Top office manager skills needed to get the job.

What are the top 3 traits or skills every office manager must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your office manager expertise?

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every office manager must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your office manager expertise?

leadership,assertiveness,teamwork

Mary in Richmond, Virginia said: leadership,assertiveness,teamwork

I concur, Mary. I concur.

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every office manager must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your office manager expertise?

hear no evil , speak no evil , see no evil

But what if said manager in question is...evil?

I can't only come up with three...Sorry!
Mult-tasking skills first and foremost
PATIENCE
Tenacity
Did I mention PATIENCE?
Project management
Organized
Frugal
Common Sense
Communication
Negotiating

I would love to have a thread started asking OMs to share what job responsibilities they have, how small/large their company is, state location, current compensation, how long in current position and how they obtained their position.

I think that would be extremely beneficial to all OMs out there!

Is it ok to be treated as an Admin Assistant being an OM in a non-profit of about 30 people?

Example: a coordinator expects the OM to handle their outgoing mail, while everyone else seems to be handling their own?

Julie in Arlington, Virginia said: Is it ok to be treated as an Admin Assistant being an OM in a non-profit of about 30 people?

Example: a coordinator expects the OM to handle their outgoing mail, while everyone else seems to be handling their own?

In my opinion, an OM is treated as anything they want them to be!!

I do it all as an OM. There are only 2 of us at this time and in process of hiring an admin asst/receptionist, however, I am dumped with everything from mail to event planning and all administrative duties. Even when we hire a person in here to take on some of those duties we will all still need to pitch in whenever/whereever.

If there are 30 people in your organization, is there one person or more responsible/designated to those clerical duties? Is this person asking you to do it because you have extra time and the other person is too busy with other projects at the moment? Do all 30 people have specific/defined duties/assignments/projects?

An OM position is about the broadest definition of any job I have ever seen out there. It depends on the organization, the amount of people, the mission of the organization, all of the different projects going on, etc, etc. I don't know of an OM position out there that is even close in responsibilities/duties/job descriptions.

Gotta say...OM is a huge position in a small 30-40 employee office.
I started out as an executive assistant, 6 months later asked if I'd like to be an AUTHORITIVE PERSON....I already was. If your in a large/corporate environment, OM job function is specific and much more effective and effecient. (because other departments exist)

As Exec Assistant: HR, job descriptions/postings, interviewing, Accts Pay/Rec, collections, payroll for a revolving door/high turnover, contracts, Biz Dev, maintain data base, go to court/settle/adjourn cases, cost cutting... Alot more but you got the pic....Oh forgot, all while owner/boss is absentee except for about 2 hours a week maximum.

Office Manager: Approx 15 emploiyees including 2 supervisors, all supplies,all machines, vac/sick coverage, ensure shows are covered, policies/procedures, keep owner informed via emails, insurance upkeep, licenses, vehicle fleet reg, tickets...and a whole lot more. Never take off...work late.. I embarassed to metion my salary...only til the market opens up.