Those of you who know me will know I like to keep busy. Just over a week ago I had surgery on my shoulder, and since then have been confined to the house – not only because I can’t drive for a few weeks, but also because of the snow.
I had a long list of things to do once I felt well enough – write out my Christmas cards, buy all my gifts online, write a few blogs, articles and e-books – but nowhere in that list was there any ‘down time’. Does that sound familiar to any of you?
Anyway, day one after I came home from hospital went a bit like this:
Check e-mails; check voicemails; put on TV; two minutes later turn off TV; pick up magazine; put down magazine, and on it went all day. Because I was full of painkillers my concentration was appalling.
What did this teach me? That sometimes I need to do nothing. I started to rediscover some wonderful ways to relax – watching the robins on the patio, tip-toeing through the snow to the bird food; reading Christmas cards; drinking a cup of hot chocolate while it was still hot! (If you work in FM, you’ll know just how many drinks go cold while we sort out an issue!)
I realised that we have to give ourselves permission to stop doing stuff – after all, we’re called Human Beings, not Human Doings!
I’m not a great believer in New Year’s resolutions – I prefer to have several small, short-term goals to stretch myself out of my comfort zone – but I looked back at the personal goals I set last January...and guess what? Yep, I promised myself I would take more time to ‘smell the roses’.
So, will you help me? When we meet up at an event, or when I’m coaching you and your team, will you ask me what I’ve done recently that’s been relaxing, me-time?
I hope you are staying safe in the bad weather – if you still have snow, why not take some time for yourself - go and throw a few snowballs or build a snowman?
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Top tips from people in your industry who have been there and done it!
Part Six - Measuring your performance
Joe Selby said recently on the IFMA Listserve: Find out what measures your CEO uses to determine whether or not the company is meeting its own internal goals monthly, quarterly and annually. Look at what aspects of the strategic business plan your group or department supports either directly or indirectly. For instance, most companies will include performance to budget as a major overall organizational metric, so the lowest hanging fruit of all for your group is your performance to your group/department budget. Are you over? Under? How do you keep track of this and what initiatives do you have in place to keep watch on your budget performance over the course of the year.
Your company may have an initiative related to business growth that's tied to recruiting and headcount. That's another area that facilities departments have a direct impact on and should be one you measure yourself against regularly.
Here's the overall point - don't measure pointless things that have nothing whatever to do with the success of your company and execution of your company's strategic plan. Way too many service departments (not just picking on facilities groups here) will measure nonsense things like the number of work orders they complete in a quarter or annually. Who cares? That doesn't demonstrate that you're being effective. It demonstrates that you're there and busy, period.
Being busy does not mean you're actively contributing to the success of your organization. It can, in fact, demonstrate just the opposite (as in you're completing a ton of maintenance work orders because you're doing a lousy job on your preventative maintenance programs, or you're executing lots of personnel moves because you're doing a lousy job of space utilization planning).
Measure the things you're doing that contribute to the successful execution of your organization's overall strategic plan.
My number one tip to FMs (Facility managers): As you translate business goals into project requirements think in terms of constructability and operability.
Define your goals, personally and for the whole FM service. Make them challenging, specific, timed, measurable and achievable. Is it about increasing customer satisfaction, reducing deductions, or reducing staff turnover?
Be specific and make your objectives measurable. For example, by what percentage do you want to increase customer satisfaction?
Want to share your own tips? Send them to Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or comment below.
Joe Selby said recently on the IFMA Listserve: Find out what measures your CEO uses to determine whether or not the company is meeting its own internal goals monthly, quarterly and annually. Look at what aspects of the strategic business plan your group or department supports either directly or indirectly. For instance, most companies will include performance to budget as a major overall organizational metric, so the lowest hanging fruit of all for your group is your performance to your group/department budget. Are you over? Under? How do you keep track of this and what initiatives do you have in place to keep watch on your budget performance over the course of the year.
Your company may have an initiative related to business growth that's tied to recruiting and headcount. That's another area that facilities departments have a direct impact on and should be one you measure yourself against regularly.
Here's the overall point - don't measure pointless things that have nothing whatever to do with the success of your company and execution of your company's strategic plan. Way too many service departments (not just picking on facilities groups here) will measure nonsense things like the number of work orders they complete in a quarter or annually. Who cares? That doesn't demonstrate that you're being effective. It demonstrates that you're there and busy, period.
Being busy does not mean you're actively contributing to the success of your organization. It can, in fact, demonstrate just the opposite (as in you're completing a ton of maintenance work orders because you're doing a lousy job on your preventative maintenance programs, or you're executing lots of personnel moves because you're doing a lousy job of space utilization planning).
Measure the things you're doing that contribute to the successful execution of your organization's overall strategic plan.
My number one tip to FMs (Facility managers): As you translate business goals into project requirements think in terms of constructability and operability.
Define your goals, personally and for the whole FM service. Make them challenging, specific, timed, measurable and achievable. Is it about increasing customer satisfaction, reducing deductions, or reducing staff turnover?
Be specific and make your objectives measurable. For example, by what percentage do you want to increase customer satisfaction?
Want to share your own tips? Send them to Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or comment below.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Top tips from people in your industry who have been there and done it!
Part Five - Improving your FM knowledge
It's difficult to give a precise top tip, because of the breadth of Facilities management. Know your facility down to every last nook and cranny would be one, make sure your H&S maintenance is as impeccable as can be would be another.
It is better to know a lot of phone numbers of experts in many subjects rather than trying to know everything by yourself.
