Summit-UP

Summit-Up

An overview of the 13th WA-Summit, 2024

The World Administrators Alliance

To guide, develop, influence and elevate the administrative profession.

The World Administrators Alliance is a non-profit trade association. We represent Administrative Professional Associations, Networks, Professionals, and industry partners and stakeholders across the globe.

The aims of the WA-Alliance are to Guide, Develop, Influence, and Elevate the Administrative Profession. With the support of administrative associations and networks around the world, the WA-Alliance is building a global community to enable administrative professionals the world over to speak with one voice.

We are proud to bring you this supplement for the 13th WASummit. We were able to offer a hybrid option this time, with an online session on 17 February 2024 and an in-person session on 5 & 6 March 2024 in Wellington, New Zealand.

The WA-Summit is a working meeting, held every two years around the globe. The Summit brings together leaders of Associations, Networks and industry stakeholders to discuss, find solutions and action issues and challenges facing the administrative profession.

Message from WA-A Chair

Helen Monument

Welcome to Summit-Up, an overview of the 13th WA-Summit, brought to you by the WA-A Communications Team.

First, I’d like to thank everyone who attended, whether online on 17th February or in Wellington, New Zealand on 6th & 7th March. This is the first time we were faceto-face since 2018, in Frankfurt. It was a joy to see everyone connecting and engaging in the room as well as on screen.

We were delighted to welcome a total of 59 Participants and Delegates from 20 Countries, representing the voices of over 128.000 administrative professionals from around the world.

The WA-Alliance encourages diversity, inclusion and belonging, so we decided to change the attendance categories this year to allow Participants, instead of Observers, to gain the benefit of the input of everyone online or in the room.

We send a huge thank you to AdmiNZ, our hosts for the Summit in Wellington, New Zealand.

Discussion Groups

As usual, our pre-Summit survey gave us the input for the focus of the Summit. It’s interesting how many topics seem to come up each time, but this year, AI was certainly high on the list and a topic we cannot ignore.

Diversity and Inclusion was also a much-requested topic as well as how to enhance the relationship between an Administrator and their Executive. We also added a topic about the Summit itself. We wanted to hear everyone’s views about the format for future Summits. We appreciate that times have changed since COVID and we need to adapt.

Of course, these discussion sessions are not simply ‘talking shops’. To effect change, we need concrete outcomes to turn into attainable goals. As well as their tried and trusted skills, our four facilitators also brought a wealth of experience of the profession to the discussion. They helped us to see the big picture and understand the perspectives of administrative professionals around the world.

The discussions were lively and engaging and led to some exciting actions and outcomes which have been consolidated into the Outcomes Document.

Outcomes

Holding the discussions in advance gave us the opportunity to work on the input, ideas, suggestions and feedback from the sessions and then present them at the faceto-face Summit for the Delegates vote.

The full Outcomes Document is posted on our website.

See Resources on page 30 for other links of interest.

Partners

We could not have organized the Summit without the support of our partners:

Lucy Brazier, who held her Executive Support LIVE event immediately after the Summit, which many Delegates & Participants were able to attend. She enabled the four facilitators to be in New Zealand in person to present the outcomes from each of their discussion groups. Thanks too to Admin Advantage, who sponsored the welcome reception and The Career Academy, sponsor of the Summit dinner.

Our Facilitators

Heather Baker

After over 20 years working as a secretary and then PA, Heather pioneered the training of Office Professionals when she established Baker Thompson Associates in 2000. She now enables PAs, EAs and administrators of all levels around the world to achieve their potential for their career development and the success of their organisation

Pointon

Lucy Brazier, OBE

One of the world’s leading authorities on the administrative profession, CEO of Marcham Publishing, specialist publishers of Executive Support Magazine, Lucy’s passion is for the Assistant role to be truly recognized as a career and not just a job. With access to the most forward-thinking, passionate and knowledgeable administrative business leaders in the world, as well as personally meeting and speaking to literally thousands of Assistants over the last 10 years, Lucy’s knowledge of the market and what Assistants all over the world are facing on a dayto-day basis are second to none.

