Elite EA/PA Forum We are delighted to announce the Elite EA/PA Forum for the UK & Ireland will be on the 30th of October 2025. Our workshop aims to: Enhance your influence and impact by mastering assertive communication, negotiation, and self-advocacy skills. Stay composed and solution-focused in high-pressure situations with practical tools for crisis management and clear decision-making. Embrace evolving technology by understanding how AI and automation can streamline your role and boost efficiency. Future-proof your career by building strategic value, resilience, and adaptability in an ever-changing professional landscape. Keynote Address with Q&A from the audience (1 of 2): What to expect from Sam's Keynote: With over 30 years supporting leaders at the highest levels, Sam Cohen brings a wealth of insight, experience, and stories (the kind she can share) to the stage. From 18 years serving within The Royal Household - including as Deputy Private Secretary and Press Secretary to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - to working with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, running the Prime Ministerās Office at Downing Street, and serving as Chief of Staff to the global CEO of Rio Tinto, Samās career is a masterclass in discretion, diplomacy, and delivering at the top. In this exclusive keynote, Beyond the Role, Sam will explore how Executive Assistants donāt just support leaders - they shape leadership, drive strategy, and build legacy from behind the scenes. Join us for this rare opportunity to hear from someone whoās been at the epicentre of power - and bring your questions! The keynote will include a live Q&A, where you can ask Sam about her remarkable career, leadership insights, and how to truly excel in high-performance environments. (Donāt ask her what the Queen kept in her handbag - sheās not telling.) Sam Cohen Career Bio: Sam Cohen has spent the last 30 years working to support leaders in the public and private sectors. Sam spent 18 years serving The Royal Household, as Deputy Private Secretary to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Press Secretary to The Queen. Sam also served as Private Secretary to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Following this time, Sam worked as Director of the Prime Ministerās Office at Downing Street under Boris Johnson and, most recently, was Chief of Staff to the global CEO at Rio Tinto. Source: ABC News - YouTube Channel. Facilitator AM - Monika Turner The Confident Assistant - Speak Up, Go After What You Want & Create The Future You Deserve: Develop practical strategies to negotiate workload, boundaries, and career growth with confidence. Learn assertive communication techniques to handle challenging conversations effectively. Build self-advocacy skills to articulate your value and influence outcomes in the workplace. Monika Turner Career Bio: Monika Anna Turner is an ICF-certified Leadership and Executive coach with over seven years of experience helping professionals unlock their confidence, elevate their voice, and lead with authenticity. Before stepping into coaching, she built a successful career as a Personal Assistant, Executive Assistant, and ultimately Chief Of Staff āgiving her a deep understanding of the unique challenges and strengths of support roles. Originally from Poland, Monika knows firsthand what itās like to question your voice and your valueāespecially in a second language. Her journey from self-doubt to self-assurance informs everything she does today. Through her coaching, she empowers assistants and leaders alike to move beyond fear, speak up and create fulfilling careers theyāre proud of. Keynote Address with Q&A from the audience (2 of 2): What to expect from Monique's Keynote: This isnāt your typical ācommunication 101ā talk. Monique Helstrom brings 27 years of real-world experience, high-level insight, and zero fluff. Sheās coached leaders, built operational ecosystems, and even served as the āChief of Simon Sinekā (yes, that Simon Sinek). Safe to say, she knows a thing or two about working with humansāespecially when theyāre brilliant, busy, and occasionally impossible. In this keynote, Monique will: Call out the silent killers of great communication (you will relate) Show you how to set clearer expectations without sounding like a robot Teach you how to be both direct and kind (itās possible, promise) Arm you with practical strategies that work in real-world pressure-cooker moments Remind you why your voice and presence matterāno matter your title Expect sharp insight, a few laughs, and a lot of āwhy has no one told me this before?