Today’s podcast continues our series on business vocabulary, with a special focus on collocations or word partnerships. By focusing on words that are commonly used together you can improve your vocabulary and also your ability to understand your English-speaking colleagues.

When you think of “office administration”, what are the first things that come to mind? They might be things like paperwork, filing, copying, and other boring and repetitive tasks. Most people probably don’t think of an office manager’s job as a crucial service that supports the successful running of a company and, therefore, its ability to make money.

Well, today we’re about to meet Thomas, who’s going to tell us about the role he plays as office manager at the Mexican subsidiary of a multinational chemical company.

Listening Questions:

1) How does Thomas summarize his role as Office Manager?

Thomas says that his job is to keep the office “operating efficiently”, which means that he has to handle a wide range of tasks related to the office’s day-to-day activities.

2) What characteristics does Thomas list as important qualities of an office manager?

Thomas says that “above all”, or most importantly, office managers should exercise sound judgment and perform their jobs reliably. He also suggests that some personality traits, like common sense and the ability to work well with others, are keys to success in this job.

3) According to Thomas, what is a common misunderstanding about the best way for an office manager to do his job?

Many people believe that an office manager should always try to make a good impression on the boss, by keeping him or her happy whenever possible. But Thomas thinks it’s more important to keep the office running smoothly and effectively, even when that means putting pressure on other employees.

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