One of the essentials required for running a successful business is good management. When it comes to public relations, it is of utmost importance to have qualified and experienced staff and someone who can manage them in the best way. When PR strategies fail, the damage can be unrepairable. With that in mind, let’s see what the best tips for finding a good office manager are.
Problem solver
The number one quality of a good office manager is that he or she should be a good problem solver. When a crisis happens, it is up to PR people to address the public and remedy the damage. With that in mind, it is best to test potential managers by putting them under pressure and observing the reaction. For example, let’s look at the list of the biggest PR disasters from 2019:
- Gillette had a terrible advertising campaign that unintentionally implied how most men are guilty of sexual harassment.
- TripAdvisor really showcased poor customer care and sympathy in a case where a girl accused one of the tour guides who advertised on TripAdvisor of raping her. They advised the girl to simply leave a review about the incident instead of taking care of it head-on.
- Even though all the smart brands take privacy and security seriously, Facebook had a really bad year due to all the privacy issues they faced. Even though Mark Zuckerberg stated Facebook will do everything it can to protect the privacy of its users, there were numerous information leaks that led to penalty fees of 5 billion dollars.
Being able to communicate with the people around you and express yourself in a clear and precise way is a quality every manager should possess.
Problems like these are a perfect example of what can happen to a company. When looking for an office manager, these situations are the perfect way to test them and see how they would react.
Invest in communication skills
We all must agree on one thing—a good office manager must have above-average communication skills. As a leader and someone who should talk to the public, a manager must have a way with words. Communication is key in problem-solving, advertising, and many aspects of a successful business.
Being able to communicate with the people around you and express yourself in a clear and precise way is a quality every manager should possess.
Furthermore, communication does not only include talking. There are many essential communication skills. A good manager should also be a good listener. Someone who will take their time to listen to what people have to say. Next, as much as verbal skills are important, non-verbal communication can say a lot more about a person. This skill is especially important for PR managers. They are constantly in front of the eyes of millions of people, talking to the public every day.
A good manager should be a people’s person
A manager is someone who should know the business inside-out. However, it is even more important for a manager to be a people’s person. An office manager should be:
- A friendly person: Having good relations with the rest of the employees will benefit the overall atmosphere on the job.
- Empathetic: Listening is not worth much if you cannot understand the drives and emotions of the people around you. Showing empathy towards the person you are talking to is the best way to make a connection. This skill is essential for anyone in public relations.
- Respectful: A manager must be respectful of both colleagues and employees. One of the major mistakes managers make is that they take respect for granted, and expect it from their employees. Respect is something that must be earned, and only those who understand that should be managers.
Courage and confidence are always valued
Another tip for finding a good office manager is to look for someone who is full of courage and confidence. Both are essential for a good leader. If a manager doesn’t show confidence, no one will follow him. If a manager doesn’t show courage, he or she will lose a necessary edge.
An open mind is a key for success
When I talk about an open mind, that means being innovative and open to new and unexplored possibilities. Furthermore, it also includes being able to have a higher understanding of the job and finding different solutions for an issue you are facing. It means being able to look at something from multiple angles.
A good manager is someone who always strives to learn more
Finding a good office manager is not an easy task. If you think about it, someone who is applying for the position should already have a lot of experience on the job. Nevertheless, a person who always wants to learn more is the best candidate. Those who lose interest in learning new things will stop to improve, and a good manager should be like a bottle of wine—the older and more experienced, the better!
Providing feedback
Speaking from personal experience, when I first started working for moversdev.com, one of the most important things for me was the feedback I got from my manager. All managers should be capable of understanding how to provide productive feedback and criticism to their employees.
Feedback is crucial for progress, and every good office manager should provide valuable feedback to employees.
This is how you know your work is being noticed. Even though taking care of the workload is important, so is taking care of employees. If they don’t receive important feedback, they might miss an opportunity to improve.
Tips for finding a good office manager—delivered!
I sincerely hope these tips for finding a good office manager will help you with your search. Finding good leaders is never easy, especially when it comes to the PR industry. Nevertheless, if you keep these tips in mind, you will know exactly who to look for. Handling a PR crisis may be a turning point for any company. Also, it can be something that will end your business. With that being said, always make sure to put the right person in the right position!
