Part Seven - Anticipating the unexpected
Be ready for anything! Also, remember 100 years from now, will the big problem in front of you matter?
FM by nature is fire fighting, and so it is important to take some time to step back and think strategically. Chances are in the long run you'll make life easier for yourself.
Know your facility from the inside out.
Create via a loose leaf binder with tabs, your Home & Office Bible as I call it. Keep one book at work and one for your home office. Put in all your vendors’ contact information; copies of all maintenance contracts; copies of any memos that you have issued; contact information for all senior management and your direct reports. In case of an emergency you will have all the info you need in your binders - both at home and at work. I know way too many FMs that solely rely on computers. Now you are prepared for any power outage, blackout or any other FM surprises that may happen.
Have a business continuity plan and know it inside out. Make sure your clients and tenants know what to do. Keep key contact numbers with you at all times – mobile and landline. People will look to you in a crisis, make sure you are always prepared.
What to share your own tips? Send them to Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 0178 561326
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Thursday 9 December 2010
Am I becoming a workaholic?
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?
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?
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
Monday 25 October 2010
Top tips from people in your industry who have been there and done it!
Part Three - Planning Effectively
Be flexible when planning, be alert when operating.
Always be aware of the scope of services you're working within and establish this with your client unit and customer base as quickly as possible.
You'll establish credibility far quicker with your client unit and customer base by demonstrating awareness of the scope of services and being prepared to say no, than agreeing to everything and then having to go back afterwards and explain that certain requests are out of scope and as such can only be completed at additional cost outside the standard charge.
Many FM Service Agreements run to hundreds of pages but your Commercial Management function should provide an abbreviated "What's In What's Out" document which can be used as a quick reference document in Customer Meetings to confirm the scope of services.
Share your plan. People, including clients, your team, your boss and your suppliers, need to know what you are planning. If you don't tell them, they won't be able to help you implement it.
Flexibility and multi tasking.
Want to share your tips with other FMs? Send them to Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326 - 07717 787077
Be flexible when planning, be alert when operating.
Always be aware of the scope of services you're working within and establish this with your client unit and customer base as quickly as possible.
You'll establish credibility far quicker with your client unit and customer base by demonstrating awareness of the scope of services and being prepared to say no, than agreeing to everything and then having to go back afterwards and explain that certain requests are out of scope and as such can only be completed at additional cost outside the standard charge.
Many FM Service Agreements run to hundreds of pages but your Commercial Management function should provide an abbreviated "What's In What's Out" document which can be used as a quick reference document in Customer Meetings to confirm the scope of services.
Share your plan. People, including clients, your team, your boss and your suppliers, need to know what you are planning. If you don't tell them, they won't be able to help you implement it.
Flexibility and multi tasking.
Want to share your tips with other FMs? Send them to Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326 - 07717 787077
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Top tips from people in your industry who have been there and done it!
Part Two - Building strong relationships with your team
Understand the meaning of the word DELEGATE and then do it.
Take care (a lot) before hiring a FM partner.
Be proud and honest in ALL your activities; the client isn't stupid or blind and your reputation goes before you in a very small world in which we all know the blaggers and that showmanship has won contracts....and say thank you - a lot! to your team, to your payroll, expenses clerks and all the people that push paper to keep your contract afloat, to the cleaners and the hospitality gangs (they all know when they get it wrong; everybody does!) so tell them when they get it right in a sincere way that they will value.
I've worked in FM for nearly 10 years now and the first manager I worked for was asked once what his secret was, his answer... "the 3 Ds" Decide, Delegate and Disappear!
Treat your vendors and contractors with the same respect that you afford your clients.
If you would like to share your tips of any aspect of people management in FM, contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077
Look out for Part Three - Planning Effectively.
Understand the meaning of the word DELEGATE and then do it.
Take care (a lot) before hiring a FM partner.
Be proud and honest in ALL your activities; the client isn't stupid or blind and your reputation goes before you in a very small world in which we all know the blaggers and that showmanship has won contracts....and say thank you - a lot! to your team, to your payroll, expenses clerks and all the people that push paper to keep your contract afloat, to the cleaners and the hospitality gangs (they all know when they get it wrong; everybody does!) so tell them when they get it right in a sincere way that they will value.
I've worked in FM for nearly 10 years now and the first manager I worked for was asked once what his secret was, his answer... "the 3 Ds" Decide, Delegate and Disappear!
Treat your vendors and contractors with the same respect that you afford your clients.
If you would like to share your tips of any aspect of people management in FM, contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077
Look out for Part Three - Planning Effectively.
Monday 11 October 2010
Top tips from people in your industry who have been there and done it!
Part One - Understanding your client
Know who you are working for and what their priorities are. Neither is as obvious as it seems and both are critical to continued success. In the lexicon of today, who are your customers and what are they looking for? Lowest cost? Executive appearance? Kerb-side appeal? Productive employees? No union issues? Long term maintenance of fixed assets?
Always think from the point of the user of FM; make sure that you've done all you can to avoid distraction from their core task(s); everything is well prepared, meticulously organised and flawlessly executed!
