I've always been someone who took on a lot of responsibility in a job. Whether for small companies or Fortune 100/500, if I was hired to do x, I always provided y, z and beyond.
I'm not satisfied "just" knowing the tasks needed to provide assistance and sit in my silo—ostensibly waiting to be told what to do. I take in a 360-view of things, which involves observation, asking questions, listening, understanding personalities and working within them, working with my boss/client to implement procedures (SOPs) and getting things running like a well-oiled machine for everyone in the organization.
Beyond an organizer, I'm that rare individual who is a big-picture person and an implementor. In other words, I am equally comfortable being in a supervisory role as I am being a subordinate. I see what needs to get done, and do it.
My goal is to understand everything I can that will ultimately allow my boss/client to be the most efficient and effective at doing their job, so they can have a life.
I do this by:
- Understanding my boss's/client's pain point(s) and determining the best approach to provide relief
- Implementing SOPs that everyone can follow—regardless of personality, role in the company and work style
- Being a strategic thinker
While this approach oftentimes takes longer, it allows me to provide value above and beyond the job description I'm hired to fill. It also means we're being proactive and no longer reactive. We call this an online business manager (OBM).
An OBM is a virtual support person who manages projects for and processes of the company and, when needed, the work produced by team members. OBMs work most efficiently by establishing goals, measuring the success of those goals, and being ready to pivot when they need tweaking.
The effectiveness of an OBM can be best measured by how productive the company's owner/CEO/C-suite is able to perform their job and be more effective in their role. And there are no two OBM roles alike.
OBMs do any of the following:
- Tracking metrics
- Managing the work produced by team members
- Project manage
- Personal assistance
- Overseeing operations