ā Monique's Career Bio: With 27 years of experience building humans and operational ecosystems, Monique coaches, recruits, and speaks with one mission: To help people become who they were always meant to be ā effective, self-aware, and unstoppable. Formerly the Executive Assistant and āChief of Simon Sinek,ā Monique was the force behind the scenes of a global thought leadership brand. Sheās worked with top executives, entrepreneurs, assistants, creatives, and mission-driven organisations around the world and has seen the same issue repeat itself time and time again: communication breakdown, unclear expectations, and wasted potential. So she decided to fix it. As a speaker, coach, and specialised recruiter, Monique delivers real talk and real strategies. She teaches principals how to work with, not just have, high-performing assistants and shows assistants how to stand tall, communicate clearly, and own their worth. Her work is rooted in practical psychology, pattern recognition, and the simple the truth that people can change when theyāre given the tools and support to do so. Moniqueās areas of expertise include: Communication ā Building trust, clarity, and accountability for everyone. Executive presence ā Strategic thought, self-confidence, and influence. How to lead, leverage, and grow high-performing assistant partnerships. Goal setting, feedback, and performance coaching that drives personal growth and business results. Identifying operational inefficiencies and translating them into clear, people-powered solutions. Source: Monique Helstrom - YouTube Channel. Panel Session Crisis Mode: What to do when everything goes wrong Master a step-by-step approach to prioritising and problem-solving under pressure. Strengthen emotional resilience and calm decision-making during unexpected disruptions. Learn how to communicate clearly and lead from behind in high-stress situations. Facilitator - PM: Justin Kabbani AI Is Not Here to Replace You. It's Here to Upgrade You. We'll explore Justin's proven 3P framework: Priming ā How to set up AI like a strategic advisor by feeding it context, tone and mindset Prompting ā How to craft clear, structured instructions to get consistently great results Producing ā How to turn AI outputs into high-leverage work that makes you stand out Your session outcomes: Real examples from admin professionals already using AI to elevate their work Prompts you can copy, adapt, and test live Interactive exercises to build confidence fast A practical challenge to implement right after the session If youāve been overwhelmed by AI, or underwhelmed by its impact, this session will change that. You'll leave with tools you can use today, and a mindset youāll carry forward for the rest of your career. Justin Kabbani Career Bio: Justin Kabbani is one of Australiaās most in-demand AI trainers and keynote speakers, known for making AI feel simple, powerful, and immediately useful. Heās worked with brands like Uber, Treasury Wine Estates, and Udemy, helping their teams embed AI into daily workflows, strategic planning, and executive communication. Over the past two years, Justin has trained more than 2,000 professionals across Australia and beyond, consistently earning feedback like āmind-blowing,ā and āgame-changingā. His signature Prime, Prompt, Produce framework has transformed how business leaders, executive assistants, marketers, and teams think, work, and communicate with AI, without needing to be ātech people.ā Justin believes AI isnāt here to replace people. Itās here to take the robotic work off our plate, so we can focus on what humans do best. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinkabbani/ Website: https://justinkabbani.com/ Who will attend this event? Executive Assistant (EA) Personal Assistant (PA) Virtual Assistant (VA) Legal Secretary Legal Executive Assistant Administrative Assistant Office Manager Health Care Office Manager Chief of Staff Additional roles may be relevant depending on role responsibilities along with development opportunities. This workshop is open to females, male including trans women/males and non-binary professionals. Group Rate Discounts To discuss our group rates in more detail, please email support@elite-forums.com and provide the following: Group Number (How many would like to attend) Event Date (If numerous dates, please advise if we are splitting attendees across multiple dates) Attendee Contact details (Or request our Group Rate Document. Complete and return - we'll sort the rest.) Group discounts are on request - see below group rate discount brackets: š§© You just need one piece to come together - to unlock your Elite Potential. š Media outlets/organisations will not be permitted to attend this event.