Eth Lloyd

Sherie’s passion is the professional development of all administrative professionals. She has been an administrative professional for over 20 years in the public and not-for-profit sector and has held positions as the Vice-President of AdmiNZ, Executive Officer at the Institute of Public Administration NZ (IPANZ) and Business Manager at Ako Aotearoa, the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence as well as a range of administration roles. Sherie is a popular trainer and speaker at conferences throughout New Zealand.

Eth's involvement in the WA 2000. She has attended almost every summit since then. She was Chair of the WA-Summit Advisory Council, now Advisor to the WAAlliance Council. She is a Life member of AdmiNZ). Even though she retired in 2018, Eth is still passionate about the administrative profession, working to ensure the WA-Summit continues to take a leading role to support recognition of administrative work as a profession and to hear administrative professionals internationally speak with one voice.

Sherie

Discussion Groups

The Business Partnership with your Executive

This is a new topic but was suggested repeatedly in our survey.

As Melba Duncan wrote in the Harvard Business Review:

‘To be truly successful, Executive Assistants have to step out of their comfort zone and their executives have to be willing to delegate.’

There is much to learn here including educating executives, establishing professional boundaries and the way you communicate with your executive, as well as understanding the importance of knowledge building and networking.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging is high on the agenda of the WAAlliance. In a profession where the majority is female, we need to be open and welcoming to not just other genders, but all those who are serious about making it their career of choice.

One aspect of DI&B is also the feeling that as a profession, we are often excluded from benefits and resources that are given to other professionals in our workplace.

We need to find our voice and be able to speak out where there are inequities in the business world.

Heather Baker

Lucy Brazier, OBE

Discussion Groups

Artificial Intelligence

Technology training is always high on the list in our pre-Summit survey of discussion topics. Now more than ever, with technology moving so fast, it’s vital for administrative professionals to stay ahead of the game. It’s no longer sufficient to leave the technology learning to others. If we are to remain relevant, then we need to be proactive, keep learning and above all, not be afraid of new technology, or leave it to someone else to learn.

AI is not going to steal your job, but someone who knows how to use AI might well do so. We need to embrace all new technology and be open to understanding how we can use it to make us more effective.

The WA-Summit

We wanted to hear the voices of our Delegates and Participants on what they perceived as the value of the WASummit and how we should provide a sustainable event for the future. It is vital to remember, and to share, that the WA Summit is not a conference. It is a working meeting where country delegates and participants bring representative views from their own countries and networks to the discussions and take outcomes back to those same networks. This is why our reach is truly critical to sharing our work, outcomes and tools with administrative professionals, that is you, globally.

How can you embrace it?

How can you engage with it?

Sherie Pointon

Eth Lloyd

Status report on 12th WA-Summit Task Forces

The award-winning Global Skills Matrix is the most groundbreaking resource to come out of the WA-Summit.

Update

While the goals are clear, it’s obvious that our professional world has changed enormously since the original 2017 survey that gave birth to the Global Skills Matrix. It was decided to first determine what has changed in our post-COVID world, and then adjust the Global Skills Matrix and its resources accordingly.

A new goal was created to perform a second survey. This was held in November 2023.

A new Global Skills Matrix report will be published in 2024.

Task Force:

WA-Alliance Sponsor: Helen Monument

Lucy Brazier (UK/Spain)

Trish Butera (Australia)

Molly Denham (USA)

Daniela Fasano (Italy)

Cathy Harris (South Africa)

Eth Lloyd (New Zealand)

Melissa Mahoney (USA)

Terri Mullan (USA)

Angela Parker (Germany)

Silvia Salomon (Italy)

Pepita Soler (Brazil)

Status report on 12th WA-Summit Task Forces

A global pandemic brought mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace to everyone’s attention. This Task Force will provide strategies that will help Administrative Professionals the world over.

