That's a large department. Much inter-departmental activities may be coordinated or funnelled through here, such as accounts payable and receivable, information systems, logistics, sales and service, credit and collection, office management, executive administration, etc.
You name it, all converge here sooner or later. If there are no payroll or human resource departments, supervision takes care of that too.
I remember an personel who joined a business as a graphics designer/Dtp producer. While her interview, she agreed to function as receptionist "until the business brought in someone else person" for that position.
The partner-managers had told her about all the needs for rewriting organizational and training materials which included a lot of technical and fabricate activities; being a expert in her profession of illustrated designs, with many years of creative fabricate experience, this sounded great.
The business made it clear that the reception duties would be temporary and treated as a secondary anticipation and that the activities would be split up in the middle of her and the office supervision owner to whom she was to report.
She was also told that the new production group would be moved from the reception area to behind a partition wall, from which location she could retort the phones, but a retain level personel would be settled at the reception area to take care of the visitors and numerous interruptions.
As the weeks turned into months, none of the promises took place. She communicated about it to the administrator in assorted ways and then in writing. Even at her high professional level she reported to an office administrator who had no experience. She was absolutely the president's executive secretary and executive assistant rolled into one.
Often, situations arose where the decision from top supervision was required, but the minuscule knowledge of the administrator curtailed efficient technical graphics production and corporate decisions.
The president of the business did not make it his business to learn about what was going on, not even taking the time to understand the technical job function, fatally perceiving it as a "typing" or "secretarial" job level.
It all the time amazes me how such owner/managers don't see the damage they are doing to their own businesses. They leave such necessary situations to deteriorate until the business loses valuable, high achiever Gold Collar workers.
The supervision requires well seasoned professionals. In a small business environment that is too often a difficult thing to expect because of the lack of knowledge on the part of the owners who has been whether aloof of the situation or removed too long from its functions and activities.
It is a serious qoute when a multi-faceted supervision group is managed by an new member of the staff. It is too necessary an area to leave it unattended. It is hazardous for any business to ignore that central supervision group which touches all other departments within the company./dmh
The administration department - A principal Central departmentCentral Credit SVC Triton Credit Services Pinnacle Credit Services