Tamil Nadu HSE First Year Office Management and Secretaryship cheat sheet

Office: a place where clerical and administrative work is done - information is received, recorded, arranged, analysed and communicated to support business activity.

Core functions of an office: receiving information, recording it, arranging/processing it, communicating it to those who need it, and safeguarding records and assets.

Information-hub view: the office collects data from internal departments and from customers, suppliers and government, converts it into usable information, stores it and routes it to decision-makers.

Classes of office function: basic (receiving, recording, arranging, communicating), administrative/management (planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating, controlling) and incidental (accounting, purchasing, personnel).

Importance: supplies information for planning and decisions, coordinates departments, ensures continuity through records, protects assets, builds public image and reduces clerical cost.

Office management = planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating and controlling office work and office personnel to achieve stated objectives at minimum cost.

Elements of office management: office personnel, office systems and procedures, office environment, furniture and equipment, stationery and forms.

Office work is a service function - it produces information and support, not goods for sale directly.

Principles of organisation: unity of objective, division of work/specialisation, coordination, authority with responsibility, unity of command, scalar chain, delegation, span of control, simplicity, flexibility, cost-effectiveness.

Line organisation: direct vertical authority from top to bottom, one boss per subordinate, quick decisions, clear responsibility; weak in specialist advice and burdens managers with detail.

Line and staff organisation: line managers carry executive authority, staff officers advise and serve; risk is friction between line and staff over who decides.

Functional organisation (Taylor): specialists give orders within their own function; gives expert guidance but breaks unity of command.

Departmentation bases: function (accounts, sales, personnel), product, territory, customer, process and project; choice depends on size, diversity and spread of operations.

Delegation has three elements - assignment of duties, grant of authority, creation of accountability. Authority can be delegated; responsibility for results cannot; accountability flows upward.

Span of control = number of subordinates reporting directly to one superior; narrow span → tall structure, more levels, closer supervision; wide span → flat structure, fewer levels, more autonomy.

Graicunas identified direct single, cross and direct group relationships; relationship count grows much faster than the number of subordinates.

Centralisation keeps authority at the top for uniformity and control; decentralisation pushes decisions down for speed and initiative but needs capable staff and control systems.

Location factors: nearness to customers, suppliers and transport; availability of trained staff; rent and rates; natural light and air; freedom from noise and dust; scope for expansion; parking, safety and local regulations.

Open (landscape/bullpen) office: many staff in one hall, low partition or none - cheap per head, easy supervision and communication, better use of light and air; demerits are noise, distraction, low privacy and rapid spread of infection.

Private/cellular office: separate room for one person or a small group - privacy, confidentiality, concentration, prestige; demerits are higher rent, more floor area, poorer supervision and harder internal contact.

Lighting: prefer natural light from the left for a right-handed writer; avoid glare by diffusers, louvers and correct lamp placement; general office tasks need roughly 300–500 lux, fine or detailed work higher.

Ventilation and comfort: cross-ventilation or air-conditioning, comfortable temperature around 20–25 °C, relative humidity roughly 40–60%, and no draughts or stale air.

Noise control: carpet, acoustic ceiling tiles, soft furnishings, screens and partitions; group noisy machines (copiers, printers, typewriters) in a separate room; keep interior noise around 40–50 dB where concentrated work is done.

Layout principles: straight-line flow of work, minimum movement of papers and people, related sections adjacent, easy supervision, flexibility for change, use of vertical space, safe exits and aisles.

Layout types: open plan, private/cellular, cubicle/modular and landscaped; a combined layout uses open areas for routine work and private rooms for confidential work.

Selection criteria for furniture: suitability to the job, durability, comfort, standard size, easy maintenance, cost, flexibility, appearance, availability of spares and safety.

Selection criteria for machines: volume of work, speed, quality of output, capital and running cost, staff skill required, service and spares, and risk of quick obsolescence.

Standard furniture: desk/table, chair, filing cabinet, almirah/cupboard, bookcase, rack, work table, computer table, conference table and storage units.

Standard desk work-surface height is about 70–75 cm; adjustable chair seat height about 40–45 cm; feet flat on floor or footrest; elbows bent at roughly 90°.

Ergonomics: fit the workplace to the worker - adjustable chair with lumbar support, monitor top at or just below eye level, viewing distance about 50–70 cm, wrists straight, frequent posture change.

Standardisation benefits: bulk buying at lower price, uniform appearance, interchangeable spares, easier replacement and simpler training; too much variety raises cost.

Buy or lease/hire is decided by comparing capital outlay, usage volume, maintenance cost, technological change and availability of funds.

Filing = systematic arrangement and preservation of records in a definite order so that any paper can be traced quickly and safely.

Traditional methods: horizontal (flat) file, vertical file, visible file, box file, guard book; modern methods: suspension file, loose-leaf, card file, microfilm, and computer/electronic filing.

Classification bases: alphabetical, numerical, alphanumeric, chronological, geographical and subject; choice depends on volume, nature of records and frequency of reference.

Alphabetical filing is simple, self-indexing and needs no separate index, but similar spellings cause misfiling and it becomes slow as volume grows.

Numerical filing gives each file an accession number - compact, easy to expand, permits colour coding, but needs a separate numeric-to-name index.

Chronological filing arranges papers by date; useful for correspondence and vouchers, but retrieval requires knowing the date.

Indexing = a guide showing where a record is kept; types include card index, visible index, strip index, loose-leaf index, bound register, punched card and computer/database index.