Update:

The new goal has been created in Administra and the strategies to support it will be shared in the coming months.

Task Force:

WA-Alliance Sponsor: Barrett Shaw

Roland Adjei (Ghana)

Dedi Belotti (Italy)

Ingrid Dumon (Belgium)

Susan Engelbrecht (South Africa)

Bonnie Low-Kramen (USA)

Katie Mercier (USA)

Angela Parker (Germany)

Margaret Wong (Barbados)

Status report on 12th WA-Summit Task Forces

This Task Force has built on the work started by the WA-Alliance Awareness Campaign team, taking it to the next level.

#TheCareerBehindTheJob

#MyCareerOfChoice

Update:

Led by Christine Stewart, the team has completed all their goals and produced resources that will help and support administrative professionals in their drive to elevate the profession. These resources will be shared in 2024

Task Force:

WA-Alliance: Chris Stewart

Dedi Belotti (Italy)

Marcia Burrows (Barbados)

Silvia Cominotti (Italy)

Molly Denham (USA)

Franziska Deutsch (Germany)

Susan Engelbrecht (South Africa)

Daniela Fasano (Italy)

Cherie Laker (USA)

Terri Mullan (USA)

Nathalie Richardson (UK)

Aliina Rowe (Germany)

Julia Schmidt (Norway)

Carla Stefanut (Italy)

Shirwyn Weber (UK)

Status report on 12th WA-Summit Task Forces

It’s imperative that Administrative Professionals keep up to date with the fast-changing world of technology.

Update:

Juanita Mort, the new Technology Officer of the WA-Alliance has taken up the activities of this task force. She has produced a video which includes plans on how she will drive these initiatives – and include the outcomes from the 2024 discussion group on Artificial Intelligence.

Administra – World Action Plan

Administra is a set of guidelines for Associations and for Individuals.

It gives a framework for Associations to organise their priorities and to help them with their strategies for the development of their members.

Individuals will also find the goals of value when working on their own personal and professional development.

At each WA-Summit suggested changes to Administra occur through discussions and outcomes.

Administra is then modified to reflect any new directions or additions.

One of the outcomes from this Summit is to re-vamp and re-vitalize the Administra document and to make it more visible and accessible to individual administrative professionals, Associations and Networks.

Countries are asked at each WASummit to review a specific goal of Administra and report on it as it relates to their country. This process enables Delegates to determine whether the Goal is still “fit for purpose” internationally.

Goal 3 was selected for 2023: Moving With The Times in The 21st Century

Two country reports were highlighted and gave a summary of their progress against the goal.

Country Reports

Country Reports are an ideal way for countries to share best practices and guidelines against a specific goal from Administra.

At this year’s Summit, Countries were asked to report against Goal 3: Moving With The Times in The 21st Century. Other country reports are available on the Summit website.

Pepita Soler from Brazil showed a presentation showing the state of the profession in her country and explained what her Association, Pepita’s Secretaries Club, was doing to reach Goal 3.

You can find the link to Pepita’s presentation in the Outcomes document. She also showed a video of the activities of Pepita’s Secretaries Club, which can be viewed on the WA-Alliance You Tube Channel.

We also heard from Cathy Harris from PANSA, South Africa:

“Our communities are very aware that they need to be future-ready. One realization is that being transactional means you need to be digitalized, as many assistants who currently fill transactional roles, must apply themselves to using digital technology or AI to input, update, capture data, work on projects, and many other daily office professional functions. The challenge here is that many younger executives are also using technology in their workday, which takes away some, but not all the functions Management Assistants would normally do on their behalf. Our experience is that most of our South African Assistants are very engaged in future trends and embrace technology as a critical skill for the future of our profession. Our Network continues to drive technology as a mandatory skill for the future. Future-proofing ourselves to lead into the future is essential to remain relevant in our industry. The Platinum Assistant Network encourages and advocates continuous training and exploration into the evolving space of technology by encouraging attendance of training events such as ES Tech.

