About This Course
The modern executive office is a high-stakes environment where precision, discretion, and proactive support are non-negotiable. Personal assistants, executive secretaries, and senior administrators are expected to manage complex schedules, coordinate across multiple stakeholders, produce polished communications, and anticipate the needs of senior leaders — all simultaneously and often under significant pressure. The role has evolved far beyond traditional secretarial functions; today's executive support professional is a strategic partner who contributes directly to organisational effectiveness.
TrainingComplex's Executive Office Management and Support Training is a comprehensive five-day programme designed to build the full spectrum of competencies required to excel in this demanding role. Participants will move through practical modules covering executive communication, records and information management, scheduling and logistics, stakeholder relations, meeting and event coordination, office technology, and personal effectiveness. Each module is grounded in real workplace scenarios drawn from corporate, public sector, and NGO environments across Africa and the Gulf region.
Beyond technical skills, this programme develops the professional mindset and interpersonal intelligence that distinguish an exceptional executive support professional from a competent one. Participants will learn how to manage confidential information with integrity, navigate organisational politics with tact, influence without authority, and sustain high performance under demanding workloads. By the end of the programme, every participant will leave with a personal development plan, a toolkit of templates and systems, and the confidence to operate at the highest levels of organisational support.
Who Should Attend
- Personal Assistants and Executive Assistants supporting C-suite or senior management
- Executive Secretaries in corporate, public sector, and non-governmental organisations
- Senior Administrators and Office Managers seeking to advance their professional standing
- Administrative Officers transitioning into executive-level support roles
- Receptionists and front-office professionals with career advancement ambitions
- Office Coordinators responsible for managing executive workflows and correspondence
Learning Objectives
- Understand the evolving strategic role of executive support professionals in modern organisations
- Master advanced calendar, diary, and schedule management techniques for senior executives
- Produce professional business correspondence, reports, and executive briefing documents to a high standard
- Design and implement effective office filing, records, and information management systems
- Coordinate meetings, conferences, and executive travel logistics with precision and efficiency
- Apply strong stakeholder communication and relationship management skills across internal and external audiences
- Handle confidential and sensitive information with appropriate discretion and ethical judgement
- Utilise productivity and collaboration technologies — including digital scheduling tools and document management platforms — to maximise office efficiency
- Demonstrate emotional intelligence, resilience, and assertiveness in high-pressure executive environments
- Develop a personalised professional development roadmap aligned with career advancement goals
Course Modules
Module 1: The Strategic Role of the Executive Support Professional
- Evolution of the PA and executive secretary role in modern organisations
- Aligning administrative support with organisational goals and executive priorities
- Building credibility, influence, and trust with senior leadership
- Professional ethics, discretion, and confidentiality standards
- Acting as a strategic business partner: contributing to planning, decision-support, and executive effectiveness
- Navigating organisational politics and understanding power dynamics in senior environments
Module 2: Executive Communication — Written Skills
- Principles of clear, concise, and professional business writing
- Drafting executive correspondence: letters, emails, and memoranda
- Preparing briefing notes, executive summaries, and board papers
- Editing and proofreading for accuracy, tone, and corporate style
- Adapting writing style and register for different audiences, including board members, clients, and media
- Managing and maintaining the executive's written voice for ghostwritten communications
Module 3: Executive Communication — Verbal and Interpersonal Skills
- Professional telephone etiquette and call management for senior offices
- Face-to-face communication and active listening at the executive level
- Influencing without authority and managing upward communication
- Handling difficult conversations and sensitive situations with tact
- Non-verbal communication: reading body language and projecting executive-level presence
- Cross-cultural communication awareness when working with international colleagues and stakeholders
Module 4: Diary and Schedule Management
- Principles of effective time management applied to executive scheduling
- Prioritisation frameworks and managing competing demands on executive time
- Digital calendar tools: advanced features, shared access, and multi-timezone coordination
- Anticipating executive needs and building strategic buffer time
- Negotiating and protecting the executive's time when managing requests from multiple stakeholders
- Reviewing and auditing scheduling patterns to identify inefficiencies and improve executive productivity
Module 5: Records, Filing, and Information Management
- Designing and maintaining physical and electronic filing systems
- Document classification, version control, and retention policies
- Managing confidential files and applying information security best practices
- Using document management platforms for efficient retrieval and collaboration
- Compliance with data protection legislation and organisational records governance requirements
- Developing and documenting filing conventions and handover procedures to ensure continuity
Module 6: Meeting and Event Coordination
- End-to-end meeting management: agenda setting, logistics, and room coordination
- Taking accurate minutes and producing action-ready meeting records
- Planning and executing executive-level events, workshops, and conferences
- Post-meeting follow-up and tracking of action items to completion
- Briefing the executive ahead of meetings: preparing background notes, attendee profiles, and talking points
- Managing virtual and hybrid meeting environments including platform setup, participation protocols, and technical contingencies
Module 7: Executive Travel Planning and Logistics
- Coordinating domestic and international travel for senior executives
- Visa requirements, protocol considerations, and traveller safety briefings
- Preparing comprehensive travel packs: itineraries, contacts, and briefing documents
- Managing travel budgets, expense reporting, and reconciliation
- Handling last-minute itinerary changes, disruptions, and emergency contingency planning while executives are in transit
