Being A Successful Office Manager

An office manager is one of the most bittersweet positions there are in any company

. Do it well and no-one notices. They assume that everything takes care of itself. But as soon as something isn't working or operates like it shouldn't then the blame game starts and people are looking for you to play it with.

The position is an all encompassing one. Simply put, often the office manager is assigned any task which hasn't yet be filled. If something is needed to be done, the simplest thing will be to just lump the office manager with it. This isn't necessarily fair but then being the office manager isn't usually always fair.

It crosses across the whole gamut of the company - everything from accounting to payroll to human resources. Because of this, if the office manager does well they are in a good position to be promoted because they have a great knowledge of the company. So while it can be stressful if you do well the upside is great. This is the thing about a high risk-high reward position.

You will struggle to be a good office manager if you aren't organized and have good problem solving and decision making skills. Otherwise it is going to eat you up alive. When there are deadlines and people are anxious and yelling, you need to be able to deal with the pressure. If you don't have a thick skin, it is hard to see you lasting too long in the position.

What will help you is if you develop relationships with all of the people you need to. Some companies are actually very good at establishing relationships with all of the various office managers it deals with. This means the office manager knows who to call if there happen to be any issues with the printer or photocopiers. Nothing can bring a company to a standstill more than a photocopier or printer which is on the fritz.

Likewise if there is a company function happening and you need to organize catering than make sure you have a good relationship with the caterer. You need to make sure that the caterer knows what is required of them. Even if there is a problem that has nothing to do with you, there is every chance that you are going to be blamed for it. That is just part of the perils which come with the position.

You need to be on your toes and be prepared for any request. Often they can come with ridiculously short notice. You also may be required to clean up someone elses mess. You have to be on your game. It can be anything from picking up someone from the airport to formulating a policy for how the company deals with managed print services.

One of the great things about being an office manager is the variety that comes with the position. Every day can be different and you never know what you are going to get. This has its pluses and minuses. Hopefully you will feel appreciated.

by: Stuart Grayson

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