Filing rules: one document in one place, cross-reference sheet when a paper concerns two files, out guide for files removed, periodic review and a destruction schedule.

Inward mail routine: receipt and counting, opening (except marked personal/confidential), date stamping, sorting, entry in the inward register, distribution to departments, follow-up and filing.

Outward mail routine: drafting, typing and checking, signature, entry in the outward register, folding and enclosing, sealing, addressing, stamping/franking and dispatch by post or messenger.

Inward register columns: serial number, date of receipt, sender, date of letter, subject, department to whom sent and remarks; it is evidence that a letter was received.

Outward register columns: serial number, date, addressee, subject/reference, mode of dispatch (ordinary, registered, speed post, courier) and postage; it proves dispatch and controls postal cost.

Remittance handling: money received or sent by post (cash, cheque, draft, money order) entered in a remittance register with date, amount, sender, purpose and acknowledgement; keep dual custody and acknowledge the same day.

Correspondence etiquette: the 7 Cs - clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and courteous; reply promptly, use the correct salutation and close, and quote reference numbers.

Parts of a business letter: letterhead, reference number, date, inside address, salutation, subject line, body, complimentary close, signature with designation and enclosures.

Valuable documents go by registered post or courier with acknowledgement due; a messenger/peon book is used for local delivery and receipt.

Duplicating methods: spirit duplicator, stencil/cyclostyle duplicator, offset duplicator and digital duplicator - chosen by number of copies, quality needed, cost per copy and speed.

Reprography covers photocopying (xerography), scanning, microfilming, offset printing and digital printing; it reproduces documents without recomposing the text.

Xerography is the dry electrostatic process of ordinary copiers: a light image forms a charge pattern that attracts toner, which is fused onto paper by heat.

Calculating aids: electronic calculators, accounting and billing machines, adding machines, and computers using spreadsheet software for large or repeated calculations.

Communication equipment: EPABX/PBX and intercom, telephone, fax, e-mail, internet, video conferencing and mobile devices.

Franking machine prints postage and date on envelopes; other aids include letter opener, stapler, punching machine, stapler remover, guillotine, binder and shredder for confidential waste.

Computerisation benefits: speed, accuracy, large storage, fast retrieval, paperless records, easier backup; costs and risks: hardware, software, training, data security, virus and obsolescence.

Record life cycle stages: creation, distribution and use, maintenance/storage, retrieval, and disposal by destruction or transfer to archives.

Record values to be assessed before retention: administrative, legal, fiscal, historical/research and informational.

Retention periods are fixed by statute (for example tax and company records), by fiscal need, by administrative usefulness or by archival value; label files permanent, long-term, short-term, temporary.

Stationery control: central store, requisition from departments, stock register, minimum and maximum stock levels, reorder on reaching minimum, periodic physical verification.

Standardisation of stationery means fixing standard sizes, qualities and brands - fewer varieties, lower cost, easier purchase, less storage and less wastage.

A form is a printed schedule with fixed spaces for recording information; design rules: clear title, simple wording, logical sequence, adequate space, instructions and a control number.

Forms control: a central register of all forms, approval before a new form is introduced, periodic review, elimination of duplicates and standardisation of size and copies.

Types of forms: single sheet, pad, book, continuous/computer stationery; number of copies is fixed by how many persons need the information.

Communication process: sender → encoding → message → channel → receiver → decoding → feedback, with noise able to disturb any stage.

Formal channels follow the chain of command: downward (orders, circulars, notices), upward (reports, suggestions, grievances), horizontal/lateral (between equals) and diagonal (across levels and departments).

Methods: oral (face-to-face, telephone, meeting), written (letter, memo, notice, circular, report, e-mail) and non-verbal (gesture, posture, tone, appearance).

Grapevine forms - single strand, gossip, probability and cluster; it is fast and satisfies social needs but distorts and spreads rumour, so it must be supplemented by formal channels.

Barriers: physical (noise, distance, faulty equipment), semantic (jargon, ambiguity, poor phrasing), psychological (emotion, prejudice, distrust, poor retention) and organisational (hierarchy, status, overload).

Removing barriers: clear and simple language, feedback, choosing the right channel, reducing noise, empathy, consistency between words and actions, and an open-door climate.

Active listening: give full attention, maintain eye contact, do not interrupt, note key points, ask questions, paraphrase and confirm, and suspend judgement until the speaker finishes.

The 7 Cs of good communication: clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and courteous.

Secretary (from Latin secretarius, one entrusted with secrets): an assistant to an executive who handles correspondence, records, appointments, meetings and confidential matters.

Types: private/personal secretary, confidential secretary, company secretary, executive/administrative secretary, stenographer-typist and social secretary.

Company secretary is a statutory officer appointed by the Board; duties include compliance with the Companies Act and other laws, board and general meeting procedure, statutory registers and returns to the Registrar.

Duties: drafting and typing correspondence, handling inward and outward mail, filing and record keeping, arranging appointments and travel, receiving visitors, preparing agenda and minutes, follow-up action.

Qualities: loyalty, integrity, confidentiality, punctuality, accuracy, tact, courtesy, initiative, adaptability, good memory, organising ability and computer/technical skill.

Role in meetings (before): confirm date and venue, send notice and agenda with supporting papers, book the room and equipment, prepare attendance register.

Role in meetings (during and after): record attendance, take notes of proceedings and decisions, assist the chair, then draft minutes, get them confirmed at the next meeting, enter them in the minutes book and follow up decisions.

In business correspondence the secretary drafts replies, maintains standard letters and follow-up files, and ensures the 7 Cs and proper letter form are observed.