What is ASSAP 2006?
ASSAP 2006 is a joint project organised by
Shirley Taylor and Partners Conference. There will be a one-day conference featuring a powerhouse of
7 dynamic and inspiring presenters, including the MC, actress and DJ Suzanne Walker, plus a one-day workshop that concentrates on enhancing communication skills, conducted by me and Ricky Lien. All our presenters have been specially selected - they are all leading experts from USA, UK, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore who have vast experience of Asian cultures from living and working in the region for many years.

Who should attend ASSAP 2006?
ASSAP 2006 has been specially designed to attract a unisex audience of secretarial, admin and support staff from all sections of the workforce. ASSAP 2006 aims to promote and enhance the skills and position of these important men and women who work so hard in today's changing office environment. We are looking forward to welcoming participants from all over Asia to ASSAP 2006.

Is it just for the girls?
Absolutely not! Today's offices are full of men and women who fall into the category of 'support staff' - executives, administrators, customer care staff, sales staff, office managers ... and, yes, secretarial staff too. The topics at ASSAP 2006 are relevant for all these special people! Men and women, guys and gals!

Why ASSAP 2006?
More often than not, this important group of staff play a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of an organisation. Their contributions in terms of the support they give to their departments and their organisations are undeniably important but often overlooked and not widely recognised.

ASSAP 2006 has been designed to celebrate, reward and challenge these ëunsung heroesí by providing them with an inspiring, stimulating and motivating arena in which to learn, develop and grow so that they can step up to their full potential in ëcreating personal and professional excellenceí.

Whatís special about ASSAP 2006?
To show appreciation for all the hard work and invaluable support provided by this special group of people, ASSAP 2006 includes some special surprises and unique features to make this event all the more exciting, including:

• attractive door gifts
• fabulous lucky draw prizes
• entertaining lunch-time fashion show
• a unique on-site exhibition
• a special performance at the end of day one

How to find out more?
Visit www.assap.com.sg. Yes, ASSAP 2006 has its own special website! Or just call Partners on Singapore (+65) 6288 1273.

ASSAP 2006 will be officially launched in February 2006. But as a special thank you for being a regular reader of Shirley Says, we are offering you a special pre-launch price.

Sign up for ASSAP 2006 before 15 January 2006 and you can take advantage of this special pre-launch promotion price.

Regular price
One-day conference - S$695
One-day workshop - S$495
Conference & workshop - S$995 (save S$195)

Special pre-launch price if you sign up
before 15 January 2006
One-day conference - S$595 (save S$100)
One-day workshop - S$395 (save S$100)
Conference & workshop - S$895 (save S$100)

ASSAP 2006 is set to become the premier event for PAs, secretaries, admin and support staff. It's an event you will not want to miss! So get your boss to sponsor you and sign up now! You are guaranteed to have an inspiring and stimulating time in a friendly and motivational environment.

I'm still on the radio every Tuesday morning and I'm pleased to say that my
'A-Z of Bloopers' feature has become very popular. Thanks to those of you who have written with bloopers of your own.

Here are some more bloopers for this month:

Needless to say
Three words that should be in the bin! If it's needless to say, then why say it?

Numbers
A couple of decades ago there used to be a rule that the numbers one to ten should always be spelled out in full, but all others could be written as numbers. However, today the rules have relaxed somewhat. Spell out the number one and the first word of a sentence, but all other numbers can be written be written as numbers.
For example:
One person must be nominated to represent each department at the meeting.
There will be 30 people at the workshop next week.

Thanks to Ow Seng Kiat, Development Manager, Marine, from Aviva General Insurance Pte Ltd, Singapore, for writing to me after my recent workshop with Aviva. Your comments were lovely SK. Thanks for taking the time to write. Here's what SK said:

Hi Shirley

I thoroughly enjoyed myself at your workshop and, of course, have learned many things from you. I will use what I have learned in my letters and emails. In this way, my communication with my customers and colleagues will be more concise and clear.

I will definitely visit your website more frequently so that I can read any new articles you may post in the future.

Meanwhile, I wish you success in all your future seminars/workshops.

Thanks also to Felicia Ow for writing to me regarding my radio interviews. Here's what Felicia said:

Hey Shirley, I will never give your every Tuesday radio show a miss. They are simply great. Thank you for your golden advice and through your radio show I have learnt a lot about learning English.

Finally, thanks to Agnes Allen from Siemens, who wrote to me after a recent public workshop. Here's what Agnes said:

Hi Shirley, Thank you for the wonderful time I had yesterday and the knowledge gained. The course was very interesting and I enjoyed myself very much. With your experienced delivery of the topics and your jokes, I am sure everyone enjoyed themselves just as I did. I hope I am able to participate in the ASSAP next year.

Yes, me too Agnes - you and all my other ex-participants. Don't miss ASSAP 2006! It's gonna be great!

Thanks to you all for taking the time to write. If you want to have your say, please write to me at shirley@shirleytaylor.com. If I print your message, I'll send you my 'A-Z of Bloopers' notebook.

Here I am in November with one of the great groups of sales staff from DHL Express (Singapore) who attended an in-house workshop 'Effective Communication Skills'. What a fabulous company DHL must be to work with, because all the staff I trained were friendly, sociable, outgoing ... and very very participative! Thanks to you all for helping me to improve my communication skills!

Enjoy your festive season, sing lots of carols, raise a glass to toast those less fortunate than you, and make someone's day by giving them a smile!

See you next year!
Shirley xxx