23 January 2009

Secretaries from church’s regional office hold Jakarta seminar

A four-hour plane ride bridged thousands of miles between Philippines and Indonesia bringing five office secretaries from Manila to the city of Jakarta, January 23-31. They were responding to the invitation of their fellow secretaries at the Adventist Church in west Indonesia (WIUM).

The five from the church headquarters of the southern Asia-Pacific region (SSD) were Mercy Ferrer, secretary to the Associate Secretary; Laila Nacario, secretary to the Personnel Director; Jane Fajut, secretary to the Adventist Mission Director; Dulce Mabituin, secretary to the Children’s Ministries/Family Ministries Director and the Women’s Ministries and Shepherdess Int’l Director; and Gay Tuballes, secretary to the Communication Director.

The lecturers who produced their seminar materials dealt on basic secretarial skills to include Work Ethic and Time Management, Basic Grammar and Business Correspondence with Email Etiquette, Electronic Filing, Telephone Manners, Receiving Visitors, demonstration of File Maker Run Time version used for Global pioneers for Adventist Mission, Men and Women in the Workplace, Dress Code and Social Responsibility. An introduction to Microsoft Publisher software and integration of video and audio to Microsoft PowerPoint were also presented.

“Each topic catered to our individual needs,” said the participants. “We learned, too,” responded the presenters.

Other highlights of the event were the stress-reduction activities. Believing that stress has become the number one factor that hinders excellent performance and work efficiency, the secretaries were given practical tips to do away with stressful work by taking short stretching breaks for good blood and oxygen circulation, a demonstration of simple and quick chair massage ideal for an office setting.

“There is no better way to understand the work of a secretary more than a fellow secretary can impart,” said the participants. “We saw no gap between participants and presenters as we feel we belong to each other,” said Esther Manurung, a WIUM office secretary.

The participants also voiced out that a seminar on understanding personality in the workplace will make the secretaries more effective as they deal with their bosses and colleagues. “We need those important tips,” added Corry Sagala, another WIUM secretary.

Ian Christie who said she was trained an accountant and landed on secretarial job considered the seminar “enlightening and worth the time spent.”

The presenters’ response to the care and amiability of the participants including their assessment of the conduct of the seminar was summed up by Laila Nacario: “The accommodation was superb. We covered so much important details in the profession and these make us glad and fulfilled.” [AND Staff]