Le point d’orgue de la Convention Assist’ Manager du 19 mai dernier a été la remise de trois prix à des assistantes projet oeuvrant dans des segments divers. J’étais particiulièrement curieuse de la gagnante du prix dans la catégorie « Evénementiel », et de faire connaissance avec la lauréate Catherine Castetbon, société Schlumberger, m’a véritablement consolée de ne pas m’être portée candidate.
Elle a eu la gentillesse de répondre à une interview en 3 questions, ce qu’elle a souhaité faire en anglais – voilà qui est explicite sur la portée internationale des projets à ce niveau de support et d’expertise. Son expérience est passionnante car elle témoigne à la fois de la dynamique des réseaux (elle est adhérente du réseau européen des secrétaires et assistantes EUMA), et elle nous rapporte les grandes lignes d’un projet mené par des acteurs seniors vis-à-vis de cibles de premier plan, visant par ricochets l’image d’excellence du groupe. Le travail de coordination de Catherine a pris tant de visages qu’elle se définit elle-même comme un « partenaire d’affaires ». Voilà ce qu’est l’assistant d’élite quand on a tiré jusqu’au bout le fil de l’implication dans la vision, le soutien à la décision et à l’action, l’endossement total de l’identité corporate.
La conclusion de l’interview où Catherine nous livre ses mots clés du métier sont une douce chanson à mes oreilles. Et je la remercie grandement d’avoir accepté de publier ici ce qui crédite la ligne directrice qui m’anime et que je suis, que ce blog suit et que l’agence SW&Vous suit depuis fin 2007 : un assistant est un facilitateur qui coordonne et représente. Immergé dans la communauté projet, il est le communicant tant mobilisé par le service que par l’intelligence collective et le dépassement de tous dans un effort de production jamais vécu auparavant.
How did you know about the Convention Assist’ Manager award, and do you belong to professional networks in general ?
If I’m not mistaken, it was this year (on the 19th of May) the second edition of the Assist-Manager Convention held at “Les Jardins d’Acclimatation” (Paris). I initially heard about this professional event through one of my work colleagues and attended in 2010 the event that took place at “Bourse du Commerce”.
Additionally being a member of EUMA (I joined the French branch of this European professional network in Dec-2009), I knew about the Assist-Manager Convention & also discovered that the Assist-Manager Awards were part of the event. Undeniably it is a very good initiative and a unique opportunity to promote our profession & get some high level Assistants recognized for their hard work, talent & professionalism. It is indeed the ultimate accolade for any Assistant.
Can you explain to us what was the project you had to take care of ? What was very special with it ?
The Assist-Manager Awards aim to nominate the best paper submissions pertaining to a project work being developed in any of the following three categories:
- Human Resources,
- Event coordination,
- Sustainable initiatives.
The project I decided to highlight focused on the coordination and the delivery of the “Faculty for the Future” Fellows’ Forum that took place in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) from the 4th to the 8th of December 2010.
The “Faculty for the Future” program, launched in 2004, annually awards fellowships aiming at supporting women academics in science and engineering from emerging countries for their advanced graduate study (doctorate and post-doctorate) at top universities abroad. And the Forum hosted in Abu Dhabi convened the Fellows coming from or studying in the Middle East and Asia geographical zones.
The project scope was to allow the Fellows to gather and to meet face-to-face for a few days in view of:
· participating in communication skill-enhancing workshops, in working group sessions (work/life balance – gender issues in their respective home countries – managing the return home when the qualification is obtained – the significance of mentoring and networking in leading their career) and in active panel discussions,
· sharing research work, results, methods and life experiences,
· initiating collaborations (as some of them come from the same country, university, or as some of them share the same research topic),
· having the Alumni welcome the new Fellows to the “Faculty for the Future” community and share their knowledge,
· re-igniting the exchanges within the “Faculty for the Future” Fellows,
· becoming ‘Ambassadors’ of the “Faculty for the Future” program & contributing to build a reputation of excellence around it.
What made this event project very special is its international exposure.
Besides the following parameters can be used to pin down the specificities of the project:
- the decision of hosting the event abroad in a very hospitable Arabian country (Abu Dhabi),
- the teamwork, collective intelligence and active contribution of each team member,
- the use of the virtual technologies (via audio & video conferencing being supported by MS Outlook LiveMeeting) in order to manage the regular brainstorming/planning meetings of the teams involved in the project (from Paris, the States, the local staff based in Abu Dhabi, The Netherlands),
- the recourse to “Teamspace” to allow the flow of communication to be channeled,
- the implementation of some specific key documents such as Road book, timelines and checklists, a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI matrix) along with contingency plans addressing every conceivable emergency or other urgent issue we could have faced in Abu Dhabi.
Are you an Assistant / A Project Assistant in your company ? If not, could you tell us more about your job title and what the word “Assistant” means to you ?
I currently work in Paris for an international company in the Oil & Gas Industry. Along with my Operations Support functions linked to the deepwater business, I am also assigned to assist the Vice-President, Quality Management Systems (QMS) . I also belong to the internal Project Management (PM) Community (though I am not a Project Assistant as such) and to the Connect Women Community (an internal Web-based network for professional women designed to help obtain and give guidance).
Reaching soon 15 years of seniority within the company, I have definitely stepped out of the “traditional” role of an Assistant. I have become a true business partner, a key team player to those I support & work with.
My secret to move on is to embrace change, keep evolving, training and up-skilling.
To my opinion, the word “Assistant” encompasses the following roles: Facilitator / Communicator / Coordinator / Team Motivator / Team Contributor / Trouble-shooter / Networker / Mentor / Inspiring Leader.
