We were delighted to be the headline sponsor of the second Office Management Awards in June, and I really enjoyed contributing the celebrations by delivering a speech which revolved around the changing climate we’ve experienced over the past few years and how now you’re not just an ‘office manager’: you are office leaders.
Being adaptable, flexible and open to change is one of the core attributes of anyone in the office management community, but there’s more to it than that. We saw many individuals recognised at the awards, but the winner of the Office Manager of the Year was the lovely Sarah James, People & Operations Manager at Savient.
It was a pleasure to award Sarah her trophy and see the positivity and appreciation for her in the room: she’s obvious admired by many. I asked Sarah what her top tips where for being an award-winning Office Leader, and we wanted to share these with you.
Listening
Firstly, it’s listening. Sarah ensures she listens to the Directors and employees which allows her to know what is important to the productivity of the business as well as understanding what is needed to support that. This is all while managing expectations, communicating effectively, remaining calm and professional; allowing her to balance the many differing aspects to her role and to ensure tasks are achievable.
Communication
Next up is something vital in all areas of life: Communication. When employees work from various locations, offices, hybrid, or clients’ sites it’s important you can engage and communication with everyone. They should feel part of the culture and the team, so adapting ways of communicating with others to have an inclusive working environment which champions a positive culture and supports the continued growth of the business is vital to the role of any office manager.
Respect
Sarah has earned the respect of everyone she works with which gives her the opportunity to support the Directors, employees and the operational function of the business as well as promoting the brand externally in a positive and professional manner which in turn continues to support the growth of the business.
Being Pro-active
You can’t wait for things to happen, you need to be ahead of the game and be proactive in your approach to tasks to ensure you are organised and manage expectations and your time effectively. As an Office Manager Sarah’s core tasks are fundamental to the operational aspects of the business. This includes office management, operational, HR, recruitment, health & safety, finance and marketing.
Empathy
If we don’t take the time to listen, communicate, and respect others then how can we be proactive in our day to day tasks? Many Office Leaders are in privileged roles within their business: trusted by others and they therefore need to be empathic when supporting others to understand the situation. Only then can they work together to find solutions which will help not only the individual but you, them and the business to be the best company they can be.
So there you have it, from the Office Manager of the Year herself, the top 5 things to consider to ensure you’re on the path to being an award-winning Office Leader!
If
you’re in the industry we’d love to connect, and of course we look forward to
seeing you at The Office Management Awards in 2023!
