Each office has a personality of its own. This personality is a reflection of the purpose for which an office exists. The manufacturing office will have a profile that differs from that of the sales office. The accounting office will have a different orientation from that of a research and development office. In organizing a new office, the office manager must first determine the prime reason of the existence of that office and then add the necessary ingredients to bring about an efficient operation entity that achieves predetermined results: Although, offices differ from one another in prime responsibility, many activities are commonly carried out by all the offices. Some of these activities are:
• Processing incoming mail.
• Processing outgoing mail.
• Maintenance of records (Filing and Indexing).
• Establishing standard at office work.
• Designing and procuring at office forms, stationery, etc.
• Recruitment and training of office staff.
• Maintenance of furniture, machines, appliances, etc.
• Preparation of statements, reports, etc.
• Maintenance of accounts and other financial records.
• Handling Telephone calls and enquiries.
• Preparing updated information for the whole firm.
• Arranging the data in a quick and accessible form for use.
• Safeguarding the assets.
• Keeping prompt and accurate handling of enquiries orders.
• Maintaining an efficient flow of work in the office.
Some broad functions of the office managers-
a) Leadership: An office manager has to control his office. He/She is important for the smooth running of an organization. He is in-charge of the public relations. He helps other departments to achieve their goals. He has complete control over the work done in the office.
b) Coordination: He has to select the persons- right persons for the right jobs.
[i] He will have to work and carefully see that the policies laid down by the management are implemented.
[ii] He is the connecting link between the top management and the workers. Workers approach him for their grievances and difficulties and the manager has to redress them. If he is not able to do the needful, he must place it before the management.
[iii] He has to work and safeguard the firm, where he is an office manager.
[iv] His primary duty is to the management and secondary duty to the workers. He must please both the parties. If either one of the parties is annoyed or neglected, he will be regarded as a bad manager.
c) Recruitment of Staff: He has to select the right person for the right job. For that he invites applications, conducts interviews and selects personnel.
d) Training of Staff: He provides training to the new employees as well as old employees to improve their skill in the latest techniques of management.
e) Motivation: He measures the employees work and output and offers rewards which increase their efficiency and ensure their better cooperation and lead to the promotion of the staff.
f) Discipline: Discipline in the office depends upon him. The sub ordinates should follow the rules and principles of management. He must have ability to speak. New methods cannot be accepted, unless full explanation is followed. He has to convince others about the fact findings.
g) Accounting: He has to keep a close touch with the accounting and costing section.
h) Controls Stationary: He has to safeguard the furniture, fittings, machines, equipments and various types of records.
i) Secretarial Services: He maintains statutory and accounts books, holds meetings, drafts report and minutes, etc. Thus, he does the secretary’s functions.
j) Organizer and Supervisor: He organizes and supervises the office correspondence, messenger services, communication system, filling and indexing, protection of records, etc. There is no hard and fast rule as to the functions of an office manager. His functions depend upon the type and size of the organization.