and staff alike. From communication breakdowns to the aftermath of a global pandemic, she lays bare the truths of modern workplace challenges. What struck me most about Staff Matters is Low-Kramen’s ability to make complex issues personal. Her chapter on empathy, for instance, is a standout. She emphasizes the need for leaders to step into their employees’ shoes, illustrated by a poignant account of workers who feel invisible or misunderstood. The inclusion of stories like Tiffany Nguyen’s experience breaking stereotypes as an Asian-American in the workplace or the struggles of neurodivergent employees creates a sense of immediacy. These anecdotes are eye-opening and made me rethink how often workplaces overlook unseen struggles. The book’s practicality shines in its sections on succession planning and crisis management. Low-Kramen’s story of grappling with double pneumonia while managing a one-person office was both heart-wrenching and enlightening. She uses personal failure as a cautionary tale to advocate for better backup systems, cross-training, and employee support. These actionable insights are presented without jargon, making them accessible to readers at all levels. Low-Kramen is unapologetically honest, particularly when tackling sensitive topics like gender dynamics and workplace disrespect. I also appreciated her candid critique of corporate structures that still resist systemic changes despite widespread evidence of inequity. Her voice is passionate and authoritative, making it clear she’s on a mission to inspire real change. Staff Matters is a must-read for anyone invested in creating a healthier and more equitable workplace. Low-Kramen’s storytelling, combined with her actionable advice, makes this book especially useful for leaders, HR professionals, and aspiring managers. If you’re someone looking to understand workplace dynamics and improve organizational culture, this book is worth your time.” Link to Literary Titan: https://lnkd.in/eXEB6hcT To order your copies for your team, click here: https://amzn.to/3L54W I’d love to speak at your virtual book club at no charge.

????As a writer, it’s pretty exciting when you receive a shipment of the book you wrote. When you read the words, you are getting pieces of my brain, my heart, and my soul. There’s almost nothing more personal than that which is why it means so much. Be the Ultimate Assistant is the book I wished I had when I worked with actress Olympia Dukakis. I remember thinking, there had to be a book about what I was doing. When I found next to nothing, I stood in Barnes & Noble and decided I had to write the darned thing myself. That was 2002. The fifth edition is out now, and perfect for an empowering holiday gift. It is so gratifying to hear from readers like Moses Martin about how the book is helping them in 2024. “I cannot put in words how invaluable this book and Bonnie have been in my career. I've seen her speak multiple times and I have read this book multiple times. It gave me a totally different perspective on how to shape my career for maximum impact. This book alone will propel your thinking - thereby propel your career! “ Moses Martin, MD Anderson Order your copies of Be the Ultimate Assistant here: https://amzn.to/2F9K1NW Thank you for your review because your opinion matters. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

??Congresswoman and activist Shirley Chisholm would have been 100 years old today. She was self-declared "Unbought and Unbossed" as she stood up to racism and discrimination. Thank you for your bravery and class, Shirley Chisholm. https://lnkd.in/etHsWVEV

?? Give the gift of learning to your colleagues and anyone who cares about building a better workplace. I wrote both of my books to fill a need, to serve as a catalyst for important workplace conversations. If you are looking to give a gift that will inspire positive action, please check out Be the Ultimate Assistant and Staff Matters. Buy your copies of Be the Ultimate Assistant here: https://amzn.to/41zr2Bt Buy your copies of Staff Matters here: https://amzn.to/3L54WBy Be sure to write your review to tell others your favorite takeaways and aha moments. We’re in this thing together. And, if you would like for me to join your Book Club event virtually for either book, for just the cost of the books, it would be a pleasure! Contact me to schedule: [email protected]

??More than ever, the staff is the heart and soul of companies. In the modern workplace, they are the heart of the matter and essential to fixing what’s broken. The workplace has changed and so must the conversations between leaders and staff. My book Staff Matters is meant to be a catalyst for these conversations in the search for sustainable new solutions. Staff Matters: People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace involved over 1500 interviews and took 7 years to write. It was a labor of love as I gave voice to all the people on the payroll. If you are compelled by these messy and complicated issues of our modern workplace, let’s plan a book club event. Order your copies of Staff Matters on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Z1k5IN or Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3lqPOUM in softcover, e-book or audio book. Please share your review because your opinion matters.

??Have you ever had an idea and decided to share it with someone who could do something about it? I did. And those "someones" happen to be Work Wire podcast hosts Bob Goodwin and SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP. This is what they have called The Matthew Perry episode. In light of the arrests of the people surrounding actor Matthew Perry's tragic death by ketamine poisoning, including his assistant, my question to Bob and Johnny back in August was this: Don't leaders and HR have a responsibility to protect their hired employees from having to perform unethical and illegal acts? Of course, the assistant who injected Matthew Perry bears responsibility for his actions. Even so, it's not as simple as that as most assistants will tell you. I believe that the issues are more complicated than that. How many of us have been "voluntold" to do something that makes us feel uncomfortable and downright icky? Things that cause us to lose sleep and be nauseous at the thought? In our Be the Ultimate Assistant workshops, I can tell you that the answer is, most of us. How about you? It's a very tough situation to be in. The podcast about these very issues aired in October. Check it out. https://lnkd.in/eZ3-CFJJ Here's part of the lesson here: If you have an idea that you think others should know about, speak up. Sometimes good things can happen. Thank you for caring about the staff of the world and raising awareness about important topics, Bob and Johnny. Please share this with others who should hear this and all the other Work Wire episodes. Great content.