Office organization is the most important core competence and activity of an assistant. Only if everything in office management is running smoothly and office equipment, office workstations and office furnishings are complete and functional can you fulfill your other duties, such as relieving the boss and supporting management in their tasks. Chaos in the filing cabinets, inconsistent filing, chaotic meetings or errors in office communication can, in the worst case, bring a business to a complete standstill. Systematic office organization, controlled work processes, a sensible filing system and order in documents not only promote efficiency, they also create the conditions for success and innovation. The secretariat therefore becomes a key position in every company.
Office organization means: order down to the last detail
The organization of various types of processes is the core area of office organization. It’s about much more than just filing documents, having a tidy workplace or general order in the office. Regardless of whether you work in a large multinational corporation or in a locally operating craft business, whether you sit in an open-plan office or in the boss’s anteroom, whether you have a narrowly defined area of activity as a human resources or sales assistant or whether you are faced with new tasks every day as a team assistant: the same always applies to keep an overview and work more efficiently at all levels. To do this, you improve the sequences in time management and scheduling, set priorities for yourself and others, drive existing processes forward, monitor and procure materials and office supplies, ensure adequate office equipment, manage the flood of emails, etc. Everything runs on your desk together, you coordinate activities and check whether agreements are being adhered to, accept telephone calls and forward them. They collect information, filter out what is useless and give what is useful to employees who can use it. As an assistant, you ensure that meetings are well prepared and followed up and that the results of meetings are actually implemented and do not come to nothing.
As you can see, you have a lot of tasks, without which the company would quickly descend into disarray.
In our organization section you will find numerous tried-and-tested tips and checklists on how to keep all areas of your workplace under control. Find out how to develop a good filing system , the sensible use of checklists, for example for time management , and the essential points that you need to consider when planning tasks and appointments .
Design correspondence perfectly
Internal company correspondence usually goes through your office and is one of the most important areas of office organization. The most important letters include cover letters to business partners, newsletters to employees, complaints to suppliers – every company corresponds with different partners on a wide variety of topics. And not just in German. English as an international business language is also of central importance for letters; other languages such as Spanish, French or Chinese are often added.
Your correspondence is a flagship of your company. Letters that are bureaucratically worded and poorly written, that are not written in a modern and appealing way, leave a negative impression. Often the recipient doesn’t even know what to do with the information contained in the letter. That doesn’t have to be the case! With our articles and tips in the correspondence section , you can formulate letters and emails that are sure to achieve your goal, regardless of whether it is a complaint or an order. With us you will find the right words for invitations, congratulatory letters and letters of condolence. At this point we will also show you how to correctly implement the rules of DIN 5008 in your correspondence.
Also Read: Corporate Culture – Why It Is So Important
Tips for perfect spelling
Perfect spelling is just as important for your letters as successful wording. Cover letters that are full of errors or do not contain a comma correctly can have a devastating effect. In the worst case, the competence of the entire company is called into question. Correct spelling and correct punctuation are not that difficult.
Familiarize yourself with the comma rules, repeat the principles of capitalization and find out about cases of doubt in the German language. In our spelling section you will find all the important rules and tips on how to remember them.
Soft skills you need for office organization
Which soft skills are necessary to be successful in office organization? A few will probably come to mind straight away:
- Organizational skills are necessary to tame the chaos on the desk and optimize work processes.
- You need a talent for communication in order to be able to exchange ideas with employees in a targeted manner and to address even difficult topics appropriately.
- But as an assistant, you also absolutely need the ability to manage conflict in order to be able to quickly resolve disputes, for example in meetings.
- The ability to concentrate is often required when chaos rages around you or you work in an open-plan office.
- As an assistant, you often also have representative duties. They welcome guests, plan a champagne reception for the management or invite foreign guests to lavish business lunches. Extensive knowledge of business etiquette will help you adhere to etiquette and avoid making mistakes.
The most important thing in the secretariat is the ability to communicate. At your workplace, you communicate almost constantly: with your boss, with team members, with customers and business partners. Most assistance also involves a lot of telephone conversations. Even in times of email, SMS and WhatsApp, the telephone is the best means of communication for many occasions. On our website you will find a lot of information on how to make the right phone call, how to start telephone conversations, how to control your counterpart with questions and how to get rid of annoying callers.
You can find numerous tips on these and other important soft skills that you can use to improve your office organization in our Soft Skills section .
International Secretariat: Business English is mandatory
Business English has become an integral part of many companies. Not only are large companies internationally positioned, numerous medium-sized companies also export their products all over the world. Letters and telephone calls, participation in video conferences or meetings abroad in English will then quickly come to you as an assistant. Perfect English language skills are essential for you in such cases. By the way: We also have tips for you on making phone calls in English.
Support your boss in international business too. In numerous articles we give you tips on how to design English letters and emails flawlessly, how to always find the right words in telephone conversations, how to write minutes in English and much more.
Human resources assistance: From applicant management to farewell speeches
In smaller companies , managing staff is almost always one of the tasks of an assistant, while in larger companies there are usually separate departments. Working in a human resources department is varied and demanding. Here you write job advertisements, keep personnel files, prepare interviews for applicants and organize training courses. However, you must comply with strict legal requirements, starting with labor law, the General Equal Opportunities Act and data protection regulations. You must be familiar with the rules of maternity leave as well as overtime, additional work and vacation regulations.
We’ll get you up to speed on the topic. In our human resources management section you will find tips, hints, work aids and checklists that you can use to optimize office organization in human resources administration. With our sample contracts you are also on the safe side legally.
This is how you make a career
What requirements are necessary to have a career in the office? Hard work alone is not enough, that much is clear. Above all, further training in relevant areas is central, but also: with an appropriate demeanor you make it clear that you are making progress. A jump up the career ladder is also reflected in the salary.
Find out which training courses you can use to score points with your boss, how you can emphasize your demands with a successful appearance and which arguments you can use to negotiate a higher salary.
Organize events and functions
The events that you organize as an assistant include events as diverse as trade fairs or employee incentives, field service conferences or expert congresses. They all need to be prepared thoroughly and over the long term so that there are no unpleasant surprises on the day of the event. It’s small-scale and time-consuming, but it can also be a lot of fun. So that you don’t forget anything during the preparation, implementation and follow-up, we have put together a whole range of useful information and work aids for you.
Don’t be afraid of the protocol
Writing minutes at a board meeting, a project team meeting or a meeting with members of a department is one of the standard tasks in office organization. However, keeping records is often unpopular. As a note-taker you have numerous advantages, for example you will be the first to find out about important innovations that management is planning.
With the right preparation, it is no problem to write good minutes. Find out in our Minutes section what information you need in advance, how best to take notes and what happens next once your minutes are finished.
Tips for working on the PC in the office
The most important work tool in the office is usually the computer. Microsoft’s Office programs in particular are used a lot. Extensive knowledge of Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint is required in order to be able to organize the office effectively. In addition, there is an adept use of the Internet and social media, a thoughtful use of mobile devices and apps, and knowledge of data security and copyright on the Internet. Everything is constantly changing here – every day a new service appears on the market, another disappears.
Our PC tips will help you use the computer efficiently as a work tool in the office. We give you tips on how to create a template in Word and use colors in Outlook, provide you with sample presentations for PowerPoint and checklists on how you can reduce printing costs. Read how to fix errors in Excel spreadsheets and manage emails. Regardless of which department you work in, whether sales or purchasing, human resources or management, there is sure to be valuable information here for everyone on how to make your PC work for you in your office organization. This gives you time to take care of your other tasks.