Managers have a complicated role in the office place. They have to accept the rules that are handed down to them from their bosses. They have to then enforce those rules among the people who work beneath them in the chain of command. It can be really stressful. It can also be really rewarding if it’s a position that you enjoy.

Managers may find the following three tips helpful when working with their employees:

1. Keep an eye on employees’ activities but involve them in decisions. It’s important to engage in employee monitoring to make sure that employees are following the rules and staying on task. However, this can lead to employee resentment. That resentment is countered when you include employees in the decision-making process at work. Do this and you’ll find yourself working in a happier office place.
2. Push for the right technology. An office needs up-to-date and correct technology to run efficiently. If you notice that your office needs something important that it’s missing (such as an online backup system) then you should discuss this with company heads to make sure that you get the things that you need.
3. Learn little tricks to avoid wasted time. The less time that you waste, the less stressed out you’re going to be. This will make your work as a manger easier. Learn little tricks to waste less time. For example, use services like doctors that are close to the office instead of far away to reduce commute times.

What else should an office manager know to run the office efficiently without getting stressed out?

Tags: business, kathryn vercillo, management, office, productivity, work

One of the reasons that I work for myself is that I really hate having a boss. I hate having someone telling me what to do and looking over my shoulder to make sure that I’m doing it correctly. For this reason, I am naturally turned off by the idea of employee monitoring in the office place. I tend to feel that if I’m getting done what I’m supposed to be getting done then my boss shouldn’t be worried about what I’m doing with the rest of my time.

However, I’ve been reading a lot lately about how to run a productive office. Because of this, I’ve been reading a lot about employee monitoring. And I’m actually starting to believe that employee monitoring has the potential to be a good thing in some businesses. It’s not only good for the bottom line of the business but it can actually improve employee morale when it’s used correctly.

Basically, employee monitoring can be used to generate more employee teamwork and to get feedback from employees about the state of productivity in the office. The one thing I do miss about working in a big business is that sense of feeling like you’re part of something bigger. Working with a team can make it more fun to get your work done and it’s often the case that you end up contributing to something that’s more than the sum of its parts. When employee monitoring is used to foster that, it can actually be a really good thing for everyone involved.

Tags: business, employee monitoring, kathryn vercillo, management, office, productivity

One of the most important things that an employer needs to know to be a great leader is exactly what it is that he or she wants from the employees working for the business. By getting clear about expectations, the employer can lay out what the employees must do which makes it a heck of a lot easier for employees to meet the needs of the business.

One simple example might be the employer who wants to deter employees from personal Internet use at the office. This is a totally valid request since that time is time that the employee gets paid to waste. However, different employers may want different things from this. Some of those different desires may be:

• The employer doesn’t want employees using the Internet at all for anything that is not strictly work related.
• The employer doesn’t mind if employees spend some time reading blogs and news that might be at least somewhat relevant to work but doesn’t want other websites surfed.
• The employer doesn’t want employees spending too much time on social networking sites during work hours but doesn’t mind chat systems being used. Or vice versa.
• The employer wants to make sure that projects are completed each day before employees spend time online.

These are all very different things. Employers must know what their specific desires are so that they can communicate those desires clearly to their employees. Then employees can see what they have to do to make the boss happy. And if employees can meet those needs then an employer who knows what he really wants will know that it’s time to let the employee go.

Tags: business, employers, kathryn vercillo, management, work