The Platinum Assistant Network creates a knowledge-sharing environment for our members to share experiences and debate the challenges. We also recognize and reward those members who lead the technology evolution by nominating them as Technology Ambassadors within our profession.”

Outcomes Headlines

Here you can read the highlights of the 13th WA-Summit. You can find the full Outcomes report on the WA-Summit website.

 The WA-Alliance Fund: renamed the Inclusion Initiative.

 The Global Skills Matrix Reloaded: producing V2 of the report & all resources.

 The Career Behind The Job: All goals completed & documents will be launched in 2024.

 Fit for the Future; New goal for Administra. strategies will be shared in 2024.

 WA-Alliance Succession Plan: The drive to ensure sustainable leadership for the WA-A.

 The Future of the WA-Summit: Delegates agreed overwhelmingly to continue every two years with a 2-day face-to-face Summit, including online discussion topics beforehand.

 WA-Alliance Ambassador Programme: Discussed at 2024 WA-A Members’ Forum in May.

 Future ProofingTechnology: New Task Force.

 Administra Updates and redesign: New Task Force

 The Business Partnership with your Executive: New Task Force.

 Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging: New Task Force.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came forward to work on the Task Forces. If you would like to join one of these new teams, please contact us at: chair@wa-alliance.com

Guest Speaker – Simone White

We were delighted to invite Simone White to be our guest speaker at Summit. An Administrative Business Lead, she’s also the founder and global chair of GAIN, the internal global network for administrative professionals at BlackRock. She’s also the co-author of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging report (2021). As the Summit coincided with International Women’s Day, Simone’s speech ‘Inspire Inclusion as Leaders’ was a timely addition. Here’s an excerpt.

As leaders, we may often think we’re not in a leadership space because of our title. How do we inspire others as leaders? By making them feel their contribution is worth something. We are all here to help influence and lead in our own spaces. We need to remember what that responsibility is.

I have been an Assistant for over 30 years, but it’s only in the past 12 years that I have viewed what I personally did as a career. Before that – even though I knew I was very good at what I did – I only ever saw it as what I was doing for a particular individual, to make them successful, without thinking about what success looked like for me. It just wasn’t in my remit. But if I know what success looks like for me, that makes me even more successful in what I’m doing for them because now I understand what my purpose is.

So as leaders, how are we inspiring others? Inspiration moves people to action. How are we doing that for our community? We can have all the regulatory things set up, but our responsibility today is to provide the overarching place where all that feedback comes in that leaders take out. We need to remember what our purpose is.

Change makers

When we think of leaders who we admire, we admire them because they significantly impacted something that meant something to us. Change makers or influential people come in various forms. Many things in your life can influence you to become a change maker. We are here at Summit to make change in this space. We can train all administrative professionals to be more empowered, to understand where the role is going but actually what we need to do is to change the environment they are sitting in. As leaders, our responsibility is to create that change. We are responsible for making sure that individually the administrative professionals that look to us as network and association leaders have a place where they feel they belong. But that sense of belonging doesn’t only come from them being part of what we are. If, when they go back to their office, they feel they belong there, they will thrive.

Combination & collaboration

WA-Summit & ES LIVE

Feedback from Delegates, Guests, Facilitators & Speakers ….

More feedback….

More feedback….

More feedback….

Post-Summit Survey Results

Overall, how productive do you feel the Summit was?

Following are some comments that were shared as to why attendees felt this way:

• Clear agenda, good topics. Positive engagement from participants, good discussions with the smaller group. great outcomes.

• Great collaboration and sharing of ideas, was very productive. Looking forward to feedback

• I learned a great deal about cultural differences when exploring technology, DEI, AI and business partnerships.

• Well organized group discussions, participants contributed actively, the facilitator was effective and inclusive.

• The Summit was very productive as there were clear decisions agreed upon (often unanimously), resulting in clear actions.

• It was great to hear diverse perspectives and to share knowledge.

• As I wasn't able to join the on-line meeting, I felt that I had missed a lot of information even after doing the pre-reading.

