#1 Buying cheap, I mean cheap paper products used in the bathroom and breakrooms. Those barely there toilet paper rolls saving you maybe $100 per year aren’t worth the rolls they are housed on. Walmart.com can drop ship better products right to your office for $12 a month.
#2 Skimping out on hiring a cleaning person. No just no. I can guarantee you no one on this planet has an ahhhh ha moment in a dirty bathroom or breakroom. They are more likely to have an ekks moment. Part time cleaning people love to work after business hours. Someone you know needs work. I do remember working in an office when the cleaning person was out for three weeks and being totally overwhelmed by the smell and overflowing garbage cans. Your people feel the same way. Trying to cover up a bad environment with those perfumy plug ins is not the answer. Hire someone!
#3 Bad coffee. Yes, office managers I am calling you out on this. If you buy your coffee from the same company that delivers your cardboard shipping supplies, you might be getting this wrong. Go for the name brands, and ASK your staff what they like.
#4 Hiring someone without giving them an employee handbook. I’ve worked at a few companies that had me sign a piece of paper saying I’ve read the handbook but they never provided the actual handbook! This is a recipe for disaster. Legally and motivationally.
#5 Allowing employees to discuss wages and bonuses. Nothing de-motivates an employee or staff member more knowing that hard earned raise or bonus went to someone else. Put it in the employee handbook. These water-cooler conversations will cost you people and money. Someone’s going to walk out.
#6 Supplying over the counter medications in the breakroom. Say it with me, you aren’t responsible for their hangover, cramps or bad decisions. Take it off your buying list and get the better coffee. Your budget will thank me later.
#7 Allowing a bully to do their thing. An employee who physically threaten harm is a one-way ticket to a big old lawsuit. You are the responsible party. Do your job. Allowing someone to attack an employee’s character, financial situation, or physical appearance is wrong. Stop allowing it.
#8 Zoom from your bedroom? No. Stop it! I don’t care if you live in a mansion or are calling from a five-star resort in Hawaii. Your people don’t need to see all that! Yes, Mrs. and Mr. bathrobe, I mean you! Conference calls are better.
#9 Forcing people to work with broken equipment. If you are duct taping phone cords or zip tying handrails, you might want to revisit your maintenance budget.
#10 Let’s talk a messy office environment. Where is your hidden Marie Kondo or Cas from HGTV? I am sure you have a similar motivated individual on your payroll. Put their organizational skills to work! An organized space clears head space.
So there you have the top ten “Getting it wrong” things office managers do. Do you have opinions on it? Great! Email me at amyfraney6868@gmail.com and we can discuss easy and affordable ways to make changes.