Be visible. You're likely to be written off as unimportant, forgotten and kept out of the loop if you aren't highly visible and communicating with both management and end users (your customers).
Always ask yourself "what does GOOD look like to them?" It's a really easy way to start understanding what are the true objectives and therefore your deliverables.
Have fun.
Make sure that you manage the expectations of those that you work for and deliver what you promise.
Don't assume that just because one client likes the way something is carried out the next one will as well.
Listen to your client and pay attention to your client, doing this you will be able to prioritize your activities during the day. Besides that do the engineering work that the clients very seldom evaluate on the daily operation.
The most effective Facilities Managers with whom I've worked over the years have shared the quality of knowing their organization's mission and business model inside and out. Facilities Management is customer service, and the most effective customer service starts with really understanding what your customer's needs are and how your customer relies on and uses your product. The FM who understands how their facility is used will be best empowered to maximize its value to the end users they serve.
Always operate with a high level of integrity. There's no room in the FM business for BS.
Thanks to all those who contributed - too numerous to mention but we'll give them a name check along the way!
Know who you are working for and what their priorities are. Neither is as obvious as it seems and both are critical to continued success. In the lexicon of today, who are your customers and what are they looking for? Lowest cost? Executive appearance? Kerb-side appeal? Productive employees? No union issues? Long term maintenance of fixed assets?
Always think from the point of the user of FM; make sure that you've done all you can to avoid distraction from their core task(s); everything is well prepared, meticulously organised and flawlessly executed!
Be visible. You're likely to be written off as unimportant, forgotten and kept out of the loop if you aren't highly visible and communicating with both management and end users (your customers).
Always ask yourself "what does GOOD look like to them?" It's a really easy way to start understanding what are the true objectives and therefore your deliverables.
Have fun.
Make sure that you manage the expectations of those that you work for and deliver what you promise.
Don't assume that just because one client likes the way something is carried out the next one will as well.
Listen to your client and pay attention to your client, doing this you will be able to prioritize your activities during the day. Besides that do the engineering work that the clients very seldom evaluate on the daily operation.
The most effective Facilities Managers with whom I've worked over the years have shared the quality of knowing their organization's mission and business model inside and out. Facilities Management is customer service, and the most effective customer service starts with really understanding what your customer's needs are and how your customer relies on and uses your product. The FM who understands how their facility is used will be best empowered to maximize its value to the end users they serve.
Always operate with a high level of integrity. There's no room in the FM business for BS.
Thanks to all those who contributed - too numerous to mention but we'll give them a name check along the way!
Sunday 3 October 2010
Horses for courses?
I have to confess, the nearest I’ve been to horse riding was on a donkey on the beach at Weston-super-Mare way back when... however, I was privileged to see the great Monty Roberts in action at the weekend, at Gleneagles. You will probably know him as the “Man Who Listens to Horses”. His goal is “to leave the world a better place than I found it, for horses and for people, too.”
I saw and heard so many parallels between good horsemanship and good leadership watching Monty in action. Here are the highlights I drew from the event:
Violence is never the answer – horses are like people – we all have a need for trust and partnership. (For violence, read bullying)
Monty starts by ‘Joining up’ with the ‘difficult’ horse – in people terms this is about getting in synch with the people you work with. Monty understands and uses the horse’s body language – if we ‘speak the same language’ at work, we’ll build rapport quickly. Talk to me if you’d like to understand more about different styles of communication.
When the horse gets something right, he gets instant reward/recognition; if it’s not right, he gets an instant reminder (shorter reins, certainly no violence).
When they get it right, you don’t take your hands off the reins - do it again and again until it becomes second nature.
One of the key things with horses is to keep on helping them learn – they have a huge capacity for learning, and if they're not stimulated they become bored and disruptive. Does this sound like some of the people you work with?
If you want to build High Performing Teams on your organisation, come and talk to the experts. Liz Kentish The FM Coach and the team will help you, using fast, effective solutions. Contact us today coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk 01778 561326 / 07717 787077
I saw and heard so many parallels between good horsemanship and good leadership watching Monty in action. Here are the highlights I drew from the event:
Violence is never the answer – horses are like people – we all have a need for trust and partnership. (For violence, read bullying)
Monty starts by ‘Joining up’ with the ‘difficult’ horse – in people terms this is about getting in synch with the people you work with. Monty understands and uses the horse’s body language – if we ‘speak the same language’ at work, we’ll build rapport quickly. Talk to me if you’d like to understand more about different styles of communication.
When the horse gets something right, he gets instant reward/recognition; if it’s not right, he gets an instant reminder (shorter reins, certainly no violence).
When they get it right, you don’t take your hands off the reins - do it again and again until it becomes second nature.
One of the key things with horses is to keep on helping them learn – they have a huge capacity for learning, and if they're not stimulated they become bored and disruptive. Does this sound like some of the people you work with?
If you want to build High Performing Teams on your organisation, come and talk to the experts. Liz Kentish The FM Coach and the team will help you, using fast, effective solutions. Contact us today coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk 01778 561326 / 07717 787077
Monday 27 September 2010
What do you look for in FM networking events?