This practical, enjoyable day will give you the tools to go and do your job effectively and the opportunity to practise using them in a safe and supportive environment before putting them into practice for real back in the workplace. To inspire, you need to be inspired!Having the right set of skills, tools and techniques helps us to manage in a productive and beneficial way. Above all, the workshop will inspire you with the determination to engage with the people you manage to produce greater levels of achievement. This workshop will enable you to: Understand what the role of the manager is Engage and inspire a team to perform Recognise the range of styles appropriate for different situations and how your communication style impacts Provide clear direction on your team's purpose, role and responsibilities Understand how to create a motivating environment for those who report to you Hold them accountable for delivery Hold performance conversations Review and evaluate your learning and have a plan to take back and implement at work 1 Bringing the role to life Starting the day with sharing your current ideals and approaches using the pre workshop task Understanding what you bring to your role and your objectives for the day 2 The role and responsibilities of a manager: an overview Responsibility and accountability Producing results Managing teams Developing individuals 3 Communication excellence The model of a team communicator What type of communicator are you and what about your team? Practical interactive group exercise 4 Your role as a team leader - shaping how we work using the organisation's values Your role Your team's role Enabling your team to deliver in a changing mindset 5 Engaging and motivating your team Exercise: using a leadership model to explore how you are enabling your team to engage with current change, what's getting in the way and how you will manage this in your organisational context Peer and group task and discussion 6 Addressing motivation at team and individual level in times of change Exercises:Identifying approaches to motivating people at work based on a work based model of motivation: team taskExploring a behavioural model of motivation: team discussion Review in plenary 7 Holding people accountable The work cycle model of team performance: Agree purposeSet objectivesMonitor performanceProvide feedbackCompliance vs. commitment Professional discussion in small groups Exercise: Practising short conversations using peer coaching support 8 Review of learning and action planning Personal review and action planning Group review of learning Evaluation
SAFeĀ® for Government: Virtual In-House Training Transitioning to Lean-Agile practices for building technology-based capabilities is especially challenging in the government context. But issues of legacy governance, contracting, and organizational barriers can be overcome with the right information and strategies. During this course, attendees will learn the principles and practices of the Scaled Agile FrameworkĀ® (SAFeĀ®), how to execute and release value through Agile Release Trains, and what it means to lead a Lean-Agile transformation of a program inside a government agency. Attendees gain an understanding of the Lean-Agile mindset and why it's an essential foundation for transformation. They'll also get practical advice on building high-performing, multi-vendor Agile teams and programs, managing technology investments in Lean flow, acquiring solutions with Agile contracting, launching the program, and planning and delivering value using SAFeĀ®. Attendees also learn how specific leadership behaviors can drive successful organizational change in government. What you will Learn To perform the role of a SAFeĀ® for Government leader, you should be able to: Transition government programs from traditional software and systems development models to Lean-Agile and DevOps mindsets, principles, and practices using SAFeĀ® Adapt technology strategy, budgeting and forecasting, acquisition, compliance, and governance processes to flow-based practices using emerging government guidelines Organize government programs into one or more Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and execute in Program Increments (PIs) Explore Large Solution coordination in a government and multi-vendor environment Identify and internalize the mindset and leader behaviors essential to successful Lean-Agile transformation Follow success patterns for SAFeĀ® implementations adapted to the government context Build a preliminary outline of next steps to begin and / or accelerate the SAFeĀ® implementation in your program or agency Advancing Lean-Agile in government Embracing a Lean-Agile mindset Understanding SAFeĀ® Principles Creating high-performing Agile teams and programs Planning with cadence and synchronization Delivering value in Program Increments Mapping the path to agency and program agility Leading successful change
Business Relationship Management Fundamentals: In-House Training Business Relationship Management (BRM) Fundamentals introduces BRM as a capability, role, and discipline. What you will Learn Participants can expect an interactive and lively one-day session, with a high-level introduction to successfully navigate the complexity of BRM. Topics include: Defining BRM as a capability, role, and discipline Understanding what a BRM does and does not do Providing the language needed to change perceptions and perspectives Learn how the BRM discipline interacts with other disciplines (project management, architecture, Business Analysts, Business functions, strategy, etc.) inside an organization Basic introduction to the different frameworks, processes, and models to bring structure and guidance to BRM Introductions Why BRM? BRM defined BRM in action BRM value Reflection and next steps Resources
A short course in Wellbeing Coaching for individuals who would like to develop coaching skills to support others in improving their wellbeing.
