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Anxious About Returning to Work When Social Dis tanc ing Rest r ic t ions L i f t?
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I consider myself quite lucky to be
surrounded by an amazing group of
professionals in our AAP family.
Part of being a member of AAP is
belonging…belonging to a network
of like-minded professionals that
encourages growth, development and
empowerment. Our AAP family is
compassionate, driven and kind-
hearted. We are supportive of one
another and I am truly grateful for all
the people that I have met through
this organization. I have been blessed
with learnings and relationships that
will last a lifetime, and the start of
each of these relationships began
with the willingness to be open to
new friendships and being kind to one
another.
Kindness doesn’t cost a penny. Kind-
ness is something that every person
can give. Kindness is contagious. “We
will get through this together.” This
message can be seen throughout all
of print and digital media. I, for one,
have used those same words. And I
think the most important part of this
message is that together, we can
achieve anything. Being kind to one
another is so important in the world
that we are living in today. Social
distancing has given us a few hurdles,
but there are simple ways where we
can show kindness to others. With
the continuous issues prevalent in
today’s world, kindness can’t be
forgotten. Think about others.
Practice patience and understanding.
Showcase compassion and be sup-
portive when you are able to. These
small acts make positive impacts in
the lives of others. You never know
how your words or actions can
impact another.
We also must remember to be kind to
ourselves. Having self compassion
and understanding are key elements
in self love, acceptance and happi-
ness. Self compassion is understand-
ing the elements of being human…all
of it…the negative and the positive.
We should be aware that our lives are
not perfect, and those imperfections
are what makes us human. Doing the
best we can enables us to become
more aware of and compassionate to
our own self worth. Remembering
that it starts from within and to show
genuine kindness, you must be kind to
yourself first.
As we continue on our journey
together, I want to thank each of you
for all that you do today and every
day. Together, we can be better and
with understanding, empathy and
kindness, we can accomplish any-
thing. Kindness grows with each
interaction. AAP members emanate
these traits and as we continue to
grow as an organization, let kindness
flourish throughout our AAP family
and beyond. Because at the end of
the day, kindness really does matter.
Katherine Vaillancourt National Director
President
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -
Aesop
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“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.” – Kahil Gibran We walk through life carrying the stress of our daily lives, and more during these challenging times, when our deepest psyche has been affected and we don’t function as we normally do. Over time, every aspect of our lives suffer until we feel hopeless. A lot of times we see our family members, friends, coworkers, neighbours or even strangers being under these scrutinous circumstances. They are unable to communicate and function in a timely manner and as such their productivity falters significantly compared to their regular capacity.
As we perceive these particular stressful situations, one of the greatest remedies that we can provide to the people we care for is a random act of kindness. Kindness takes us back to the principle that each human being matters and that the we are all important. The foundation for a healthy environment where growth can flourish needs to be full of positive energy. There is no other way. A simple nonchalant act of kindness can brighten up the day of someone and help them to keep going even if they were hope-less. AAP helps their members to grow with a touch of kindness. I have experienced it, and I am so thankful for being part of an organiza-tion that cares for people and for growth.
Karem Velez, CCAP
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2020
CMEExpo 2020 cancelled
TORONTO – After careful consideration and consultation with the Metro Toronto Conven-
tion Centre (MTCC), we, Newcom Media, have made the difficult decision to cancel the
Canadian Meetings + Events Expo this coming August.
Delivering a safe and successful CMEExpo during this time is our top priority and it has
become clear that doing so will not be possible as the fight against COVID-19 continues.
The MTCC will not be ready to hold events the size of CMEExpo come August, nor do we
feel a large number of people would be interested in gathering at this time even if we
were able to host the event in person.
“Given the impact that COVID-19 has had on our entire industry, we were hoping that the
August show would be the first step towards reconnecting the industry in a personal and
meaningful way,” Melissa Arnott, director of events, CMEExpo said. “Unfortunately, we
will not have that opportunity in 2020. We are eager to start working on CMEExpo 2021
where we will focus on rebuilding and reconnecting the meetings and events industry in
Canada.”
We hope to see you next year at CMEExpo on August 17 + 18, 2021.