Firstly, thank you to all those who completed our survey recently. Here’s what you told us:
Over two thirds of you already attend networking events, both for professional and personal development. If you don’t attend these events, it’s generally due to lack of time, or the location being inconvenient.
Early evening events pip the post for the best time, followed by breakfast sessions; in terms of content you told us you prefer presentations from guest speakers and bite-sized training – shorter, more focused events work best for you, with plenty of interaction and time for networking. Many respondents comment that networking is actually quite difficult; ‘facilitated’ networking is often a good way to tackle this – we are working on this right now.
How about topics? Well, there was an even split between FM-specific topics and more general business subjects. The one thing that you tell us that you hate above all else is when a speaker, who in advance seems like they will deliver an informative presentation, proceeds to present their ‘sales pitch’.
Interestingly, most of you said you would be happy to pay to attend networking events – the amounts mentioned depended on length of time, venue and content. We’ll come back to you soon with our thoughts on this – we want to give you value for money, make networking events accessible, but still ensure that those who sign up to attend, do indeed come along. It’s frustrating for us all when we have to turn people away or put them on a waiting list, only to find those who did book a place, fail to turn up.
So, what next? We are looking at venues, speakers and trainers, with a view to launching a new series of networking events in 2011.
If you’d like to be considered as a speaker at one of these events, please get in touch with Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk 01778 561326 / 07717 787077
Over two thirds of you already attend networking events, both for professional and personal development. If you don’t attend these events, it’s generally due to lack of time, or the location being inconvenient.
Early evening events pip the post for the best time, followed by breakfast sessions; in terms of content you told us you prefer presentations from guest speakers and bite-sized training – shorter, more focused events work best for you, with plenty of interaction and time for networking. Many respondents comment that networking is actually quite difficult; ‘facilitated’ networking is often a good way to tackle this – we are working on this right now.
How about topics? Well, there was an even split between FM-specific topics and more general business subjects. The one thing that you tell us that you hate above all else is when a speaker, who in advance seems like they will deliver an informative presentation, proceeds to present their ‘sales pitch’.
Interestingly, most of you said you would be happy to pay to attend networking events – the amounts mentioned depended on length of time, venue and content. We’ll come back to you soon with our thoughts on this – we want to give you value for money, make networking events accessible, but still ensure that those who sign up to attend, do indeed come along. It’s frustrating for us all when we have to turn people away or put them on a waiting list, only to find those who did book a place, fail to turn up.
So, what next? We are looking at venues, speakers and trainers, with a view to launching a new series of networking events in 2011.
If you’d like to be considered as a speaker at one of these events, please get in touch with Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk 01778 561326 / 07717 787077
Thursday 23 September 2010
Coaching skills for managers
Coaching is good management practice. Some of us do it more, some do it less. Some do it well, some not so well. A recent study of Fortune 100 executives by Manchester Consulting Group found that coaching was effective for all participants and resulted in a return on investment averaging 5.7 times the initial investment.
The following benefits of coaching were cited:
• Improved Relationships 77%
• Improved Teamwork 67%
• Improved Job Satisfaction 61%
• Improved Productivity 53%
• Improved Quality 48%
• Improved Organizational Strength 48%
If your organisation (whether you are an FM provider, or have your own in-house FM team) is to survive and prosper in current climate of rapid change, you need to be more flexible, move faster and learn faster than before. Coaching can help achieve this, particularly if managers train to become coaches themselves or at least learn some basic coaching skills and understand the basic principles. Coaching is generally used for performance management, employee engagement, leadership development and change management.
An International Personnel Management Association survey found that productivity amongst public sector managers increased by 88 per cent when coaching was combined with training (compared to a 22 per cent increase with training alone).
How is coaching different from day to day management?
Often as managers, we feel we should have all the answers – not only do we need to tell our people what the outcome should be, but also how to go about it. Of course, we often have more experience than them; however if you want your people to grow in experience and knowledge, then you need to help them find solutions themselves. Coaching is about asking the right questions to draw out their existing knowledge, experience and skills, as well as their creativity in finding the way forward.
‘But I’m too busy’, I hear you cry!
Much of an FM team’s role is reactive; by coaching them you will allow your people to take a step back and find solutions for those recurring issues. Allow your teams to solve them, and you’ll have more time to focus on being innovative and providing an even better service.
Your role in coaching
The appeal of coaching is that it’s centred on the individual, at a time and place to suit them; you could have a five minute coaching conversation in the corridor with a member of staff, or an hour long formal session.
Here’s what happens:
You agree the focus for the coaching using questions like:
• What would be the best use of our time together this morning?
• What would you like to go away from this session with?
Then you can follow one of many coaching models to draw out their existing strengths, know-how and other resources. Some well-known and very effective models are GROW, Solutions Focus, ACHIEVE™ and OUTCOMES™.
Confidentiality is one of the prerequisites of coaching, and should be made clear from the start. Even if you are their line manager, this still applies – people need to know they can speak freely in a coaching situation. It’s often useful to ensure senior managers are clear about this too; if they are aware that you are coaching your people, they may want to know all about what’s happening and the results.
One pitfall that many people fall into when they start coaching is ‘giving advice’. In a coaching relationship, your role is to ask questions, seek clarity where needed, and otherwise to stay quiet and let them answer. In fact, effective listening is the key skill for great coaching.
