Transcription

00:00:06 Introduction

Welcome. You're listening to Links at Bain and Gray, a catalogue of podcasts centred on all things business support in the workplace. Our aim is to bring you interesting and relevant content that will keep you up to date and thriving in your role.

00:00:19 Emily

Hello. Today we are talking about everything Office Manager. My name's Emily Bain and I'm here with -

00:00:27 Livvy

Hi my name’s Livvy, I'm the Office Manager for Bain and Gray. It’s nice to be here, thanks for having me.

00:00:30 Emily

Ohh Livvy it’s so lovely to have you here. Um, Livvy, I've been wanting to talk about the Office Manager role for a long time, to explain to our listeners how different it is from other positions and I thought no one better placed than you to come and tell us exactly what you do. So before we start talking about the role that you have with us and how varied it is, what were you doing before and how did you get to become an Office Manager?

00:00:57 Livvy

So I'm one of those people that's kind of always been doing a bit of this and a bit of that, which I think does feed quite well into the role I'm doing now because it's so varied. But before I started this role, which was about a year just over a year now, I was working as a teacher.

00:01:12 Emily

Oh, OK.

00:01:19 Livvy

Yeah an English teacher for a secondary school. And people always ask me, oh, you must have a qualification. And I said, “Actually, no, I don't because I started teaching unqualified” -

00:01:22 Emily

Uh-huh.

00:01:23 Livvy

- which was crazy!

00:01:27 Emily

What, what led you to that?

00:01:26 Livvy

So I studied English and History at university. I did a year abroad, so I did, I had a four year degree. And I always wanted to, knew I wanted to use my degree and I always had this sort of affinity to work with kids before I went to university. I worked in a nursery and then I left Uni, worked in a pub for a bit, did all sorts of different sort of jobs like Market Research and all these different things. I worked in a primary school for a bit with little kids, so like Reception, so like teeny tiny four year olds and five year olds. And I worked as a Special Needs Assistant alongside that. So that was very, I mean, it was really fulfilling in some ways, but -

00:02:04 Emily

Quite challenging?

00:02:05 Livvy

Challenging. I think because I don't know they’re so little that sort of, they they spend maybe 15 minutes learning a day and then a lot of the time it's like play time and it's more sort of supervision rather than sort of like teaching, which I did like and met some amazing kids and adults there as well. But after that, I thought, you know, I want to sort of use my brain a bit more like in a different way, sort of challenge it and use my degree because I I loved studying English, especially. History, I found a lot harder. But English it was very much about interpretation and creative thinking and sort of how as my, my experience of reading something, how can I interpret that in my own way. Whereas History is sort of a lot more based on -

00:02:45 Emily

So is that when you came to meet with us, at the end of that journey?

00:02:50 Livvy

Yes. So well, I was working, so as a teacher, I did that for the full academic year and then I left and I was having a bit of a like -

00:02:59 Emily

Crisis?

00:02:59 Livvy

“What should I do?!” Crisis! Yeah, maybe that. A quarter life crisis you could call it. Where I was, so alongside this I also teach yoga, which I'm I'm sure we'll talk about that a bit later on. Yes, but I did my qualification for yoga teaching alongside being a school teacher, which I think in hindsight, maybe not the best timing because it was the most intense job of my life alongside something that I'm so passionate about.

00:03:23 Emily

Yes.

00:03:25 Livvy

But I finished my school teaching job and started the yoga teaching sort of journey. I picked up some teaching in community centres and I did a bit of cover and then fortunately my sister she got me a job where she used to work at an art studio which was in Acton and they create all sorts of like amazing artwork for like commercial properties and stuff. So I was their Archivist.

00:03:48 Emily

Ohh ok. So that led you into more of the office environment? Is that right?

00:03:51 Livvy

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And it was very creative. I think there's always sort of, I like to have a sort of creative streak in a lot of the things I do. And that was only part-time. That was for, like, three days a week. And it was, it was really flexible, which I loved.

00:04:03 Emily

Which would’ve helped you? Yes.

00:04:04 Livvy

Yeah, exactly. But at that same time, in my head, I was like, I need to find something that's like full-time.

00:04:10 Emily

So did you wake up, I think I know the answer to this, but did you wake up one day and go, “Ohh, I want to be an Office Manager.”

00:04:13 Livvy

No, absolutely not. No. I kind of like, obviously it's cause the title is so broad like.

00:04:20 Emily

Yes.

00:04:21 Livvy

I think I was looking, I tried to get a bit into publishing maybe because I think probably a lot of people that have studied English, especially can relate to this.

00:04:28 Emily

The dream job.

00:04:29 Livvy

It doesn't necessarily relate to a clear career path. A lot of I have a lot of friends have done like Psychology, or something and it's very clear what they want to do and they have like sort of, they do a PhD whereas English it's like -

00:04:40 Emily

Very broad.

00:04:41 Livvy

What am I gonna do with that?

00:04:42 Emily

So you came to register and then did we pounce on you? Is that what happened?

