Poznań Office Management 2015 – report

Poznań Office Management 2015 Conference took place in the Poznań Delta office building the 16 September 2015. The task of the conference was to share information on practical methods of project implementation, on company management, optimum usage of office space, document management and employee labour. The conference was addressed to owners, members of the board, directors, office managers and specialists responsible for company operations and implementation of various tasks and projects. Therefore, myself – that is, Office Manager at Apollogic – had to be present there. My post in our company is a relatively new one, so I gladly use every opportunity to broaden my knowledge and draw inspiration from those  more experienced than me.

To me, personally, the most important were speeches on emotionally intelligent companies and the art of concentration. Personal trainers shared knowledge on soft skills and their influence on effectiveness, and also on the position of our company in the market. What is surprising is that as many as 90% of skills necessary to be successful are soft skills, compared to nearly 10% of hard skills. To an IT industry company, and we are one, those are precious items of advice which we should take into account while recruiting new staff — we should look for people who not only have technical, but also communicative skills, are emphatic, and easy to collaborate with.

Another set of presentations focused on tools and systems used in managing documents, company assets and organising work of dispersed teams. It is good to be well versed in such kind of products because we, as a rapidly developing company, will sooner or later have to reach for proven solutions which optimise work and  facilitate managing the company.

There was also a very interesting lecture given by a representative of a company selling office equipment. The lecturer presented ways in which office space is going to change in the nearest future, and the possibilities and problems that such changes may bring about. Nowadays, because remote work is becoming more and more popular, offices are changing their functions as they are no longer workplaces but venues for meetings. This forces to plan office space differently: in place of single desks which are now more empty than ever, team work areas and meeting space is going to introduced. Places in which employees can rest are becoming important. I think that our company, setting up conference rooms and social space in such a way, inviting to rest on soft chairs and drink coffee, has already taken those trends on board.

It is a pity that a lecturer who was expected to talk about social responsibilities on business has not turned up, because this is becoming a crucial subject for every company wanting to be noticed on the market, and striving for a competitive edge

I will be pleased to participate in the next edition of this conference, so that our company is not only up to scratch in IT subjects, but also knowledgeable in organisation which facilitates its everyday operations.

Article was written by Barbara Jaskuła-Janiak – Office Manager in Apollogic.