Office Manager | Responsibilities | Qualification | Qualities

Who is an Office Manager?

Basically, an office provides service to all the departments of an organization and to the management executives also. An office can collect, receive, record, process and communicate the information with the help of group of people. These office activities are to be organized and controlled by a responsible person who is called office manager.

Office Manager - Responsibilities, Qualification, Qualities
Image: Office Manager – Responsibilities, Qualification, Qualities

Responsibilities of an office manager

An Office Manager has to perform the work efficiently and economically. He helps the management in the area of selection, training, placement and remuneration of personnel. He employs the personnel with proper means of work. He maintains proper balance among the elements of office management by keeping in mind with the requirements of the organization. The requirements of an office will vary with the size and nature of activities.

Office manager has authority and responsibility on par with other department manager. The reason is that the office manager has some staff working under him. Today, office work is a highly specialized function and requires a specialist to organize and control office activities.

An office manager is expected to play a dual role. One role is staff executive and another role is line executive. As a staff executive, an office manager performs advisory function. Some of the clerical works have to be performed in the functional departments themselves by the departmental employees. With regard to these activities, the office manager performs an advisory functions

An office manager has no direct command or control over the departmental employee’s or their activities as a staff executive. On the other hand, total office activities of an organization can be centralized and performed more economically, efficiently and promptly. In this sphere, the office manager performs the service function and plays the role of a line executive. As a line executive, the office manager has exercised direct command and controls the activities of office employees.

The exact and extent of duty of an office manager can not be clearly defined. The duties of an office manager are very flexible and vary from one office to another. Size of the business, nature of office, authority vested with office manager and responsibility entrusted to him by the employer are the deciding factors of exact duties of an office manager.

Qualification of Office Manager

There is no hard and fast rule for qualification of office manager. Even though, an office manager should have a sound educational background. The sound educational background means proficient in English and be able to communicate effectively both writing and orally. This is minimum expectation.

Moreover, an office manager must be well aware of office organization, business administration, accounting and accountancy knowledge, nature of business and business environment. Office manager should also be well trained in office systems and procedures, office machines and equipment and data processing methods.

Qualities of an Office Manager

The qualities of an office manager are presented below.

1. The office manager must be able to plan the office work, organize the work among office staff according to their ability and aptitude, direct and motivate staff to perform the work efficiently and economically and to maintain discipline and harmony among the staff fairly and firmly.

2. A good office manager should have as wide and varied a business experience as possible.

3. Office manager must have a good command of language.

4. He must be a model leader to his office staff.

5. He must be deal with the problems more confidently and firmly.

6. He must be a good organizer.

7. He must be able to take sound and firmly decision but there is no hasty decision.

8. He must be well aware of office work and the purpose of doing such work.

9. He must have an ability to give clear direction to others. In other words, the listener should understand what the office manager means.

10. He must be a common man to every office staff.

11. He must be a pioneer in doing the office work.

12. He must be sincere to do his duties.

13. He must understand the feelings of office staff and human nature.

14. He must present the office before the office hour and available throughout the office hour.

15. He must be able to create team spirit among office staff.

16. He should have self confidence and self control

17. He should not get angry at any cost

18. He must be constantly in touch with the new facts and methods of office work in order to increase the efficiency of office staff.

19. Most of above mentioned qualities are inherent or inborn, although some of these qualities can be acquired or improved through practice and training.