How will I know if it’s working?
Many organisations demand a clear link between coaching and the bottom line, which can be tricky. Measuring the impact of coaching is simple if you are clear from the start exactly what the person being coached wants to achieve. Begin by agreeing coaching objectives, key behaviours they would want to be demonstrating as a result of the coaching, and why they are relevant to your organisation’s and/or client’s goals. Calculate the likely impact of coaching, taking into consideration other organisational variables such as resource levels, client SLAs and any training and development programmes.
The cumulative effects of coaching take time to filter through your organisation, so you should review the impact on a regular basis. Other measures you can use include 360° assessments and staff surveys, both before and after the coaching, focusing particularly on behaviours. If using 360° processes, make sure you involve your end users too, as these are often the people who will most readily notice a difference in behaviours.
What skills do I need?
Although you can pick up a book on coaching skills and get stuck in, it’s worth undertaking some training to learn not just the skills you’ll need, but also how it feels to be coached, and to see the fast results that can be achieved.
It’s worth networking with others within your organisation who are using coaching skills, as well as some of the coaching circles and networks you’ll find outside. As a coach we never stop learning – nor should we, otherwise we risk slipping back into ‘management mode’.
Although I always have high expectations for my coaching clients, they still amaze me with their resourcefulness and commitment.
Want to know more? Join our ‘FM Coaching Programme’ later this year, where you will learn to be an effective coach, and also have the opportunity to be coached by an expert.
Liz Kentish The FM Coach, 01778 561326 www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk Follow me on Twitter
A version of this article appeared in FMX magazine Sept 2010
The following benefits of coaching were cited:
• Improved Relationships 77%
• Improved Teamwork 67%
• Improved Job Satisfaction 61%
• Improved Productivity 53%
• Improved Quality 48%
• Improved Organizational Strength 48%
If your organisation (whether you are an FM provider, or have your own in-house FM team) is to survive and prosper in current climate of rapid change, you need to be more flexible, move faster and learn faster than before. Coaching can help achieve this, particularly if managers train to become coaches themselves or at least learn some basic coaching skills and understand the basic principles. Coaching is generally used for performance management, employee engagement, leadership development and change management.
An International Personnel Management Association survey found that productivity amongst public sector managers increased by 88 per cent when coaching was combined with training (compared to a 22 per cent increase with training alone).
How is coaching different from day to day management?
Often as managers, we feel we should have all the answers – not only do we need to tell our people what the outcome should be, but also how to go about it. Of course, we often have more experience than them; however if you want your people to grow in experience and knowledge, then you need to help them find solutions themselves. Coaching is about asking the right questions to draw out their existing knowledge, experience and skills, as well as their creativity in finding the way forward.
‘But I’m too busy’, I hear you cry!
Much of an FM team’s role is reactive; by coaching them you will allow your people to take a step back and find solutions for those recurring issues. Allow your teams to solve them, and you’ll have more time to focus on being innovative and providing an even better service.
Your role in coaching
The appeal of coaching is that it’s centred on the individual, at a time and place to suit them; you could have a five minute coaching conversation in the corridor with a member of staff, or an hour long formal session.
Here’s what happens:
You agree the focus for the coaching using questions like:
• What would be the best use of our time together this morning?
• What would you like to go away from this session with?
Then you can follow one of many coaching models to draw out their existing strengths, know-how and other resources. Some well-known and very effective models are GROW, Solutions Focus, ACHIEVE™ and OUTCOMES™.
Confidentiality is one of the prerequisites of coaching, and should be made clear from the start. Even if you are their line manager, this still applies – people need to know they can speak freely in a coaching situation. It’s often useful to ensure senior managers are clear about this too; if they are aware that you are coaching your people, they may want to know all about what’s happening and the results.
One pitfall that many people fall into when they start coaching is ‘giving advice’. In a coaching relationship, your role is to ask questions, seek clarity where needed, and otherwise to stay quiet and let them answer. In fact, effective listening is the key skill for great coaching.
How will I know if it’s working?
Many organisations demand a clear link between coaching and the bottom line, which can be tricky. Measuring the impact of coaching is simple if you are clear from the start exactly what the person being coached wants to achieve. Begin by agreeing coaching objectives, key behaviours they would want to be demonstrating as a result of the coaching, and why they are relevant to your organisation’s and/or client’s goals. Calculate the likely impact of coaching, taking into consideration other organisational variables such as resource levels, client SLAs and any training and development programmes.
The cumulative effects of coaching take time to filter through your organisation, so you should review the impact on a regular basis. Other measures you can use include 360° assessments and staff surveys, both before and after the coaching, focusing particularly on behaviours. If using 360° processes, make sure you involve your end users too, as these are often the people who will most readily notice a difference in behaviours.
What skills do I need?
Although you can pick up a book on coaching skills and get stuck in, it’s worth undertaking some training to learn not just the skills you’ll need, but also how it feels to be coached, and to see the fast results that can be achieved.
It’s worth networking with others within your organisation who are using coaching skills, as well as some of the coaching circles and networks you’ll find outside. As a coach we never stop learning – nor should we, otherwise we risk slipping back into ‘management mode’.