• There was some great sessions and great engagement across the group.

• Thoroughly enjoyed some of the strategies, etc. that are to come.

• I found value in both the online and in person sessions, but also believe there are some really great opportunities for increased engagement. I believe there is a big opportunity for spaces of curiosity and exploration to be added into the time, both online and in person. I think especially in person, creating more open-ended discussion topics and times for input and ideas would elicit greater engagement. I think the structure is too formal and rigid; it doesn't promote curiosity or illicit the best level of participation.

Post-Summit Survey Results

How satisfied are you with WA-Summit?

Organisation facilitators discussion group overall content use of technlogy time management Registration & Payment

How would you rate your Facilitator?

Explained the objective of the discussion Maintained my interest throughout Encouraged participation from all Thoroughly answered qusions from participants

Post-Summit Survey Results

Did you feel comfortable sharing your opinions during your discussion group?

Very comfortable

Somewhat comfortable

Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable

• It was good to have smaller groups so that everyone had their say. Lively open opinions in the chat.

• Open and inclusive environment.

• The format was structured so all had the opportunity to speak.

• Good discussions.

• I have no trouble sharing my opinions in a safe and supportive group.

• The facilitator encouraged engagement in the discussion groups.

• Some very big personalities in the room at the Summit,

• It was comfortable and we were in a "Safe Space“.

• It's a topic I am very passionate about and the Facilitator did a good job inviting participation.

What are your takeaways?

This is a great opportunity for global collaboration. Together, the member associations can collectively share resources, research findings, and tools, which can benefit members of WAA and enhance our professional capabilities.

Thank

you……

Events like the WA-Summit don’t just happen by themselves. As Administrative Professionals, we understand how much effort is needed, mostly behind the scenes.

We are very grateful to AdmiNZ, led by Joanne Gallop and Sherie Pointon who were our hosts for the Summit in Wellington.

The WA-Alliance is extremely grateful for the continuing support of our Council Advisor, Eth Lloyd, who was the Chair for the 13th WASummit. Eth has been responsible for and involved in the WA-Summit for many years and as former Chair to the WA-Summit Advisory Council has a huge depth of knowledge and expertise, we could not have done it without her and we thank her for her for her continued contribution to the success of the WA-Summit.

A big thank you goes to Christine Stewart, Partnership Officer and Leanne Fisher, Secretary of the WA-Alliance, who were pivotal to the organization of the Summit in Wellington, making sure everything ran like clockwork.

We have shared some of the feedback from our post-Summit survey with you in this Supplement and will use it to continuously improve and finetune the next WA-Summit.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have more feedback.

Finally, to everyone who gave of their free time to attend the 13th WA-Summit ……..

14th WA-Summit

The next WA-Summit will be held in Germany in October 2026. Our hosts are International Management Assistants (IMA). The Summit will be held prior to their 52nd Annual Conference.

Start your budget planning now so that you will be able to attend as either a Country Delegate or Participant and join the IMA Conference.

Discussion sessions will again be held in advance of the face-to-face event for full inclusion by those who are unable to attend in person.

We look forward to collaborating with IMA Germany.

Your chance to make a difference

The WA-Summit is open to WA-Alliance Members and Non-Members. The WA-Summit is not a conference, it’s a working meeting at which the leaders and representatives of Administrative Professional Associations, Networks, Organisations, industry stakeholders and individual administrative professionals come together to discuss the challenges currently facing our profession. Anyone working in the administrative profession who wishes to experience and contribute to the work of the WA-Summit may attend, taking part in the discussions and the face-toface Summit. You do not need to submit a Delegate Credentialing form, but you are not eligible to vote.

We allow a maximum of five delegates per country, who must be accredited by their Association, Network or Organisation. Delegates bring to the table not their own opinions, but rather the concerns, questions and challenges of the people they represent. The work of the Summit depends on contributions made by the voices of administrative professionals around the globe.

To guide, develop, influence and elevate the administrative profession.