Mail Room Maintenance | Tips For Office Managers to Keep The Office Running Smoothly
Do you feel sticky? Because you are the glue. As an office manager you are the glue that keeps the office together. The role is being redefined as technology allows. Some duties are becoming more and more complex. While others are being automated and streamlined.
The role of an office manager changes based on the nature of the business. Scheduling maintenance for the office mailroom and keeping track of ordering shipping and mailing supplies is a standard task for office managers. If the business grows, however, delegating this task is a great way to keep it prioritized without creating too much work.
Here are a few tips to keep the office running smoothly and employees happy.
Organize.
An office manager probably fell into their profession after discovering their outstanding organization skills. It takes work and commitment to organize and keep organized, an office that is always humming with business.
1. Organize the office manager space – your space – first.
Your day starts and functions from your desk. If it is overcrowded or confusing, it’s time to reorganize or set some rules about what can be dropped on your desk and with what information you need to organize it.
When your space is organized, you can move on to other areas of the office, like the mailroom, and continue organizing as needed.
2. Organize print jobs.
Most offices have employees do their own printing. However, business owners that invest in higher-end, professional printers may want to protect their investment by limiting access to those who have been trained to operate the printer.
If you are the designated printer, it’s important to keep print requests organized.
Communicate.
Labels and printed instructions help you communicate with your coworkers. They are the most effective way to communicate how the office is set up to run. If everyone is on the same page, the office will run smoothly and efficiently.
3. Label as you organize.
Labeling communicates your organization system to the employees that need to use the space you are organizing. In a mailroom, for example, go beyond the “incoming” and “outgoing” mail. Indicate where employees can find various supplies. If they need to document their mailings, have clear instructions posted nearby.
Labels will help you and your coworkers keep track of where important records and documents are. It will be easy to update records as the business moves forward.
4. Use routines and labels to develop good habits.
Always forgetting something? Make a routine. Once you receive a certain kind of material or task, follow through without getting sidetracked. This will help prevent papers from piling up on your desk. You know where it goes. And, you are used to putting it in a place as soon as it’s convenient.
5. Communicate with your coworkers.
Many view office managers with awe and respect for their supernatural ability to stay on top of things. While you are good at this, there is nothing supernatural about it. You are eventually going to need to delegate.
When it comes time to delegate, communicate clearly and outline the overall goal of the task. Use labels and printed instructions to help coworkers follow your process to get things done.
Bonus: Office management tasks are often a good way to remind your coworkers that the office runs a whole. They are part of a team. It’s much easier to be considerate if you know a little about what your coworkers are dealing with.