Office Manager: Making Sure It Runs Smoothly

Introduction
Ever watch the Office (the American one, not the British one)? If so, you have a very loose idea what a (bad) office manager does. In fact, use Michael Scott as a template for how NOT to be an office manager. Almost everything he does or says on the show would get you into a human resources nightmare and result in your losing your job. Yeah, so don't be like him. Instead, be stern but receptive to your employees. They need to know you are in charge, but also that they can come to you when they need to. As far as formal education goes, the more education and training you have, the better. An MBA is definitely a nice thing to have, and it'll open a lot of doors for you. Oftentimes, you need to do some payroll too, so knowing about finance and book keeping is also a major plus.

Job Function
Your primary role as an officer manager is to ensure that operations are running smoothly. You want to optimize the output of your workers by assigning them the best tasks possible and motivating them to work hard. Think of the office as a fine-tuned machine. You need to oil it properly and make it so that each part is working its best. Naturally, then, your daily functions may vary depending on the task at hand. The part I enjoy most is being the leader. I'm a born leader, so ensuring everything gets done on time fills me with a strong sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. The worst part is dealing with an employee that is slacking off or being unproductive. An occasional slip-up is fine, but if a worker is consistently unproductive, you have to axe them. Advertisement
Lifestyle
Lots of work. Again, don't confuse us real office managers with those like Michael Scott. You don't have time to fool around, make elaborate pranks or sleep on the job. It's business, so you have to be on your "game" or your office will fall into disarray and disorganization. Oh, and since you run the office, your hours are typically the longest. Hey, it sucks, but you do get paid the big bucks! As far as personality, like I said in the beginning, be stern but friendly. If you're the type of person that can balance those with great organizational skills, then you'll be fine.

Additional Information
Be confident and you will be fine.