For more information, please contact:
Melissa Arnott Director
Shows and Events
416-510-5141
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In the wake of restrictions due to COVID-19 and a sudden growth in working from home, the use of Zoom and other digital communications has soared in the last few months. At the end of April 2020, Zoom revealed that it has surpassed 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants. That’s up 50 percent from the 200 million daily users the company reported earlier in April and a huge jump from the 10 million daily participants back in December 2019. As you’re likely one of those users and attending your share of business Zoom meetings and webinars (along with virtual birthday parties, Happy Hour gatherings, and other social events), try these handy PC-based keyboard Zoom shortcuts to improve your virtual experiences:
• Start/stop video: [Alt] + V
• Mute/unmute audio: [Alt] + A
• Move focus to Zoom’s meeting controls: [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Shift] • Enter or exit Full Screen: [Alt] + F
• Display/hide the in-meeting chat panel: [Alt] + H • Display/hide the participants panel: [Alt] + U • Switch to the active Speaker View in a video meeting: [Alt] + [F1]
• Switch to the Gallery View in a video meeting: [Alt] + [F2] • View the previous 25 video streams in the Gallery View: [Page Up] • View the next 25 video streams in the Gallery View: [Page Down] Zoom is one of a number of virtual tools available for virtual learning. Other options include Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Adobe Connect, and GoToMeeting (GoToWebinar). How would your company, agency or association benefit from improving their software skills? Let’s create a customized virtual learning program to help your team be more productive with the key applications you’re using every day.
Contact me and let me know how I can help create a great learning experience!
10 Handy
Zoom
Shortcuts
By Dawn Bjork, MCT, MOSM, The Software Pro® Microsoft Certified Trainer, Productivity Speaker, Software Consultant
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Congratulations go to Preethi Balasubramanian from the Toronto Charter Branch for being the recipient of the
award for highest GPA this year.
Our excitement continues as over the next couple of months we reveal the details of our updated certification
program that will come into effect September 1st. The changes are big and reinforce what we already know -
administrative professionals are always learning - growing - thriving.
Changes will only affect those enrolling in the program after September 1st so if you are already enrolled
nothing will change for you. Watch for details posted on our website around the end of June.
This always seems to be a busy time of year and this
year is proving to be no exception.
First and foremost was our CCAP graduation that
took place virtually on May 30 during our AGM. This
year marked the 60th anniversary of our very first
graduation ceremony. Since that first graduation
there have been over 800 certifications awarded and
this year, we added another 10.
Graduations are a time to reflect on the labors of the
past – the hours of homework and studying that is
done often while working full-time and managing
family lives; the accomplishments of the present –
being awarded the certification and celebrating the
reward and success; and the possibilities of the fu-
ture – the sky is the limit so don’t be afraid to meet
the challenges that the future has for you.
It is with great pleasure that we recognize and
congratulate the following CCAP recipients for 2020:
Ruth Amio, CCAP - Hamilton
Preethi Balasubramanian, CCAP - Toronto Charter
Lindsay Demchuk, CCAP - Members-At-Large
Ioana Dorin, CCAP - Members-At-Large
Melanie Gilliland, CCAP - Calgary
Grace Hsieh, CCAP - Members-At-Large
Danielle LaFleche, CCAP - Members-At-Large
Erica Lamanna, CCAP - Toronto Charter
Natasha Valiquette, CCAP - Members-At-Large
Karem Velez, CCAP - Edmonton
Gale Belcourt, CCAP
National Director - Registrar
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We also updated our policy governing certification holders that let their membership lapse. It is
common practice with most professional certifications that there are standards that must be upheld to
maintain the privilege of using the designation. Keeping that in mind, beginning September 1st anyone
that holds an AAP certification and allows their membership to lapse will be subject to the following in
order to have their designation reinstated.
Membership lapses of 1-3 years:
Membership dues of $75/year must be paid and
Reinstatement into the Certification Renewal program will be considered as a new member
Membership lapse of greater than 3 years:
Membership dues of $75/year must be paid; and
Successful completion of a certification renewal at the member’s expense; and
Reinstatement into the Certification Renewal program will be considered as a new member
Finally, I would like to thank you - the membership, for allowing me to remain as the Registrar for
another year – we are in for an exciting one! Also, thank you to Carrie Mittlestadt, our CCAP National
Coordinator, for agreeing to stay on for another year and continuing the great work she does.
As always, please feel free to reach out to us any time for information about our certification and
certification renewal programs. We are here to help.
For program inquiries: [email protected]
For Certification Renewal program inquiries: [email protected]
Gale Belcourt, CCAP
National Director - Registrar
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On May 30, 2020, our members approved the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan at the 70th AAP AGM. Below is our
AAP Strategy Statement and explains why we do what we do for our members:
We are the association of choice for Administrative Professionals who want to find opportunities to lever-
age networks and grow personally and professionally. We inspire, support, advocate for, and empower
professionals from different facets of industry woven with common administrative thread so they can learn,
grow, and thrive!