- Working with corporate travel agencies and preferred supplier agreements to optimise cost and service standards
Module 8: Stakeholder Relations and Office Protocol
- Mapping and managing key internal and external stakeholder relationships
- Protocol and etiquette in receiving visitors, VIPs, and delegations
- Managing executive correspondence flow and ensuring timely responses
- Representing the executive office professionally in all interactions
- Handling sensitive inquiries, complaints, and escalations with discretion and appropriate referral
- Maintaining stakeholder contact records and tracking relationship history to support executive engagement
Module 9: Office Technology and Digital Productivity
- Advanced use of Microsoft Office Suite in executive support contexts
- Collaboration platforms: Teams, SharePoint, Google Workspace, and project tools
- Automation, templates, and productivity hacks for high-volume administrative work
- Data security, digital communication etiquette, and responsible use of technology
- Using AI-assisted tools and smart features to support scheduling, drafting, and information synthesis
- Evaluating and onboarding new digital tools: assessing fit, managing transition, and training colleagues in the executive office
Module 10: Personal Effectiveness, Resilience, and Career Development
- Emotional intelligence and stress management in high-pressure executive environments
- Assertiveness, boundary-setting, and maintaining professional well-being
- Building a personal brand and professional network as an executive support specialist
- Creating a personalised career development plan and identifying growth opportunities
- Cultivating a continuous learning mindset: pursuing professional qualifications, memberships, and industry CPD
- Mentoring junior administrative staff and contributing to a culture of professionalism within the support function
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have at least one year of experience in an administrative, secretarial, or office support role. A basic familiarity with standard office applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook is expected. No formal qualifications beyond secondary education are required, though a background in business administration or a related field is an advantage.
Training Methodology
- Role-play simulations of executive communication scenarios, including handling difficult calls, drafting urgent correspondence, and managing competing stakeholder demands
- Case studies drawn from real executive offices in corporate, NGO, and public sector organisations across Africa and the Middle East
- Hands-on drafting workshops where participants write and peer-review business letters, board minutes, executive summaries, and briefing notes
- Practical scheduling exercises using digital calendar tools to manage complex, multi-timezone executive diaries
- Small-group discussions exploring ethical dilemmas around confidentiality, loyalty, and professional boundaries
- A meeting management simulation in which participants plan, coordinate, minute, and follow up a mock senior management meeting from start to finish
- Personal effectiveness reflection exercises using a self-assessment tool to identify strengths, stress triggers, and development priorities
- Templates, checklists, and reference guides for travel logistics, filing systems, meeting packs, and correspondence standards that participants take away for immediate use
Organisational Benefits
- Executives and senior leaders benefit from more organised, proactive, and reliable administrative support
- Organisational communications gain consistency, professionalism, and accuracy at the leadership level
- Office workflows become more streamlined, reducing delays and administrative bottlenecks
- Improved records and information management reduces risk and enhances institutional memory
- Well-coordinated meetings, events, and travel translate directly into savings of executive time and organisational resources
- Stronger stakeholder relationships are maintained through polished, timely, and appropriately escalated correspondence
- Organisations retain high-performing administrative talent by investing in their professional growth
- Executive support staff exercise better judgement in managing sensitive matters, reducing reputational and compliance risks
Where Is Executive Office Management and Support Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Naivasha, Lagos, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Kisumu, Arusha, Accra, Dubai, Pretoria, Addis Ababa, Zanzibar, Johannesburg, Abuja, Nairobi, Nakuru, Cape Town, Mombasa, Riyadh, Kigali, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,300 |
| Kisumu, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Arusha, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,100 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Pretoria, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,300 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,400 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
24 Oct 2026 – 15 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,500 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
+233 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a university degree to attend this course?
No degree is required. The programme is open to anyone with at least one year of experience in an administrative or secretarial role and a basic working knowledge of standard office applications. What matters most is your current role and your ambition to grow within it.
Will I receive a certificate upon completing the course?
Yes. All participants who successfully complete the five-day programme receive a TrainingComplex Certificate of Completion in Executive Office Management and Support. The certificate is recognised by employers across the corporate, public sector, and NGO landscape.
Is this course suitable for someone who has been a PA for many years but has never had formal training?
Absolutely — this is in fact the ideal profile for this programme. Experienced PAs and executive assistants often find the course transformative because it validates and organises what they already know intuitively, while filling critical gaps in areas such as records management, digital tools, and professional communication standards.
What technology will we use during the course, and do I need to bring a laptop?
Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet so they can engage with hands-on exercises using calendar tools, document management platforms, and the Microsoft Office Suite. Where devices are unavailable, TrainingComplex will make arrangements to support participation.
Can this course be customised and delivered in-house for our organisation's administrative team?
Yes. TrainingComplex offers tailored in-house delivery of this programme for organisations wishing to upskill an entire administrative team. Content and case studies can be adapted to reflect your specific industry, internal systems, and organisational culture. Contact our training team to discuss your requirements.
