Executive Assistant: office tools, organization and communication

What you will be able to do

• Executive calendar management and priority setting
• Administrative writing: letters, internal memos, meeting reports and minutes
• Organizing meetings, board meetings and general meetings of shareholders
• Document management: filing plan, archiving and data confidentiality
• Management reporting with Excel and PowerPoint
• Organizing business trips and events, and tracking expenses

About this course

Who it is for: Secretaries and assistants aiming for an executive support role, office employees changing careers, recent graduates in office administration, management or communication, assistants already in post who want to structure their practice, and entrepreneurs who hire and train their own assistant, in Dakar, Abidjan, Bamako, Cotonou or in the diaspora.

Curriculum

A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.

1. 1

   Module 1· 12 exercises

   The executive assistant role

   Understand what an executive expects from their assistant and set the rules of a relationship of trust.

   • What an Executive Assistant actually does in 2026Free preview3 exercises20 min
   • Working with the executive: anticipation, loyalty and limitsFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Confidentiality and professional secrecy: what never leaves the officeFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • The job market in Dakar and Abidjan: positions, salaries and interviewsFree preview3 exercises20 min
   • Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
   • Quiz: the Executive Assistant roleModule quiz
   • Your job description and your confidentiality charterProject to submit
2. 2

   Module 2· 12 exercises

   The executive's calendar and priorities

   Protect the executive's time and arbitrate requests using written rules.

   • Shared Outlook or Google calendar: delegation, colors and categories3 exercises18 min
   • The rules of an executive calendar: protected time, buffers, lead times3 exercises20 min
   • Handling requests: the urgent-important matrix and standard replies3 exercises20 min
   • The weekly review and the morning check-in with the executive3 exercises18 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: calendar and prioritiesModule quiz
   • Calendar rules and a prioritized weekProject to submit
3. 3

   Module 3· 15 exercises

   Mail and administrative correspondence

   Handle all incoming and outgoing mail and write flawlessly on behalf of management.

   • The mail circuit: receiving, logging, signature folder, follow-up3 exercises20 min
   • Writing an administrative letter: structure, tone and formulas3 exercises22 min
   • Staff memos, internal memos and circulars3 exercises18 min
   • Emails on the executive's behalf: delegation, signature and approval3 exercises18 min
   • Going digital with mail: scanning, e-signatures and a digital mail log3 exercises18 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: mail and correspondenceModule quiz
   • The mail register and five correspondence templatesProject to submit
4. 4

   Module 4· 12 exercises

   Meetings, boards and general meetings

   Organize a useful meeting from the notice to the follow-up of decisions, statutory bodies included.

   • Preparing a meeting: objective, attendees, agenda, documents3 exercises20 min
   • Convening a board of directors meeting or a general meeting under OHADA law3 exercises22 min
   • Taking notes and writing meeting notes or formal minutes3 exercises22 min
   • Following up on decisions: the action log and reminders3 exercises18 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: meetings and governing bodiesModule quiz
   • The meeting kit and the minutes of a board meetingProject to submit
5. 5

   Module 5· 12 exercises

   Filing, archiving and confidentiality

   Find any document in one minute and keep what the law requires, no more.

   • The executive office filing plan: paper and digital3 exercises20 min
   • Retention periods: accounting, contracts, staff, governing bodies3 exercises20 min
   • Personal data: Law 2008-12, the CDP and good practice in the executive office3 exercises20 min
   • Archiving and destruction: boxes, transfer lists, transfers and secure destruction3 exercises18 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: filing and archivingModule quiz
   • The filing plan and the archiving policyProject to submit
6. 6

   Module 6· 12 exercises

   Management reporting with Excel

   Give the executive the figures that matter every month, reliable and readable on one page.

   • Choosing a management team's indicators: fewer but better3 exercises20 min
   • Collecting figures from departments without chasing them ten times3 exercises18 min
   • Building the one-page monthly dashboard3 exercises22 min
   • Commenting on the figures: the summary memo that goes with the dashboard3 exercises18 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: management reportingModule quiz
   • The monthly management dashboardProject to submit
7. 7

   Module 7· 12 exercises

   Management presentations

   Prepare the executive's presentations for a committee, a board or a partner.

   • What a board expects from a presentation3 exercises18 min
   • Preparing the executive's presentation from their notes3 exercises20 min
   • The board pack: presentation, appendices and distribution to directors3 exercises18 min
   • Meeting day: room, video conference, printing and backup plans3 exercises15 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: executive presentationsModule quiz
   • A board of directors presentationProject to submit
8. 8

   Module 8· 12 exercises

   Travel, events and expenses

   Organize business trips and events within budget and track expenses without discrepancies.

   • Organizing a business trip: tickets, visas, accommodation and travel authorization3 exercises20 min
   • Organizing a seminar or a reception: reverse schedule and suppliers3 exercises20 min
   • Event budget, quote comparison and purchase orders3 exercises18 min
   • Expense reports, cash advances, petty cash and receipts3 exercises18 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: travel, events and expensesModule quiz
   • The business trip file and the budget for a corporate retreatProject to submit
9. 9

   Module 9· 12 exercises

   Professional communication

   Welcome, screen, respond and write in delicate situations while protecting management's image.

   • Front desk and phone reception: the company's first impression3 exercises18 min
   • Screening without offending: scripts for calls and unscheduled visits3 exercises18 min
   • Delicate emails and messages: declining, rescheduling, following up, handling complaints3 exercises20 min
   • Internal communication: informing staff on behalf of senior management3 exercises18 min
   • Module handout (PDF)5 min
   • Quiz: professional communicationModule quiz
   • Your reception, screening and delicate writing scriptsProject to submit
10. 10

    Module 10· 12 exercises

    Organizing the executive office and taking up the role

    Structure the executive office with written procedures, shared tools and an onboarding plan.

    • Writing a procedure anyone can follow3 exercises18 min
    • Office tools: templates, checklists and shared trackers3 exercises18 min
    • Built-in AI assistants in the office: uses, limits and confidentiality3 exercises18 min
    • Your first 30 days as an Executive Assistant3 exercises18 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: organizing the Executive Assistant's officeModule quiz
    • Final project: the executive office procedures manualCapstone

11. Certificate included

Questions about this course