Vision
The Association of Administrative Professionals (AAP) provides opportunities for growth
through education and community building, giving our members a better understanding of
how important their role is to any business. Being widely recognized across Canada, our
membership increases year after year and members are engaged in the AAP.
Mission
We strive to provide administrative professionals the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive
by encouraging all members to add to their individual competencies, advance their leader-
ship skills, realize their value in the workplace and community, and have confidence to ex-
cel in their careers.
Motto
Learn Grow Thrive
Barrie-Simcoe County, Ontario
Calgary, Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Hamilton, Ontario
Members-At-Large
Moncton, New Brunswick
Ottawa, Ontario
Red Deer, Alberta
Toronto, Ontario
Branches
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Are you anxious about the plans to reopen your workplace?
Most of us agree that we need to open our countries’ economic engines, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t nervous about returning to work, even if it’s part-time.
It’s okay to feel anxious. It’s okay to worry about your health. It’s okay to be not-okay.
However, it isn’t acceptable to judge others who are anxious about what our future looks like.
Generalized anxiety disorder is a real and potentially serious medical condition. Accord-ing to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), anxiety disorder is the most common and pervasive mental health disorder in the United States. As many as 40 million Americans (nearly one in five) have anxiety disorders.
I expect that this pandemic has added to this statistic, as many people worry about their future office and working conditions. Whether or not you have a diagnosed anxiety disorder or are feeling anxious for any reason about returning to work, we need to be able to cope. No one wants to stay in their house forever, but it is understandable to be nervous about returning to work, especially if you don’t feel safe about it yet.
Here are some tips to help you manage your anxiety about your future back-to-work plans:
Give yourself permission to feel what you feel. You are anxious because you care about your health and the health of your coworkers, and that is a good thing. Don’t feel the need to explain or apolo-gize about your feelings. Give yourself permission to be anxious and don’t feel the need to hide your anxiety. If you are comfortable telling others you are anxious, do so, and don’t feel bad about it. I’m pretty sure that once you say that you are suffering from anxiety, many others will be quick to say, “Me too.”
Stay informed. If you know what your company is planning to enable social distancing, to prepare the building, and to reduce touchpoints, then you can prepare yourself about what to expect. If you know that the rules will stipulate one person at a time in the elevator, you don’t have to be anxious about taking the elevator to the 23rd floor. If you know that only every third cubicle will be occupied, you don’t have to worry about someone in the cubicle beside you sneezing. By knowing what to expect, you can assure yourself that you will be as safe as possible. Ask questions so you can become informed.
Anxious About Returning to Work
When Social Dis tancing Rest ric t ions
L i f t?
By Rhonda Scharf , CSP, HoF, GSF
Set boundaries. Know what you are comfortable with and where the line is for you. For instance, if the guidelines stipulate that there can only be one person at a time in the elevator, be prepared to get off the elevator if someone else enters it. Or be ready to ask the person to wait for the next one. Set your boundaries in advance and be prepared to act on them. Knowing what you will say and do in various situations will help to reduce your anxiety about people ignoring the guidelines because you will know how to get yourself out of situations safely.
Focus on your health. We know the importance of exercise, healthy eating, and good sleep. Anxiety can potentially impact a healthy lifestyle. Ensure you aren’t becoming lax with your health because you are worried. Sleepless nights are to be expected as your start
date approaches but otherwise, ensure you go into the transition as healthy as you possibly can.
We don’t know what our new normal world will look like yet and it’s completely under-standable to feel anxious about it. But doing something about what you are experiencing is the best way you can safely and confi-dently integrate yourself back to work when the time comes.
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Anxious About Returning to Work When Social Dis tancing Restr ic t ions L i f t?
By Rhonda Scharf , CSP, HoF, GSF
Rhonda Scharf is a professional speaker, trainer, and author specializing in administrative
professionals. She is the sponsor for The Canadian Administrative Professional of the
Year Award, and the engine behind the #AdminsRock conference.
You can follow her online @RhondaScharf everywhere, and check out her website at
www.on-the-right-track.com
If your company needs any admin training – Rhonda is the source you need!
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BARRIE/SIMCOE COUNTY
OTTAWA
MONCTON
TORONTO
EDMONTON
CALGARY
N E W S L E T T E R S
HAMILTON
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