Hi Jess,

Don't know what type of operation you require, but I have just (February 04) had my carpal tunnels decompressed in BOTH hands at the same time!!! and I have to tell you that I have 99.9% improvement.  I had chronic pins & needles in both hands and my hands would constantly go numb when typing, on telephone, when holding my son, when driving, etc - every day.  I now have NONE of these symptoms and the operation was done under LOCAL aneasthetic.  I took painkillers exactly twice after the op and I had no lingering pain at all.  Obviously it was very painfull trying to use your hands but you learnt how to use your hands so as not to initiate the pain.  If there are other reasons why you don't want to have the op, OK, but please don't let fear of the unknown stop you from having a comfortable, pain/discomfort free existence.  Hope this helps.  Regards, Celeste

Hi all at DD and all members

I am having to consider my career path next year as my son starts school and I am not sure my company would be happy for me to work half day for 4 months (he is a summer baby and therefore his school day will end at 12.30 from September 2004 until end December 2004 - childminders would charge a full day's fee for an afternoon's work).

I saw an article in this week's The Times Creme supplement about two "mobile" secretaries in London.  Would anyone have a copy of the article that I could get some information from - just want their web address or any other contact details.

Thanks a stack

LELLA (Wishing everyone a lovely weekend - hey, hey it's Friday!! - these are the famous words of South African radio 5 DJ, Alex Jay)

Hi replyers,

So glad to see we agree.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  Your comments will take pride of place in my paper.

Until next time.

Hi all,

I work for a partnership and morale in our office is very low at the moment.  One comment that came up in a recent staff poll was that the partners were not very good role models.  We were asked (by a partner of course) to find out why this comment was made.  I want to draft a paper on WHAT MAKES A GOOD ROLE MODEL.  I do feel as partners they MUST be good role models as they are what all the professional staff in the firm would be aspiring to be.

Any comments on what you feel makes a good role model would be most useful.

Thanks a stack.

Hi fellow members,

I am attending a "Train the Trainer" course from 12 November and I need to do some pre-course work.

1) I have to do a 5 minute presentation on "The risks of IT applications within the Firm" - ANY IDEAS, TIPS, etc. would be welcome.

2) I have to prepare a 15 minute PRACTICAL session teaching my fellow participants how to write/draw three Chinese symbols (I have a choice of sun, upright, field, strength, stop, thatched hut, valley, yellow and short-tailed bird).  ANY IDEAS/TIPS, etc. would be MOST welcome.

Hope to hear from some of you soon!!

Many thanks.

CELESTE

Hi Maria,

Thanks for your reply.

If we can't attach in Deskdemon, I have a work e-mail address which you could e-mail to if that would be easier.  My work e-mail is: celeste.slade@bdo.co.uk.

See what you can do.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.  I think all we basically want is a list of skills against which you indicate a degree of competency.  The list of skills will also be linked to our firm's HR/Training sites for further info on courses to assist in raising the competency level of each skill.

I just really wanted some input on which skills you all thought would be a good idea to include and ideas for layout.

Hope that helps.

Hi all,

I don't know why I didn't think of you all in the first place.  I am involved in a focus group developing courses for secretarial/admin staff & setting up a website for the Secretarial Group Learning Programme that our firm will then run.  I have been asked to set up a SKILLS MATRIX for secretarial/admin skills and don't have the slightest clue where to start or what and how much to include.

ANY IDEAS/TIPS, ETC. WILL BE MOST WELCOME.  Thanks.