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In the modern world of business, competition is tough and the only way to succeed is to do everything right, every step of the way. One of the first steps on this journey of thousand miles lies in properly administering your office. The job of an office administrator is not an easy one but it is more than necessary. Finally, if there is something that The Office (US version) taught us, it is that it’s not unusual for an office administrator (like Pam Halpert née Beesly) to be everyone’s favorite person. Here are some tips on how to administer your office like a boss.
Start at the reception
For starters, you should never underestimate the significance of first impression. Just remember one thing, you can never get a second chance to leave a positive first impression on someone, so you must do this right. This means that not only does the reception need to be well organized but person working at it needs to be suitable for the job. What you need is a positive and optimistic person, someone who inspires trustworthiness with nothing but their presence. One more thing, it does not suffice for them to just look like that, they must sound this way over the phone as well.
A clear agenda
When it comes to the agenda of the company, this is yet another responsibility of the office administrator. So, if there is any field trip incoming, it is up to you to organize it. Two things here are the key. First one is notifying your coworkers in time and the other one is trying to save company some money. However, these field trips are not your only responsibility, in fact they are not even the tip of the iceberg. Organizing appointments, conferences and meetings are just some of your additional duties as well as dealing with some unforeseen occurrences. Still, how administrators handle themselves in these circumstances is a reliable way to differentiate the best from the rest.
Managing consumables
Next thing that is in line for an office administrator is how to manage consumable materials like paper and printer ink. A recent study shows that an average office worker consumes no less than 10,000 sheets of copy paper on annual basis. This number can be alarming both for your budget and the environment but there is a way to remedy this. For paper, try resorting to recycled one. This will help you save both paper and your company’s budget. As for the printer ink, since you will need them in large quantities, try buying toner cartridges online. In this way you will always get the best deal.
Being the focal point
As an administrator, you are the focal point of the entire office. Every bit of information (sometimes even the most insignificant), goes directly through you. Amongst your responsibilities, there are composing emails and circular emails, business correspondence, reports and memos. So, if there is a problem in office communication it will usually be your fault. With this in mind, it would be wise for you to save every single message that you send in both digital and printed version. This step is crucial not only to protect yourself, but also to keep track and record of everything that is happening.
Multitasking
Even though some might not agree with this, for most successful office administrators, office is no short of a battlefield. This means that you are working in a chaotic environment in which every single party requires your immediate and undivided attention. Of course, this is almost impossible to accomplish, which is why a successful administrator must excel in multitasking. Not only does an administrator deal with all things that were mentioned above, but also has to be fully prepared for all eventualities. Because of this, office administrator can be anyone, but a great office administrator is something that only those extraordinary few can deserve to be called.
In the end, same as successful office administrator can improve the productivity in the workplace, an unskilled one can completely ruin it. With this in mind, you must do all that is in your power to raise the level of organization in your workplace and in this way, take your entire business at a whole new level. By managing your office successfully, you will not only make some visible results but also demonstrate to everyone that you have what it takes to succeed in this modern dog-eat-dog business world.
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About the Author
Raul is a B.Sc. in Innovative entrepreneurship and his main areas of interest is digital marketing for enterprises and small businesses. He is also a regular contributor on technivorz.com
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