Although I always have high expectations for my coaching clients, they still amaze me with their resourcefulness and commitment.
Want to know more? Join our ‘FM Coaching Programme’ later this year, where you will learn to be an effective coach, and also have the opportunity to be coached by an expert.
Liz Kentish The FM Coach, 01778 561326 www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk Follow me on Twitter
A version of this article appeared in FMX magazine Sept 2010
Thursday 2 September 2010
Can’t see the wood for the trees?
I went motor racing last weekend – not something I do very often I must say! I was fortunate to spend time with a team coach, and I asked him how he trains top drivers, and what their main obstacles are.
This is what he told me...
When you first learn to drive on a track at speed, the key thing is to be focused 100% on where you want to go. One of the main issues new drivers have is that they focus on what they don’t want.
So, for example, they might be saying to themselves,
‘I mustn’t hit the barrier’, and guess what happens more often that not? Yes, exactly. They hit the barrier.
I find this happens a lot in business too. We get so preoccupied by what we don’t want, that we almost make it come true by our self-talk. In coaching it’s similar; sometimes it’s easier to think about what we don’t want, rather than what we do want.
Take a leaf out of the great racing drivers’ book; a great question to ask yourself if you’re focusing on the barriers, is ‘what do I want instead?’
As the late Ayrton Senna himself said,
'And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.'
So, what do you want instead of what you have right now?
Liz Kentish The FM Coach 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
This is what he told me...
When you first learn to drive on a track at speed, the key thing is to be focused 100% on where you want to go. One of the main issues new drivers have is that they focus on what they don’t want.
So, for example, they might be saying to themselves,
‘I mustn’t hit the barrier’, and guess what happens more often that not? Yes, exactly. They hit the barrier.
I find this happens a lot in business too. We get so preoccupied by what we don’t want, that we almost make it come true by our self-talk. In coaching it’s similar; sometimes it’s easier to think about what we don’t want, rather than what we do want.
Take a leaf out of the great racing drivers’ book; a great question to ask yourself if you’re focusing on the barriers, is ‘what do I want instead?’
As the late Ayrton Senna himself said,
'And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.'
So, what do you want instead of what you have right now?
Liz Kentish The FM Coach 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Tuesday 31 August 2010
'Wherever you are, be there'.
This quote from the late Jim Rohn has always resonated with me – it’s about giving your full, undivided attention to what you are doing. So often, you can hear people on the other end of the ‘phone tapping away on their blackberry or iphone – I even see people checking emails in meetings! As far as I’m concerned, that’s plain bad manners.
I’m working with a client who is CEO of a major FM consortium, and she constantly demonstrates what Jim Rohn means by ‘being there’. As soon as she comes into a meeting room, or stops to talk to a colleague, employee or client, in a corridor, the coffee lounge or on site, she puts her ‘phone away, closes her notebook and gives that person her full attention.
Why don’t we see more of this? Are we really too busy to give people 100% of our attention? Think honestly about yourself and whether you do this or not? What’s one small action you can take right now, to focus on the person you are with, or the job in hand?
Coaching can help you focus. Find out more - talk to Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 or email coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
I’m working with a client who is CEO of a major FM consortium, and she constantly demonstrates what Jim Rohn means by ‘being there’. As soon as she comes into a meeting room, or stops to talk to a colleague, employee or client, in a corridor, the coffee lounge or on site, she puts her ‘phone away, closes her notebook and gives that person her full attention.
Why don’t we see more of this? Are we really too busy to give people 100% of our attention? Think honestly about yourself and whether you do this or not? What’s one small action you can take right now, to focus on the person you are with, or the job in hand?
Coaching can help you focus. Find out more - talk to Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 or email coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Sunday 15 August 2010
The man who took our bins away - creating the bin less office
I recently facilitated a course for FMs and afterwards we got involved in a fascinating conversation about the realities of creating a bin less office. One FM had just started trialling the removal of all office bins and introducing ‘central recycling stations’ which in his own words was creating ‘anarchy’. He asked the group what they’d tried to help convince colleagues to go this way. Here’s the top tips offered by the rest of the group:
1. Communicate, Communicate and Communicate, it’s essential if the project is to succeed. Promote the reasons you are doing it, and use as many methods as possible, e.g. email, articles in the company newsletter, posters on notice boards, etc.
2. Get senior management buy-in and make sure they understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, are advocates for the project and above-all set a good example.
3. Provide real facts such as landfill taxes, corporate responsibility, environmental benefits, etc. If you contact the recycling companies, most will be happy to send you posters and information/facts that will support your campaign.
4. Put posters above each bin giving examples of what packaging and products go into the different bins, e.g. plastic food cartons, cans, paper. Even consider colour coding them to match the bins. Expect that even the most intelligent of people will take time working out what should go where!
5. Some staff may protest by leaving their rubbish on their desks for the cleaners to pick up. One way around that is to inform the cleaners not to remove any such rubbish and people will soon get the message. Another is to provide small ‘personal desk-top recycling boxes’. They’re only for paper and it’s the responsibility of the staff to empty the contents into the main recycling point each day, but it helps with goodwill. They cost between £2-4 each.
