Are you chasing best practices? While it’s fashionable, the problem is what to do when you catch those best practices. Do you implement them? Do you adapt them? Do you assess whether they will work for you? Do you learn why they are best practices? The notion of best practices is a good one, but…
A while back, when I was managing a large telecommunications portfolio, I got a call from a very irate customer – a senior manager in the company. It seems there was a large puddle of dried paint on the walkway leading to the front door of the building he worked in. That’s bad enough. But…
Here is a list of New Year’s resolutions every Facility Manager should follow over the next year. You’ll notice that the hot issues like Sustainability and Emergency Planning aren’t listed. Why? Because they are fundamentals of the job. This list reflects a new way of working for many Facility Managers who are dealing with technical…
When you seek approval for resources or budgets, whether operating, capital, resources or initiatives such as implementing FM Systems, subcontracting, outsourcing, etc., you aren’t just selling the merits of your own requirements, you are competing head-to-head with your colleagues in the company for those resources.
The modern Facility Manager needs a slightly different mix of skills to navigate not just within the profession, but within their own organizations to be successful, especially if they want to become the Head of FM, whether for a small organization or a multi-national corporation. The FM Knowledge Grid illustration (see a larger one further…
Belonging to a professional association and even having a designation is a great way to develop more credibility, find solutions, expand your professional contacts, make yourself more marketable and generally advance the Facilities Profession. There are a large number of national associations around the world, as listed in my Facility Management book , and provided…
Managing facilities often includes managing the physical assets. But getting into a system is often daunting, particularly for smaller portfolios. Unfortunately, without a way to manage the assets, you won’t have the information you need to make decisions about repair vs replace or information to justify your budget requirements. You are also much more likely…
I recently had a coffee with a recruitment specialist who focuses on Facilities Management jobs. She confirmed my own observations – increasingly, companies are looking for Facility Management staff who have skills and knowledge beyond just technical. They are looking for Facility Managers (at all levels) with proven management, leadership and business skills, not just…
I keep seeing debates about the issue of whether to outsource or manage in-house, whether full-FM or subcontracted service. I’m always amused when someone, usually someone with experience only on one side of the equation, or someone selling services, says that one way is better than the other. This is particularly interesting when the debate…