Masterclasses

The pre-summit and post-summit masterclass programs are running the day before and the day after the summit. They are designed to give you the tools you need to succeed in your role, maximise your career opportunities and make the most of every interaction.

Communication, Negotiation and Impact

Led by: Amy Scott

This full-day masterclass will be held on Tuesday 10 June 2025

ABOUT YOUR MASTERCLASS

Welcome to Communication, Negotiation and Impact, led by the inimitable Amy Scott. By the end of this masterclass, you will be equipped with a comprehensive toolkit to navigate and thrive in any professional environment. The program has been designed specifically to the unique challenges facing the modern EA, and will help you understand and enhance your natural communication and negotiation styles, build unshakeable confidence, and master the art of managing conflict.

Each session is designed to be interactive, insightful, and practical, providing you with tools and techniques you can apply immediately to see tangible improvements in your workplace interactions and leadership capabilities. You’ll become laser-focused and learn how to communicate stress-free and with intent.

ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR, AMY SCOTT

Amy Scott, a force fuelled by her love for people and her dedication to cultivating thriving team dynamics. Formerly a seasoned lawyer, Amy’s mantra of “less friction, more fun” is the heartbeat of her mission.

Raised amidst the tranquil landscapes of rural Central Otago, New Zealand, Amy’s early adventures included representing New Zealand in ice hockey as well as working in wool sheds. Her eight-year legal career polished her into a strategic thinker with a keen eye for detail.

However, Amy’s path took a transformative turn when she discovered the groundbreaking “dots communication” tool—a Kiwi innovation that has captivated more than 37,000 individuals across diverse industries throughout NZ and Australia.

Known affectionately as the “dots lady,” Amy’s vibrant energy and ‘down to earth’ approach have reshaped how people communicate and collaborate.

Strap yourself in for a fast paced, engaging & entertaining session. Amy’s main aim is to empower individuals to unlock their full potential through effective communication. Expect to walk away armed with practical tools and a renewed passion for authentic connections in your professional and personal worlds!

MASTERCLASS AGENDA

8.30 Registration and welcome coffee

9.00am SESSION 1: How do we naturally communicate? Understanding your communication, negotiation and operating style

• Understanding how you prefer to communicate and interact at work with your boss, your peers and your direct reports
• Self-awareness and relationship building
• How do we communicate when under pressure or stress?
• Learning how to quickly identify others’ operating styles so that you can adjust accordingly

10.30 Morning coffee

11.00 SESSION 2: Building your confidence and fine-tuning your communication skills

Effective communication skills are your keys to success, regardless of who you are or the company you work for. This session will fine tune your communication skills so you can affect change, command respect, be heard and improve your leadership skills.

• Have the confidence in yourself, your ideas and your concepts
• Learning how to make yourself heard in order to sell your ideas confidently and effectively to your manager and your peers
• Tips for communicating with busy big-picture executives
• Interpretation and perception of others – vital to communication
• Using personality profiling to read other people and adjust your communication style accordingly
• Commanding respect and authority
• Using communication techniques to improve your leadership skills and become more visible in your organisation

12.30 Lunch break

1.30 SESSION 3: Becoming the ultimate negotiator at work

Every day we negotiate, often without realising it – with our partner, friends and with our work colleagues. Being able to negotiate well can have huge benefits at work; you’ll be able to affect change and encourage people to do more to help. This session will give you the tools and tricks to become the ultimate negotiator at work.

• Negotiation 101
• Recognising different personality types and learning ways to better relate to others when negotiating
• Understanding and uncovering the hidden agendas
• Knowing when to be assertive and when to hold back
• Identifying the main areas that you can use your new negotiation skills as an EA or PA
• Seeing immediate results in all aspects of your life – not just work!

3.00 Afternoon tea

3.15

SESSION 4: Building courage and impact when managing and resolving conflict

Have you ever wondered why some people are harder to get on with at work than others – and why some people are downright difficult?! This hands-on session will help you build the courage and resilience necessary to survive in difficult environments and/or work with difficult people.

• Relationship management
• Tricks for dealing with difficult people
• Being aware of your own buttons so you know when they are being pushed
• Resolving conflict at work
• Boosting your courage and resilience to be able to deal with conflict situations confidently, positively and assertively
• Practical ways in which you can diffuse pressure in your workplace

4.30 Cool down / close

The masterclass will be conducted using a combination of presentation material and group exercises; maximising your learning potential. Please note that the masterclass content will be tailored to participants’ individual needs so the length of each session may vary. Refreshments will be served at appropriate times, including morning and afternoon teas and lunch.

The Elite EA Toolkit

Led by: Rachael Bonetti

This full-day masterclass will be held on Thursday 12 June 2025

ABOUT YOUR MASTERCLASS

Are you ready to unlock your full potential and redefine your career as an Executive Assistant? Welcome to The Elite EA Toolkit, a transformative program designed for EAs who dare to do things differently. The masterclass not only teaches the ‘how’ but delves deep into the ‘why,’ setting you up for true success. Whether you aim to enhance your self-belief, navigate career plateaus, or increase your earning capacity, The Elite EA Toolkit will empower you to take your career to new heights.

