Who Should Attend:
Administrative assistants, executive assistants, and employees in administrative or service-oriented roles.
Overview:
Expanding Your Ability to Influence is made up of three two-part webinars that provide utility-specific information directed toward administrative assistants and executive secretaries who want to become more effective in managing their tasks and communicating with others.
Using Diplomacy, Tact, and Discretion to Build Trust, Aug. 19 and 20, 2025
Diplomacy, tact, and discretion are all key communication concepts in building a professional image and in building the trust that is necessary in good relationships. As an administrative professional, you are in situations with internal and external customers that must be handled diplomatically and tactfully. Your position also makes you privy to information that must be handled with the utmost discretion. This two-part webinar will thoroughly examine the importance of these concepts. Specific examples of situations, phrasing, and ethical dilemmas that call for diplomacy, tact, and discretion will be used during class instruction and role-playing exercises.
Getting Support for Your Ideas, Aug. 21 and 26, 2025
This two-part course builds specific skills that will help you explain and gain support for ideas that may entail difficult, complicated, or unpopular ideas, policies, or changes. Skills will include how to state the purpose of a message, how to present points to aid understanding, how to summarize main points, and how to handle reactions to what is presented. The course will cover one-on-one interactions and skills for presenting ideas. You will leave with new verbal and non-verbal skills to help you organize, prepare, and present your ideas while overcoming any fear of speaking or speaking up.
Professional Development Through SMART Goals and Self-Appraisals, Aug. 27 and 28, 2025
To have a clear view of your role in your organization’s success, you must clearly understand the organization’s vision, mission, goals, and objectives. This can only happen when there are mutually agreed upon, straightforward performance expectations. This two-part webinar introduces the importance of your professional development through the use of SMART goals that align with your manager’s and organization’s goals. It provides you with the skills needed to honestly self-appraise and discuss performance and expectations with others in a focused and productive way.
Recordings:
Webinar recordings can be made available to registrants who are unable to attend live.
Instructor:
Debra Ballard, The Ballard Group
Schedule:
All webinars will be held from 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time each day. Attendees will be admitted 15 minutes before each webinar begins.
How to Participate:
Instructions will be emailed to attendees within 24 hours of each webinar, and we recommend that you test the link to the meeting as soon as you get the instructions. The webinars are best viewed using Chrome as your browser. We recommend that you use a landline for both your phone and your internet connections.
This registration is for one person to attend. We manage our webinars on an honor-system basis; if more than one person from a utility wishes to attend, each is to register separately.
Fees:
Utility Member Rate: $600
Associate Member Rate: $900
Non-Member Rate: $1,200
Canadian utility members, please contact registration@nwppa.org for pricing and to register.
Note: Organizations that register a group of employees will receive every fifth registration for free. For example, if you register five employees, you only pay for four; register 10 employees, you only pay for eight; and so on. There is nothing additional you need to do to receive this discount.
Cancellation Policy:
For webinars, virtual classes, and section meetings: cancellation at least five days prior to the event will receive a full refund; within 1-4 days or no show, the charge will be 100% of the registration fee.
When possible, please send a substitute instead of canceling. NWPPA does not charge a fee for substitutions. To request a refund, please contact us at registration@nwppa.org or (360) 254-0109.
Continuing Hours:
This course qualifies for 12 continuing hours. Certificates will be available online upon full completion of the course.