Always be aware of the bigger picture and where Facilities Management fits into it... Facilities Management is a support function which is there to enable the continuous function of the customer's core business. Continuous review of service should be undertaken to ensure that support function is maintained and that Facilities Management is not disrupting or detracting from the core business delivery.
This can only be achieved by fully understanding what the customer's core business function actually is and the most effective way of doing this is work shadowing or FM / Customer forums. FM isn't all about running round putting out fires, it's more about understanding why fires start in the first place and putting planned measures in place to prevent them happening.
For cross-border FM: use the EN 15221 standards defining FM, its quality, processes, taxonomy, service level agreement. This standard includes the official European Space Measurement standard!
Practice makes permanent not perfect.
FMs MUST feel & know that they are being supported by their management.
FMs must know the business requirements of the occupants of the facilities that they manage and focus upon partnering with those occupants in improving the function of their business.
FMs must be provided with the capability to support their contractors and this means payment of invoices without delay.
FMs must have the availability to select and source from multiple contractors for the provision of services and have a method of establishing that value for money and services is provided.
FMs should not be lazy and expect the contractors to fund their deficiencies in management (a good/poor example is the requirement of some FMs for contractors to pay a fee to be on their selection database - this is fraudulent as well as lazy).
FMs must own the problems given to them until it is resolved to the reasonable and responsible satisfaction of all parties.
FMs must provide feedback to those who initialised a call.
Why not share your top tips? Send them to Liz Kentish the FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326
It's difficult to give a precise top tip, because of the breadth of Facilities management. Know your facility down to every last nook and cranny would be one, make sure your H&S maintenance is as impeccable as can be would be another.
It is better to know a lot of phone numbers of experts in many subjects rather than trying to know everything by yourself.
Always be aware of the bigger picture and where Facilities Management fits into it... Facilities Management is a support function which is there to enable the continuous function of the customer's core business. Continuous review of service should be undertaken to ensure that support function is maintained and that Facilities Management is not disrupting or detracting from the core business delivery.
This can only be achieved by fully understanding what the customer's core business function actually is and the most effective way of doing this is work shadowing or FM / Customer forums. FM isn't all about running round putting out fires, it's more about understanding why fires start in the first place and putting planned measures in place to prevent them happening.
For cross-border FM: use the EN 15221 standards defining FM, its quality, processes, taxonomy, service level agreement. This standard includes the official European Space Measurement standard!
Practice makes permanent not perfect.
FMs MUST feel & know that they are being supported by their management.
FMs must know the business requirements of the occupants of the facilities that they manage and focus upon partnering with those occupants in improving the function of their business.
FMs must be provided with the capability to support their contractors and this means payment of invoices without delay.
FMs must have the availability to select and source from multiple contractors for the provision of services and have a method of establishing that value for money and services is provided.
FMs should not be lazy and expect the contractors to fund their deficiencies in management (a good/poor example is the requirement of some FMs for contractors to pay a fee to be on their selection database - this is fraudulent as well as lazy).
FMs must own the problems given to them until it is resolved to the reasonable and responsible satisfaction of all parties.
FMs must provide feedback to those who initialised a call.
Why not share your top tips? Send them to Liz Kentish the FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Top tips from people in your industry who have been there and done it!
Part Four - Becoming a skilled communicator
It’s communication which plays an important role keeping effectiveness and efficiency in services at different client places, spread over a large geographical area.
For our client this problem was resolved by a web based software application in place. This system helped in:
Communication between site office, regional and head office.
Improved serving customization at client place.
Improving business development and training systems.
Be proactive and be a good communicator. Keep your internal customer updated on any changes that occur.
The best piece of advice, not only to facility managers but to anyone who is looking for ways to be more effective is simple, communication is the key. Many times issues, problems or oversights can be managed and people are more understanding if they simply are informed of the situation and what has or is getting done to address it.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.
Continuous communication is critical...
Tell your customer when you're going to do something;
Tell them again whilst you're doing it;
Tell them again when you've done it
Any unforeseen delays or issues should be communicated as soon as possible with an amended completion date following as soon as confirmed.
Listen effectively... Only then will the FM be able to understand the client's pain areas and be able to help out in the effective way.
Be honest. People always prefer honesty to an attempt at hiding facts when things go wrong. Own up, and offer a solution.
Listen, Understand, connect and make a decision.
Everyone is a customer.
Not being one to believe the customer is always right, I do believe you should go above and beyond what is expected to make the customer happy.
Why not share your top tips? Send them to Liz Kentish the FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326
It’s communication which plays an important role keeping effectiveness and efficiency in services at different client places, spread over a large geographical area.
For our client this problem was resolved by a web based software application in place. This system helped in:
Communication between site office, regional and head office.
Improved serving customization at client place.
Improving business development and training systems.
Be proactive and be a good communicator. Keep your internal customer updated on any changes that occur.
The best piece of advice, not only to facility managers but to anyone who is looking for ways to be more effective is simple, communication is the key. Many times issues, problems or oversights can be managed and people are more understanding if they simply are informed of the situation and what has or is getting done to address it.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.
Continuous communication is critical...
Tell your customer when you're going to do something;
Tell them again whilst you're doing it;
Tell them again when you've done it
Any unforeseen delays or issues should be communicated as soon as possible with an amended completion date following as soon as confirmed.
Listen effectively... Only then will the FM be able to understand the client's pain areas and be able to help out in the effective way.
Be honest. People always prefer honesty to an attempt at hiding facts when things go wrong. Own up, and offer a solution.
Listen, Understand, connect and make a decision.
Everyone is a customer.
Not being one to believe the customer is always right, I do believe you should go above and beyond what is expected to make the customer happy.
Why not share your top tips? Send them to Liz Kentish the FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326
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