may reveal that the individual needs some
guidance in organizing the work. On the other
hand, the work load of another individual may
have gradually increased to the point that present
duties are completely out of line with the original
assignment. In such cases, the work assignments
must be reviewed and adjusted to ensure equity of
assignments and the timely completion of the work.
As office manager, the RPC or RP1 may have
an opportunity to help arrange the office. When
planning and carrying out the layout of the
office, the manager must be concerned with the
work flow and personnel as well as the office
equipment. Personnel and equipment should be
arranged in the office in the manner that permits
the following advantages:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Effective supervision
Adjacent location of personnel perform-
ing similar functions
Location of personnel who have the most
frequent visitors near entrances and ser-
vice areas
Maximum comfort for both staff members
and visitors
Easy access to files, duplicating equipment,
and communications equipment
Good lighting and ventilation
Clear passages
Additionally, it is important to remember that
the appearance of the office reflects the caliber of
work being accomplished by the office force; there-
fore, the following practices should be employed:
l
l
l
l
Office spaces should present a neat and
uncluttered appearance.
Personal belongings, such as articles of
clothing, stereo tapes, and paperback
books, should be stored in closet spaces
out of sight.
Desks should be kept free of excess papers
or supplies.
File baskets should be well organized and
emptied frequently.
located so that the entire office is in full view. This
will enable the manager to be aware of what is
going on in the office at all times without
interrupting the work in progress.
The office of the chaplain should be readily
accessible to people who seek help or information
from this source. Placing the desk of the leading
RP or assistant supervisor near the entrance to
the office can provide support in this area.
If there are two office spaces, the RP manager
should consider locating assigned personnel in one
room and the supplies, duplicating machine, and
other frequently used equipment in the other. This
arrangement will eliminate the need to call back
and forth between offices and will make supervi-
sion easier. Another advantage of such an
arrangement is that noisy jobs, such as dupli-
cating, will not disturb the regular office routine.
Office arrangement is an area in which there
is often room for improvement. It may be
apparent from even casual observation that an
office has been laid out with little regard for the
tasks to be performed. One room may be over-
crowded, while in another, space is being wasted.
Good planning will result in efficient use of
space and manpower. Therefore, a great deal of
attention must be given to the mission of the
office, the work flow, and the duties of personnel
when office arrangement is being planned. If the
office of the chaplain is not functioning properly,
a relocation of personnel and equipment could
improve the overall operation.
Time
The one basic management resource that is
perishable and can never be replaced is time. In
order to manage time effectively, an office
manager must do a great deal of planning.
Effective management of time involves establish-
ing priorities, delegating work properly, clearly
defining individual jobs, and ensuring that good
working conditions and equipment are provided.
Two tools that are effective in the management
of time are wise planning and the proper assign-
ment of priorities.
PLANNING. The question is often asked,
Why is there never enough time to do the job
right but always enough time to do it over? No
one knows who first asked this question, but it
is one worth considering. The time and effort
devoted to planning will pay large dividends later
in terms of time and effort saved.
To plan properly, a person must first have
accurate information about both the present and
past working systems. When a new assignment is
undertaken, the person often makes changes
before understanding how the current system
If possible, the managers desk should be
3-3