Office manager:
An office manager is an executive who is in charge of an office and whose main function is to organise and control it in such a manner that this service function is performed efficiently and effectively. He has to perform all the functions of the office management.
Importance:
The office manager is an important person because he is a part of the manager and an important link in the chain of command beginning with the top management policies are properly implemented. He is also important to the workers because he is the representative of the management with whom they have daily contact. The morale of the office staff and their willingness to corporate depends upon the calibre of the office manager. At the same time, he is responsible for helping, advising and training his subordinates. The importance of the existence of a separate Office Manager springs from the fact that today office work is a highly specialised function requiring a specialist to organise and control it.
Position of office manager :
The position of office manager has been nicely summed up thus-
" There is one man in every business who is supposed to know every job in the place. He is at the beak and call of every employee. They come to him for everything they want. They bring him every kind of trouble and difficulty they are unable or unwilling to settle for themselves. He is to decide what is to be done, where should it be done, when should it be done, how it is to be done and how much should be done. All orders emanate from him and all informations concentrate towards him. He is expected to be patient and considerate to all. He is the man to take responsibility of his decisions. He can consult others but he is not bound to accept or reject any advice. He has to satisfy both top and bottom management as well- he is only the Office Manager."
In every office there is an office manager, though he is rarely known by his designation. Depending on the nature of office, the nomenclature differs. Sometimes, office manager is called ' Controller', 'Manager of Office services', System and Procedures Manager' 'Director Administration', etc.
Qualification of office manager:
The qualification which make successful Office Manager may be discussed under four heads :
1) personal Qualities
2)Formal education and training
3) Experience
4) Professional Interests.
What Management Expect of the Office Manager :
what a management expects of the office manager is evident some of his qualification are determined by the size of an organisation and the relative importance placed on office activities.
1. To be an organiser : It is to be one who, with a profit-oriented point of view, can build and direct a smoothly functioning organization which will perform the office functions at minimum cost.
2. To be a dynamic leader: The management expects the office manager to show dynamic leadership by keeping a healthy dissatisfaction with the past and present method of doing office work, thus to work constantly for new and better method of doing it.
3. To be willing and able to delegate authority to his associates and subordinates.
4. To find and train key personnel and assist to supervise the work under his broad supervision.
5. To set aside time for his own personal development and to improve and develop those personality traits that characterize a successful executive - integrity, sound judgement, tact, a sense of humour, and a pleasant and courteous disposition.
6. To anticipate, visualise, and plan to solve tomorrow's office problems.
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