Stop Hiring Titles. Start Hiring Outcomes: Rethinking the Office Manager Role
Dec 15, 2025
Across every industry, there’s a conversation that comes up far too often: “What should an office manager make?”
And let me be clear — it’s one of the most superficial and misleading conversations two people can have.
A title tells you almost nothing about the person sitting in that seat, the outcomes they create, or the value they bring to the business.
Asking what an office manager “should make” is like asking, “What does a car cost?”
Well… what kind of car?
New or used?
Economy or luxury?
Four cylinders or a tuned V8?
One vehicle is not like another.
And one office manager is absolutely not like another.
A title is simply a label. It doesn’t reflect leadership, ownership, resilience, problem-solving, influence, culture-building, or the ability to create measurable change.
This is exactly why most compensation conversations fall flat — the conversation stays stuck at the title, and never moves to the outcomes.
When the conversation stops there, expectations stay vague. Accountability stays low. The role never evolves. And the business stays stuck.
But when you look at the real measures of success — the ones shown in the second graphic — the conversation changes instantly. A meaningful discussion about the office manager role should revolve around:
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Strong relationships and communication
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Health, resilience, and well-being
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Lifelong learning and professional growth
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Making a measurable difference
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Enjoying and taking ownership of the work
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Practice financial health
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Personal stability
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Effective use of time
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A career built on contribution, not a label
These are the elements that transform someone from a title-holder into a leader. They shape identity, influence culture, and determine whether an office manager becomes a stabilizing force… or a bottleneck.
And let me be clear about something else:
I love running with lions who wear the office manager title.
The ones who step into the role like it’s a CEO seat.
The ones who influence outcomes, lead people, and treat the business like it’s theirs.
And just as much as I love running with lions…
I love coaching office managers to become lions.
To evolve into the CEO of the practice.
To become the calm in the chaos.
To be the one people look to — and rely on.
To build systems, develop people, and lead outcomes with intention and confidence.
That transformation doesn’t happen because of a title.
It happens because someone chooses to rise to a higher standard.
When you change the conversation, you change the role.
When you change the role, you change the expectations.
And when you change the expectations, you change the trajectory of the entire business.
Office managers aren’t paid for their title.
They’re paid for the impact they create.
And when you develop them into lions, they become force multipliers.
If you want to elevate the role inside your business — or if you are that office manager ready to step into a higher level of leadership — reach out. I help leaders and teams create outcomes, clarity, and forward momentum, and this is exactly where that work begins.