00:04:46 Livvy

Well, so yeah, I had a couple of interviews through one of our consultants, Julia, and she was really, really supportive. And I think I went to a few different interviews, kind of just applied for them, not really knowing if it was the right thing for me.

00:04:58 Emily

Just to explore?

00:05:00 Livvy

Just to, completely explore.

00:05:01 Emily

Great thing to do.

00:05:02 Livvy

And I think both me and Julia both kind of agreed like “don’t think these are the right sort of roles” and I was at the art studio job and I got a call from, from Claire like “Hello. I'm the director of Bain and Gray”, and obviously it was like a real, it just opened up this whole opportunity for me -

00:05:18 Emily

Fantastic.

00:05:19 Livvy

- and I think it was really nice because it felt like someone recognised that maybe just from looking at the things I'd done that I would maybe be a good fit and I think yeah, that that it did feel like that very much.

00:05:29 Emily

Well I think, well, I want you to talk about what you think makes a good Office Manager. Before we do that, can you describe in your words, what is an Office Manager and what you do on a day-to-day basis?

00:05:42 Livvy

Yes. So I think day-to-day is probably a better way to describe it because it's so different like like a Monday is probably the busiest day and as is the Thursday when everyone's in the office but it’s so general in terms of I have these set things I do every week I do invoicing, I do payroll with the temp team. I have responsibility to sort of provide the team breakfast and I have these things I do every week and then around that there's like sort of projects to be done or there's creative sort of - I think I designed a logo for a QR code once.

And like it's the sort of thing that jobs, just as you progress through the the role, kind of just come up. But in terms of the role itself, it's so diverse.

00:06:29 Emily

Is that what attracted you to the role?

00:06:31 Livvy

Yeah. Completely. Yeah, I like, I think just from being, I always compare teaching to this job actually cause -

00:06:38 Emily

Are we like children?

00:06:38 Livvy

Haha. Well! But crowd pleasing, you know, crowd management.

00:06:44 Emily

Absolutely, yeah.

00:06:45 Livvy

But there are certain things, there's a lot of routine and each week in terms of like the timetable is kind of the same.

00:06:44 Emily

So you’ve got the bones?

00:06:51 Livvy

Yeah, exactly. I've got the structure there and I can block out certain time when I know I'm doing the thing that I'm expected to do each week. And then when I when I'm not doing those things I have the autonomy to kind of -

00:07:02 Emily

Be a bit more creative.

00:07:02 Livvy

Be be more creative and not just with like how I do my To Do List but within what I'm actually doing as well -

00:07:09 Emily

Sure.

00:07:10 Livvy

- and sort of deciding “ohh you know what, I've got a bit of time on that day. I'm gonna do that then and then pick it up pick it back up later” or that kind of thing.

00:07:15 Emily

So in essence, sort of break it down to sort of, to sound quite dull, I suppose, but Office Manager - you are managing the office, so you are managing everything to do with sort of bricks and mortar in terms of facilities.

00:07:24 Livvy

Yeah.

00:07:27 Emily

But you're also managing the people in that office.

00:07:29 Livvy

Yeah, completely.

Yeah. And how how did when you first started? Cause obviously it was a new position for you. Did you know where you'd be in a years’ time? Would you say the role has evolved from what you've made it?

00:07:43 Livvy

Completely evolved. I think. I I I wouldn't say get I bored easy, but I like to do new things and I think so any opportunity where something would arise. I I feel like I'm quite eager to to take on something new and through that by sort of showing keenness to like take on these new responsibilities, the the job does naturally evolve.

00:07:55 Emily

Hmm. Yes.

00:08:03 Livvy

And if I probably looked back at sort of my To Do List from because I just might have them on my notebook, I like like ticking them all off. If I will look back at sort of all my notes and stuff from the start, it's they're so sort of different sort of things I was just doing on a day-to-day compared to now.

00:08:17 Emily

So what challenges have you faced or what, what are the challenges you face in the office?

00:08:21 Livvy

So one of the sort of main things I'd say, that's the challenge is, like you said, it's sort of the bricks and mortar, but it's also the people management side, which again makes it very similar to working with kids just in terms of sort of like being uh, I obviously don't have authority in some ways, but then I do have authority in other ways, so sort of trying to manage different opinions, different requests, different demands -

00:08:46 Emily

Mmm.

00:08:47 Livvy

- and because we work so all so closely together, also keeping it so it's very sort of -

00:08:52 Emily

Lighthearted, upbeat?

00:08:53 Livvy

Yeah, of course. So we don't want it to be a sort of, yeah, want it to be as nice a place as possible when I think, quite often there can be things that I'm sorting out and then suddenly something comes up which becomes a massive priority. Like “Oh my God, someone spilt water on their laptop!”

00:09:05 Emily

Yes.

00:09:06 Livvy

Or “Oh my gosh, this has happened.” It's always, it's mostly tech related. I feel like everything's tech related.

00:09:08 Emily

Yes. That's a big part of the role isn’t it?

