7 Reasons You Love Your Office Manager

It might not seem like it at first, but one of the very important positions that you - a leader at a fast growing startup - need is a tremendously talented executive assistant and/or office manager. It seems a little backwards to say that, but there are plenty of reasons why you should not only have one, but to also love that person.

After reading this list, go out and buy a gift for your assistant because it is Administrative Professionals Day.  

1. They Help You Manage Your Time Effectively

Ever had your head in a project and you didn’t realize time was going by? You suddenly come up for air and it is 5:30 and you have to be somewhere in 15 minutes? If you had an executive assistant, that wouldn’t happen. Your EA will manage your time, essentially ferrying you from point to point to point to ensure you get everything you need done.

2. The Minutiae is Handled

I hate having to plan an entire business trip because it annoys me. I hate having to remember to file my quarterly taxes. I hate having to invoice. These are all things that annoy me. If I had an executive assistant, I wouldn’t ever have to worry about them, freeing up my time to focus on building what I need to build and doing what I like to do.

3. Gate Keeper

While I am a big believer in an open door policy, sometimes you need to get stuff done. Your assistant will be able to keep people out. Instead of bothering you, people will bother your assistant. Your assistant can take notes on what needs to be done and when your time is free, deliver them.

4. A Second You

Believe it or not, your assistant can become a second you. As time goes on, your assistant will learn what is important and what isn’t. Your assistant will be able to intuitively know what you need before you even know. Your assistant is your partner; they’re going to learn everything they can to support the work you need to get done.

5. Phones and Email Taken Care Of

Now it’s definitely old school to have someone connect you to a conference call, but it’s not old school to have someone take all your phone calls and manage your email. The time you wouldn’t spend on email can be spent on reviewing that marketing strategy your marketing manager keeps pestering you about.

6. Office Planning

Bringing people into the office for a meeting and need to have food? Your office manager will take care of it. Tell them when and what you want so that when the meeting begins, it is all there. This also includes connecting with any other departments to ensure that they have everything they need for the important meetings.

7. Your Life Will Never Be So Organized

Take your receipts, your notes, the five different giant documents you received yesterday, and try to make sense of everything. Right, it’s also your boyfriend’s birthday and Mother’s Day is a couple weeks away. Don’t forget that your niece is having her kindergarten graduation and she really wants her “auntie” to be there. You might have been able to handle all of this before, but it would take time away from other, more important things for your business.

There are so many reasons to love your executive assistant or office manager. As the months and years go on, your assistant is going to know everything about you. Your assistant will effectively become your work-spouse, with all the nagging that comes along with it. T

In many ways, your work depends on that assistant. It might be hard to justify it, but if your assistant can handle the small tasks so you can focus on the large one, you’ll see your productivity improve. And at the end of the day, the more productive you are, the more successful your business is. And the amount of money you spend on your assistant will be significantly less than the increased value you generate because your life is better managed.

Consider A Gift

The answer to this is dependent on a lot of things, including how much you know about your assistant. If you have a woman, the easiest option would be to order flowers and perhaps pay for a spa day for her. But that’s the easiest option. Here are some gift ideas that I think would be pretty awesome:

• Tickets to something they like: How much would it cost to buy two Broadway tickets? Or tickets to a sporting event? Buy one for your assistant and one guest. It’ll cost you a couple hundred dollars and it’ll show true appreciation.

• A gift card for dinner: Find a nice place and send your assistant. Your assistant has reminded you to eat; now pay the favor back.

• An actual gift: Heard your assistant mention that they want something in particular? Order it for them and give it to them.

But really, the best gift you can give is to respect your assistant. Life gets stressful and it gets overwhelming, but so long as you give respect, the quality of work you get will be great. And you’ll find, over time, that the quality of work you’re doing and the amount you’re getting done will increase. To all the administrative staff out there, thank you for making our lives just a little bit easier and our office management a lot smoother!