7 Office Management Myths
Good day, ladies and gentlemen! May we have your attention, please? We would like to give a toast. Here’s to all the hardworking office managers out there: may we have no idea who they are, may we see them every morning, may we be them! Office management is not an easy job and they deserve a lot more appreciation from all of us every single day!
Now let’s have a little moment of honesty. At some point in our lives, every single one of us feels like his job is not appreciated enough. You know, when you find yourself snowed under difficult and never ending tasks, but no one seems to care about it.
We all feel the need to be seen, we want someone to look at us and really acknowledge our work. Sometimes, just a pat on the shoulder can make our day. A kind smile and a `thank you` can go a long way.
Office Management Myths: explore them!
Oh, well, let’s talk about your friendly and permanently smiling office manager for a second, shall we? This guy (or girl) deserves a golden statue right in front of the building. Thanks to him or her, everything stays organized in the company. Yes, it’s true, things run smoothly because of top notch office management.
In spite of these straight facts, people still believe the myths that have been around since forever. You might even believe a few yourself! You know, those stereotypes picturing an office manager making coffee, answering the door and being all nice with the guests.
Well, now it’s time to debunk all these office management myths and stop spreading them once and for all. You can even turn it into a game. How many of these myths were you believing? Take a shot of tequila for each one. Just kidding! Take notes and educate yourself, no alcohol involved.
Most Common Myths About Office Management
1. The office manager should keep the office squeaky clean every day
A huge amount of employees think that cleaning the office is one of the office manager’s main responsibilities. Makes sense, right? It’s `office manager`, so he should manage the office in every way possible. No wonder everyone stares daggers at the poor guy when the room is not sparkling clean.
In fact, most of the companies have a contract with a cleaning services provider. They usually send a team over daily, weekly or even monthly, depending on the agreed terms.
So please remember, your office manager has way better things to do, rather than washing your coffee mug or emptying the recycle bins. Sorry, not sorry!
2. The office manager only walks around the office spreading joy
It’s true, a great office manager spreads joy like no other and makes everyone feel confident and comfortable in the workplace. Except that grumpy colleague who constantly makes fun of him during the coffee break. `Of course he is smiling all the time, he doesn’t have work to do or something`, he says. Oh, dear, are you wrong…
An office manager has to deal with all the administrative details you can (or can’t) imagine, starting from reception and sending off packages and ending with event planning and new ideas implementation.
Even though he seems happy and relaxed all the time, on the inside he is just as stressed and busy as you. Maybe even worse, so how about smiling back at him when you cross paths with him in the hallway, huh?
3. The office manager must bring you coffee (hot and with two sugars, please!)
Nope! This is a huge `no`. Maybe you’ve seen the office manager carrying around cups of coffee and glasses of water. Yes, (s)he also does that for the guests, before a meeting or an important event hosted by your company (which, by the way, the office manager might have organized).
So please, for Heaven’s sake, prepare your own soy milk cappuccino and don’t EVER ask the office manager to bring your coffee. It’s disrespectful and not kosher at all.
4. The office manager is a walking supply store
You might have heard that the office manager is in charge of the supplies. You know, papers, pens, notebooks, paperclips and all that stuff. This is partially true.
An office manager makes sure that employees have everything they need in order to perform properly. This person renews the stocks, makes online orders and can provide you with those post it notes you’ve been asking for.
BUT! There’s a big `but`. Your office manager is not your personal assistant. You can’t just tell him to go buy paperclips because you need one right now. Remember, it’s a person, not a walking supply store.
What you can do instead is filling in that Excel table the office manager spams you with, from time to time. Make sure to request more pens, if you want additional writing instruments. It’s easy, both for you and for the office management department.
5. `Office manager` is just another fancy term for an assistant
Believe it or not (please do, though!), the office manager has a leadership role. People qualify for an assistant job straight out of high school, while an office management position requires experience and a certain set of hard and soft skills. The majority of people completing this role actually have Business Administration or Management degrees.
So, nope, the office manager is not a secretary. I know, you’re shocked! But now you know.
6. The office manager can always help you with anything
Some people believe that an office manager does nothing all day long and he or she is being paid for that (such a cool job, please sign me up!). Other people think exactly the opposite.
Do you need an empty meeting room, right in this moment? The office manager surely knows one and (s)he has already prepared it for you. Your chair is not comfortable and you want a new one? (S)He surely has a spare chair somewhere, hidden and kept for his or her favorite employee. Need someone to pick your kid from school and bring him to you? You guessed that right: the office manager is the answer!
Now there’s the management myth that goes like this: `He’s a manager, he must know everything and have super powers`. Well, yeah, this person can do a lot of things, but not actually everything for everyone.
That being said, if you need a helping hand, kindly ask your office manager if (s)he is the right person to turn to. This way, you don’t risk being impolite.
7. The office manager is the same thing as an HR Manager
Before you go to the office manager and rant about your annoying colleague that never respects deadlines, wait a second.
The office manager may appear like a `people person`, but he is not a Human Resources Manager. He may be a part of the HR department in some companies, but his responsibilities do not include recruiting or managing the conflicts within the office.
Take this into account before expressing your thoughts about salaries, bonuses or other employees to the office manager. He may be a good listener, but otherwise he can’t help you!
To wrap this up, we got to tell you two things. If you have an office management job, hats off to you! Or how French people say it, in a more sophisticated way, chapeau bas! Don’t you ever forget your worth, okay?
If you are not an office manager, you might appreciate these guys more, after you read this article. So come on, go hug them (only after you ask for their consent, don’t be a weirdo) and tell them what a great job they do every day!