6. Display recycling results for your building and/or business on notice boards or include them in your newsletter to help people see that the project has a purpose and show that it is being closely monitored.
7. Expect mayhem, at least for a while and some people may treat you like you’ve stolen their right arm and done it just for fun. But time is a healer and with this one, people will just have to accept it and get used to it.
8. Communicate, Communicate and Communicate. Did I say that already? Well it can’t be stressed enough. It’s the key to making it all work.
1. Communicate, Communicate and Communicate, it’s essential if the project is to succeed. Promote the reasons you are doing it, and use as many methods as possible, e.g. email, articles in the company newsletter, posters on notice boards, etc.
2. Get senior management buy-in and make sure they understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, are advocates for the project and above-all set a good example.
3. Provide real facts such as landfill taxes, corporate responsibility, environmental benefits, etc. If you contact the recycling companies, most will be happy to send you posters and information/facts that will support your campaign.
4. Put posters above each bin giving examples of what packaging and products go into the different bins, e.g. plastic food cartons, cans, paper. Even consider colour coding them to match the bins. Expect that even the most intelligent of people will take time working out what should go where!
5. Some staff may protest by leaving their rubbish on their desks for the cleaners to pick up. One way around that is to inform the cleaners not to remove any such rubbish and people will soon get the message. Another is to provide small ‘personal desk-top recycling boxes’. They’re only for paper and it’s the responsibility of the staff to empty the contents into the main recycling point each day, but it helps with goodwill. They cost between £2-4 each.
6. Display recycling results for your building and/or business on notice boards or include them in your newsletter to help people see that the project has a purpose and show that it is being closely monitored.
7. Expect mayhem, at least for a while and some people may treat you like you’ve stolen their right arm and done it just for fun. But time is a healer and with this one, people will just have to accept it and get used to it.
8. Communicate, Communicate and Communicate. Did I say that already? Well it can’t be stressed enough. It’s the key to making it all work.
Sunday 1 August 2010
Eleanor Rigby – ‘wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door’
This week I’ve been coaching a couple of clients about the perception people have of them in the workplace. Listening to the words of the Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ this morning made me realise that many of us have different ‘faces' that we wear, which could mean we present a different picture to the people around us: to our families, friends, the boss, our colleagues, clients, contractors...the list goes on.
Is it a bad thing to have different ‘faces'?
If you check out the Johari Window* you will see that the ‘window’ we often need to work on is the ‘open’ window, where we, and others, know more about the authentic person we are. Different people may need to know different things about us, but the key thing is, it must be part of the real person – not some made-up persona or characteristic that we don’t have.
Take some time to think about where you keep your ‘faces’ and who gets to see which.
Want to find out more about perception, and how to change the way you are viewed at work? Call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 or email coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
*A Johari window is a cognitive psychological tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 in the United States, used to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window)
Is it a bad thing to have different ‘faces'?
If you check out the Johari Window* you will see that the ‘window’ we often need to work on is the ‘open’ window, where we, and others, know more about the authentic person we are. Different people may need to know different things about us, but the key thing is, it must be part of the real person – not some made-up persona or characteristic that we don’t have.
Take some time to think about where you keep your ‘faces’ and who gets to see which.
Want to find out more about perception, and how to change the way you are viewed at work? Call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 or email coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
*A Johari window is a cognitive psychological tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 in the United States, used to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window)
Wednesday 7 July 2010
What can we learn from the World Cup?
I have to admit it, I got sucked into the excitement about the World Cup - I couldn't help myself! The whole nation seemed to create a groundswell of patriotism, support and rallying around our team. Then, as quickly as it began - it was over.
I see similarities in many workplaces - a new idea, a new manager, a new building - they can all set high expectations for the existing team; which can be dashed if we don't create momentum.
So what does that mean? Have someone act as your 'champion' of the cause, and encourage them to:
Shout about successes, even the small ones
Catch people doing things right - exhibiting the behaviours you want to encourage
Create a common language around success
Ensure the topic/project/theme is always on the agenda for your meetings and away days
Set objectives for everyone - common goals help us work together
Keep the momentum going and you are far more likely to succeed - be sure your managers, leaders, key players and supporters are all pulling in the same direction!
So, almost the end of the World Cup - rugby next I think!
Liz Kentish The FM Coach 07717 787077
coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
I see similarities in many workplaces - a new idea, a new manager, a new building - they can all set high expectations for the existing team; which can be dashed if we don't create momentum.
So what does that mean? Have someone act as your 'champion' of the cause, and encourage them to:
Shout about successes, even the small ones
Catch people doing things right - exhibiting the behaviours you want to encourage
Create a common language around success
Ensure the topic/project/theme is always on the agenda for your meetings and away days
Set objectives for everyone - common goals help us work together
Keep the momentum going and you are far more likely to succeed - be sure your managers, leaders, key players and supporters are all pulling in the same direction!
So, almost the end of the World Cup - rugby next I think!