Embrace your authenticity and leverage your uniqueness to develop a sense of self-worth that propels you forward. With a healthy growth mindset, you’ll learn ways of working that keep you in the high-performance zone without burning out. Maintaining calm in challenging moments will become second nature, allowing you to navigate setbacks with resilience and ease.

You’ll gain deep business insights, enabling you to provide superior support and contribute strategically. You’ll learn to recognise your leadership potential and how to articulate this to ensure your growth is supported and developed. By creating and seizing opportunities for professional growth, you’ll stand out for all the right reasons, paving the way for a rewarding and impactful career that stays relevant in a rapidly changing world.

ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR, RACHAEL BONETTI

Rachael Bonetti was a career executive assistant for nearly 30 years.

She was a well respected, high performer who supported thought leaders, change makers, CEOs, Chairs and a high profile billionaire.

Her career spanned many  industries and sectors, both private and public companies and she physically worked/lived in 7 countries.

Rachael has experience in multiple corporate crises, Royal Commissions, serious economic downturn (the 90’s recession and the GFC), the Pandemic, leadership change (C-Suite, Chair and CEO), large scale restructures and acquisitions and sales of businesses.

Her ways of working , thinking and best practices saved 8+ hours a week for CEOs, increased efficiencies and eased friction and peak pressure periods across organisations.

She built administration dream teams through creating finely tuned capability frameworks, impactful best practices and ways of working and targeted recruitment that supported creating internal career runways. She made the development of her teams a priority in every organisation she worked in.

Rachael is now a consultant, corporate trainer, writer, international public speaker and lifelong, passionate advocate for executive assistants. 

MASTERCLASS AGENDA

8.30 Registration and welcome coffee

9.00 SESSION 1: Confidence, empowerment, and mindset

• Building confidence foundations: Understand the root causes behind the common lack of self-belief and confidence among EAs, and learn strategies and practices to build and support a sense of empowerment in your role.
• Effective communication and articulating worth: Master the art of speaking up in meetings and in general – using elevated language to articulate your worth and handle challenging people.
• Nurturing a healthy mindset for career success: Discover why mindset is the key to career success and implement tools and strategies to nurture a healthy mindset daily.
• Developing and sustaining a growth mindset: Learn to identify the hallmarks of a growth mindset and transform your internal narrative to support self-belief.
• Empowerment through strategic thinking: Embrace the practices of backing yourself and making strategic decisions, to create impactful change and drive your career forward.

10.30 Morning coffee

11.00 SESSION 2: Developing presence and profile, and creating new opportunities in your role

• Raising your internal profile and developing executive presence: Cultivate an executive presence that commands respect, recognition, and reward. Understand how to define and leverage your personal brand to stand out.
• Effective communication and influencing: Master the use of communication techniques to build influential relationships, becoming a trusted advisor.
• Maximising on-the-job learning to create new opportunities: Identify and seize opportunities within your role to expand your experience and skillset and continuously grow professionally.
• Proactive development conversations: Engage in strategic conversations that drive your professional development, ensuring you get on the radar for internal opportunities and advancement.
• Leveraging relationships and personal branding: Enhance your ability to influence and build meaningful relationships, leveraging your personal brand to create and capitalise on opportunities.

12.30 Lunch break

1.30 Session 3:

SESSION 3: Strategic thinking and leadership

• Developing and applying strategic thinking: Understand the importance of strategic thinking for EAs and learn how to develop and apply it in your day-to-day tasks.
• Thinking like an executive: Learn to prioritise like an executive, focusing on high-impact activities and decisions that drive organisational success.
• Leadership for EAs across all levels: Discover what leadership looks like for EAs, regardless of hierarchy. Understand different leadership styles and how to lead from behind, effectively influencing and guiding your team.
• Impactful daily actions: Show up in the small moments that matter daily, shaping your organisation’s culture through intentional actions and decisions.
• Building credibility and leading teams: Develop techniques for building credibility and respect, enabling you to lead teams effectively and shape your work environment positively.

3.00 Afternoon tea

3.15 SESSION 4: Effective partnering and career progression

• Providing elevated support and building trust: Positioning yourself as a trusted advisor within your organisation.
• Efficient communication and managing expectations: Master efficient and succinct communication techniques to manage expectations effectively, both upwards and downwards.
• Impactful contribution: Communicate how your work directly contributes to the success of those you support using tangible, measurable data.
• Influencing for impact and going the extra mile: Discover ways to influence for impact and go the extra mile in your role, including creating first drafts of CEO reports to the Board, a critical skill rarely taught but essential for success.
• Career progression and development: Define your vision for your career and set meaningful goals. Lead development and elevated performance review conversations to stay relevant in an evolving landscape. Develop specialist skills, leverage strengths, and enhance soft skills awareness to navigate career progression pathways effectively.

4.30 Cool down / close

The masterclass will be conducted using a combination of presentation material and group exercises; maximising your learning potential. Please note that the masterclass content will be tailored to participants’ individual needs so the length of each session may vary. Refreshments will be served at appropriate times, including morning and afternoon teas and lunch.