Duration 1 Days 6 CPD hours
The Professional Agile Leadership Essentials (PAL-E) is a 2-day hands-on workshop that uses a combination of instruction and hands-on exercises to help managers and other leaders who work directly with agile teams understand how to best support, guide, and coach their teams to improve their agile capabilities. Course Description Professional Agile Leadership Essentials (Scrum.org) Training ONLINE PAL E - Professional Agile Leadership Essentials Agile leadership has a lot to offer businesses today. Organizations have changed a great deal over the years and are no longer the static, structured entities they once were. Agile teams and agile leadership respond to these changes, offering a new way to achieve better results. PAL-E training is designed to help managers, and other leaders, understand how to approach an Agile transformation, and to guide teams to be successful.Ā Agile teams and leadership bring real benefit Agile organisations and teams thrive in unpredictable and changing environments. They are able to improve efficiency and react quickly to changing markets and customer needs. Achieving this is not something that just happens. The transformation to become an agile organisation is profound, requiring senior leaders, managers, and team members to change how they organise themselves and others, alongside how they work and measure results.Ā According to consultancy McKinsey: "the key to a successful Agile transformation is for leaders, particularly senior leaders, to develop substantially new mind-sets and capabilities." Scrum Training is a perfect first step in this. Professional Agile Leadership Essentials training The Professional Agile Leadership Essentials (PAL-E) course is a certified 2-day online workshop for team managers and leaders. It will show managers how to effectively develop, support, and guide agile teams to improve their performance. Agile teams are different from traditional structures. There is much more focus on continuous development and learning, as well as self-organisation. The course provides a foundation for managers' and leaders' roles in creating the conditions for a successful Agile transformation. Through detailed instruction and practical exercises, this course will teach leaders and managers how to form, support, and enhance Agile teams. It will guide them through the business, cultural and behavioural changes that must be made to take full advantages of the possibilities of Agile teams. PAL-E Course contents and key objectives The Professional Agile Leadership Essentials course will provide a solid grounding in the background and importance of agile leadership and how to apply it in leading teams.Ā The main content and learning includes: An understanding of what Agile is, the benefits and impact it can have on business, and the role a manager plays in achieving this. Challenges and techniques of Agile management, and the role management plays in an Agile organisation. How to develop and support Agile teams. How to measure and guide Agile product delivery, and an understanding of core problems in product development. An understanding of how to measure the benefits and impacts of agility in your organisation. Expected Outcomes from a PAL-E workshop PAL-E training highlights how Agile teams perform and the role of leaders and managers in establishing and developing their teams. Agile can help an organisation thrive through a framework that provides a flexible approach to challenges and problem solving. Thje Professional Agile Leadership Essentials course enables you to lead your teams and implement core Agile frameworks that deliver real business benefits. Who Should Attend This Course? Professional Agile Leadership essentials course is designed for leaders and managers in Agile organisations. It is suited to anyone responsible for setting up or establishing Agile techniques and for those managing teams and improving ongoing methods and techniques. After completing the course, participants can obtain industry-recognised certification. This will require passing a rigorous online assessment following the training. There are then plenty more courses that can take you further into Agile techniques. Scrum Master Training, for example, will guide participants through the industry-leading scrum framework for Agile practices. Your Professional Scrum Trainer Meet Jay, founder of Fractal Systems and a dedicated Professional Scrum Trainer. With over 20 years of experience in team and leadership roles, Jay is well-versed in delivering continuous value. His unique teaching approach involves zero PowerPoint and instead relies on engaging, experience-based sessions using techniques from Liberating Structures and Neuro Linguistic Programming. Jay's expertise lies in business transformations, offering training, mentoring, coaching, and consulting to foster success through collaborative efforts. Rapid learning and practical application are the hallmarks of his approach. Jay & the entire Fractal team are invested in your learning journey and are here to support you from start to end, including offering additional valuable support: Free practice assessments for certification success Free resource bundle to master Scrum Free exam revision sheets Free access to an exam simulator Free exam coaching sessions for first-time success Free 1:1 coaching to excel at work Our Clients Our Testimonials
SAFeĀ® Lean Portfolio Management: In-House Training Create a culture of innovation, flexibility, and speed where all people in the portfolio can effectively execute as one unified team. In this course, you will gain the practical tools and techniques necessary to implement the Lean Portfolio Management functions of Strategy and Investment Funding, Agile Portfolio Operations, and Lean Governance. You will have the opportunity to capture the current and future state of the portfolio with the Portfolio Canvas tool and identify important business initiatives for achieving the future state. You'll be able to establish portfolio flow with the Portfolio Kanban and prioritize initiatives for maximum economic benefit. The course also provides insights on how to establish Value Stream Budgets and Lean Budget Guardrails and measure the Lean portfolio performance. What you will Learn Describe the importance of LPM Connect the portfolio to enterprise strategy Implement Lean budgeting and guardrails Establish portfolio flow with the Portfolio Kanban Support operational excellence with APMO and CoPs Coordinate Value Streams Measure the LPM performance Build a plan for LPM implementation Introducing Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) Establishing Strategy and Investment Funding Applying Agile Portfolio Operations Applying Lean Governance Implementing the LPM function