Liz Kentish The FM Coach 07717 787077
coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Monday 24 May 2010
Social networking can help your career
The corporate communication teams in organisations have for the longest time controlled what messages are put out into the world about the company and its people. Oftentimes only the most senior or glamorous get to become spokespeople and the real specialists are hidden away, never getting the chance to talk publicly about their subject or engage and debate with others, for the benefit of their peer group.
Social media changes all of that, allowing everyone to have a voice. Whilst it’s not suggested you do anything that contravenes your company’s communication policy, such as contacting the media directly with your point of view, you can use social media to build your profile for the good of your peer group, and your own career development. This article aims to give some practical advice about how it works and how to get started.
Whether you are employed within an organisation or are an independent consultant LinkedIn is an important tool for you. It helps you to make better use of your professional network and help the people that you trust and vice versa. On the site, you will connect with the people that you know now and the people that you’ve lost touch with, say from previous jobs. Once connected, you then have sight of all their contacts: their little black books. As you move around, you simply update your details and everyone in your network knows where you are and what you’re doing – a very clean database not previously available.
At the very least, this gives you a very soft route to contact people. There may be people that you wouldn’t dream of telephoning or emailing to enquire if they can help you in your job search, but connecting through LinkedIn is usually acceptable and allows for conversations that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. Although your direct contacts may not be in a position to offer you a new job, they may know someone that can.
Once on the site, there are a number of functions that can help you:
Recommendations - you can ask your contacts to recommend you. Their enthusiastic words will appear in the daily feed of your network so everyone will see what contribution you are making in your field.
Groups - there are literally thousands of groups covering all manner of subjects. Join some that are relevant to what you do and if you don’t find one that you like, set one up. Then join in the conversations that are taking place, be helpful and start to get yourself known.
Job search – companies now use LinkedIn to publish their vacancies. Search under the terms you’re interested in, and then it will give you information about who in your network works there, which may help you get the inside track. You can even look up details of the interviewer to get some background information on them, which may help the conversation flow in the interview.
Share – tell your network what you’re working on; provide links to interesting articles or examples of something you’ve created. The more useful you can be to your network, the more respected you will become.
Your personal brand
You will need to develop your online profile and once done, make sure you use it consistently across all social networks. Employers do use social networking sites to check potential candidates, so make sure everything adds up. As an aside, watch out for Facebook. This is the place where you express yourself to your friends which may be very different from your professional persona. Be careful about who you accept into your Facebook network and ensure you set your account so only your friends see your information.
When developing your online profile, consider what it is you do and who you serve. We can be our own harshest critics so it’s good to ask business associates how they view you and what they consider are your strengths.
Choose a picture or avatar (a graphical representation of yourself) and use it across all networks. This isn’t the place for your favourite bikini shot; this should reflect your professional image. It will effectively become your logo and people will come to recognise it as your part of your personal brand.
Building your brand
Choose your specialist subject. For example, you may consider yourself an authority on cleaning systems. Search for people that are already talking about the subject, perhaps through their blogs and subscribe to their feeds through Google Reader, or similar. This will provide you with material and comment about the subject. Combining what you find with your own material, get active online. Talk about your subject in online groups and forums, write regular blogs (at least two a month), record PodCasts, place great presentations on SlideShare, make short instructional films and place on your own YouTube channel and broadcast links to these and other’s materials through Twitter.
This type of activity will, over time, make you the ‘go to’ person for cleaning systems, or whatever your subject is. You’ll start to get known, you’ll build a following and people will start to recommend you. Your brand equity will rise and your access to opportunities will increase.
Of course social media is just part of your toolkit when it comes to your career development, but think if you get started now, and become a valuable contributor to your network, you may within a matter of months be perceived as the expert on your subject. Not bad eh?
One final note, please check your company’s policy when it comes to you using social media and ensure you work within the set out boundaries.
Article by: Liz Kentish and Christine Jones
Liz Kentish, the FM Coach for Liz Kentish Coaching – www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Christine Jones, Director of Tiger Mouth, communications consultancy – www.tigermouth.co.uk
This article was published by FM World 6 May 2010 www.fm-world.co.uk
Social media changes all of that, allowing everyone to have a voice. Whilst it’s not suggested you do anything that contravenes your company’s communication policy, such as contacting the media directly with your point of view, you can use social media to build your profile for the good of your peer group, and your own career development. This article aims to give some practical advice about how it works and how to get started.
Whether you are employed within an organisation or are an independent consultant LinkedIn is an important tool for you. It helps you to make better use of your professional network and help the people that you trust and vice versa. On the site, you will connect with the people that you know now and the people that you’ve lost touch with, say from previous jobs. Once connected, you then have sight of all their contacts: their little black books. As you move around, you simply update your details and everyone in your network knows where you are and what you’re doing – a very clean database not previously available.
At the very least, this gives you a very soft route to contact people. There may be people that you wouldn’t dream of telephoning or emailing to enquire if they can help you in your job search, but connecting through LinkedIn is usually acceptable and allows for conversations that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. Although your direct contacts may not be in a position to offer you a new job, they may know someone that can.
Once on the site, there are a number of functions that can help you:
Recommendations - you can ask your contacts to recommend you. Their enthusiastic words will appear in the daily feed of your network so everyone will see what contribution you are making in your field.
