To manage an office effectively you need to first manage yourself, and then manage your time, tasks, and others in order to achieve maximum success. This course will help increase your motivation and confidence through understanding of principles and best practices of successful office management.

You will learn to prioritize, plan, and solve problems not just to get your work done on time, but to have continuous improvement in productivity. You will learn to communicate more confidently in public, meetings, and with all levels of staff, including managing difficult behaviours. Finally you will gain self management skills which will help you to cope with stress, keep a ‘can do’ positive attitude, and enjoy your job each day no matter what the challenges are.

• The importance of defining and understanding your crucial role as an office manager
• The keys to effective organisation
• Understanding, writing and controlling budgets
• Key negotiation and influencing skills; application in your role
• Getting desired outcome through effective win/win communication skills
• Dynamic time management
• Managing difficult people, situations and stress in a calm and effective manner

Module 1: Defining the Role of the Office Manager

• Understanding the core components of the office manager role:
  – Functions
  – Roles
  – Responsibilities
• Clarifying expectations
• Four dimensions exercise

Module 2: The Art of Effective Planning and Organising

• How to plan – a step by step framework for success
•  The importance of robust project management skills
• Avoiding the common logistical traps
• Documentation control – ensuring you have the facts at your fingertips
• Organising and structuring processes and procedures
• Problem solving and decision making

Module 3: Budgeting – Understanding and Controlling the Finances

• Understanding core financial terminology
• How to write and understand a budget
• The most effective way to control a budget
• Allocating resources in a cost effective way
• How to defend your budget from attack

Module 4: Essential Negotiation Skills – Doing Win/Win Deals

• The critical importance of negotiation skills
• Understanding your counterpart
• Learn your strengths and play to them
• Tactics and counter tactics – a best practice approach
• Why win/win is the ultimate goal in any negotiation

Module 5: Effective Communication – Written and Spoken

• How to get your message across firmly and fairly
• Practical ways to get your voice heard in any scenario
• Best practice communication model:
  – Email communication
  – Meetings
  – 1 to 1 scenarios
• Effective business writing
• Writing instructions and process guides
• Getting your hands on the information you need

Module 6: Influencing Across Your Organisation – Getting Them to Accept the Decision

• The role of influencing within modern organisations
  – Influencing upwards
  – Influencing across business functions
  – Influencing teams
  – Influencing individuals

Module 7: Prioritising & Time Management

• How to prioritise in a way that works for you
• Identifying your personal “time stealers”
• Best practice time management techniques
• How to defend your time from institutional and colleague attack
• Practical steps for increasing productivity and efficiency
• The importance of effective delegation

Module 8: Managing Change – Gaining Commitment

• How to introduce change painlessly
• Up-selling change as a positive
• Pre-empting and managing potential negative impact
• Learn to cope yourself

Module 9: Taking Control – Stick to Your Guns

• Understanding and maximising your personal strengths
• Harnessing the unique strengths of others
• Don’t get panicked by rank into changing your tack

Module 10: Dealing with Difficult Situation – People and Emotions

• Dealing with the organisational hierarchy
• Coping with those who know better
• How to handle emotions and feelings in a professional way
• Conflict resolution – a best practice approach
• Dealing with the human crisis

Module 11: Dealing with Pressure and Stress

• Coping with difficult problems
• The importance of keeping things in perspective
• Dealing with crisis scenarios
• Practical breathing techniquesHow to handle your own stress
• Coping with others in stress

• Office manager