00:09:11 Livvy

Yeah, it is.

00:09:11 Emily

I do think it's a massive skill to be able to push back. Just going back a little bit, what you were saying about managing the whole sort of vibe of the office and different personalities.

It's a real skill to push back in a really harmonious way, and I think that that's your personality. I think it's just a lovely inner resilience, maybe it's your yoga.

00:09:30 Livvy

I was about to say it's probably my yoga! I mean, if I'd done this job, maybe when I was 19, I'm not sure it would have been the same.

00:09:36 Emily

No exactly. Just keep breathing! Namaste. Yeah.

00:09:43 Livvy

Exactly. Just stay grounded. Don't get attached to any situation. Kind of just see it at face value.

00:09:42 Emily

Yeah, yeah. What is the most rewarding part of your role?

00:09:45 Livvy

Well, I think it's really nice because because of the nature of my role, I interact with everyone kind of on a very personal basis and for different reasons. Some of the people that in the team I work with directly or others I don't interact with as directly in terms of the job, but I'm always walking around the office. I'm always kind of like on my feet. And most people would probably say that “she’s always just like running around”.

00:10:10 Emily

You are!

00:10:12 Livvy

I am! That’s why I always wear comfy shoes!

00:10:13 Emily

Well, I think I think it's a difficult job to be a good Office Manager because you've got so much pride in everything you know, making sure that the kitchen area looks good.

Looking after everyone's birthdays and yeah, you're constantly looking after everybody and constantly making sure that everyone's OK and I think it's a I think it's it, it's not for everyone, this role. I think you've got to be really upbeat and I think you've got to be a master of all trades. Haven't you really?

00:10:38 Livvy

Yeah, I'd say it's so varied I think it's not sort of it is is definitely good for someone that wants wants to wants variety that likes being active and likes being sociable. Cause I think in my previous, my archivist job it was very much just like, me and a screen. And I’d get up to make a coffee, and that would kind of be my only time I'd interact with people directly whereas this is a lot more sort of external, social.

00:11:02 Emily

So where, where do you think you can go after being an Office Manager in a company?

00:11:06 Livvy

So I think within the role itself, I think there's definitely scope to hop to a different industry by, sort of, because there’s all these transferable skills, all the things I'm doing could be applied to the same sort of role in a different industry.

00:11:18 Emily

Mm-hmm.

00:11:19 Livvy

But then in terms of also just branching out from the Office Manager or even going to like a studio manager role or something more creative. Or education I think or working directly with people. I think the job requires you to be really willing to, like, support people. And I think that's sort of, if that's something that you enjoy doing and sort of enjoy thinking on your feet. All those sort of roles.

00:11:41 Emily

Hmm hmm. I think in a in a way it's a brilliant platform for going in any direction because you do a bit of PA work, for for myself and Claire.

00:11:48 Livvy

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

00:11:50 Emily

And you can go down that route or you can, like you say, take the Office Manager role and go to another firm, perhaps do a much bigger role and do an office move or that type of thing or you can just be doing heavy administration or coordination.

00:11:59 Livvy

Yeah, exactly.

00:11:59 Emily

It's a brilliant job to sort of start your career on in the office, sort of.

00:12:03 Livvy

Exactly like a Team Assistant, it's like basically the same thing.

00:12:06 Emily

Absolutely.

00:12:07 Livvy

A Team Assistant role and with all the different bases that you cover. If they if throughout the sort of Office Manager experience that you gain, you discover, “oh, I really like this specific part of the role”, like there's a lot of spreadsheets I do, if that is something that really that you like -

00:12:20 Emily

Yeah, rocks your boat.

00:12:21 Livvy

Yeah. Exactly. Or you really love the sort of events management side, the planning side of it. You could go into like events management and that's because it's it's so many things come up that maybe start sparking interest in you that you didn't know you had.

00:12:30 Emily

Yes. And actually thinking of people that have been Office Managers in our business, they've all gone on to be PAs or Office Managers. Just thinking of that now and thinking it is a great platform for that.

00:12:40 Livvy

Yeah. Yeah, it's a springboard.

00:12:41 Emily

And finally, Livvy, what advice would you give to somebody who's thinking about an Office Manager role?

00:12:47 Livvy

I think, don't think that you need to have a specific qualification or you need to have office management experience necessarily. Like you’ve probably already got office management experience without even having that in your job title. So I think really be really open minded about giving it a try and and look at what you've already done and kind of have faith in yourself that you can do it and if you enjoy sort of -

00:13:09 Emily

Everything you’ve just said?

00:13:16 Livvy

- fast-paced environment, if you enjoy working with a team. If you enjoy sort of structure but also, excitement, an ever changing list then -

00:13:18 Emily

Change, mm.

00:13:19 Livvy

Yeah, that's what's I’d say.

00:13:21 Emily

Ah super, ah thank you Livvy. Thanks for joining us today.

00:13:22 Livvy

That's alright. Thanks for having me.