Groups - there are literally thousands of groups covering all manner of subjects. Join some that are relevant to what you do and if you don’t find one that you like, set one up. Then join in the conversations that are taking place, be helpful and start to get yourself known.
Job search – companies now use LinkedIn to publish their vacancies. Search under the terms you’re interested in, and then it will give you information about who in your network works there, which may help you get the inside track. You can even look up details of the interviewer to get some background information on them, which may help the conversation flow in the interview.
Share – tell your network what you’re working on; provide links to interesting articles or examples of something you’ve created. The more useful you can be to your network, the more respected you will become.
Your personal brand
You will need to develop your online profile and once done, make sure you use it consistently across all social networks. Employers do use social networking sites to check potential candidates, so make sure everything adds up. As an aside, watch out for Facebook. This is the place where you express yourself to your friends which may be very different from your professional persona. Be careful about who you accept into your Facebook network and ensure you set your account so only your friends see your information.
When developing your online profile, consider what it is you do and who you serve. We can be our own harshest critics so it’s good to ask business associates how they view you and what they consider are your strengths.
Choose a picture or avatar (a graphical representation of yourself) and use it across all networks. This isn’t the place for your favourite bikini shot; this should reflect your professional image. It will effectively become your logo and people will come to recognise it as your part of your personal brand.
Building your brand
Choose your specialist subject. For example, you may consider yourself an authority on cleaning systems. Search for people that are already talking about the subject, perhaps through their blogs and subscribe to their feeds through Google Reader, or similar. This will provide you with material and comment about the subject. Combining what you find with your own material, get active online. Talk about your subject in online groups and forums, write regular blogs (at least two a month), record PodCasts, place great presentations on SlideShare, make short instructional films and place on your own YouTube channel and broadcast links to these and other’s materials through Twitter.
This type of activity will, over time, make you the ‘go to’ person for cleaning systems, or whatever your subject is. You’ll start to get known, you’ll build a following and people will start to recommend you. Your brand equity will rise and your access to opportunities will increase.
Of course social media is just part of your toolkit when it comes to your career development, but think if you get started now, and become a valuable contributor to your network, you may within a matter of months be perceived as the expert on your subject. Not bad eh?
One final note, please check your company’s policy when it comes to you using social media and ensure you work within the set out boundaries.
Article by: Liz Kentish and Christine Jones
Liz Kentish, the FM Coach for Liz Kentish Coaching – www.lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Christine Jones, Director of Tiger Mouth, communications consultancy – www.tigermouth.co.uk
This article was published by FM World 6 May 2010 www.fm-world.co.uk
Thursday 20 May 2010
The power of networking, and social media insights
Yesterday Women in FM hosted an event 'Social Media and You' with Iain Murray of Connected FM and Christine Jones of Tiger Mouth.
There was great advice about creating 'The Brand of You' as well as how to get started on Twitter and the tools available to track your brand online. This got me thinking about some of the people I follow on Twitter - some are for business reasons (e.g. people working in facilities management or coaching) and some for pleasure (hobbies I indulge in, films I enjoy etc). I took some time this morning to review content form the business people I follow and realised how frustrated I get when their publicly aired views become less about business and more about their political views for example. Then I looked at some of my own posts and saw that, although I am running a business, I also have made some postings that really aren't relevant to my business goals. So, Facebook for social stuff in future I think!
As always, one of the main benefits of the event last night (according to those who attended) was the opportunity to network. If you haven't yet been to one of our events, get in touch and I'll send you a personal invite to our next one, to be held in London on 2 June, 'Keeping it Real' - how FM can learn from the hospitality sector.
E-mail coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call Liz Kentish the FM Coach on 07717 787077
There was great advice about creating 'The Brand of You' as well as how to get started on Twitter and the tools available to track your brand online. This got me thinking about some of the people I follow on Twitter - some are for business reasons (e.g. people working in facilities management or coaching) and some for pleasure (hobbies I indulge in, films I enjoy etc). I took some time this morning to review content form the business people I follow and realised how frustrated I get when their publicly aired views become less about business and more about their political views for example. Then I looked at some of my own posts and saw that, although I am running a business, I also have made some postings that really aren't relevant to my business goals. So, Facebook for social stuff in future I think!
As always, one of the main benefits of the event last night (according to those who attended) was the opportunity to network. If you haven't yet been to one of our events, get in touch and I'll send you a personal invite to our next one, to be held in London on 2 June, 'Keeping it Real' - how FM can learn from the hospitality sector.
E-mail coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call Liz Kentish the FM Coach on 07717 787077
Thursday 15 April 2010
Leadership according to Sir Chris Bonington
I had the pleasure yesterday of speaking at the BIFM conference, which had Chris Bonington as its guest speaker. Chris shared with the audience his renowned exhibitions, particularly to Everest, and he drew many parallels with the corporate world.
Here are just some of the highlights:
A true leader listens, consults, then makes firm, clear decisions.
A true leader knows when it's time to turn back.
Leadership is like a ball that you pass among the team, then the leader picks up the reins at the right moment, in a firm, decisive and tactful way.
Trust is what holds teams together.
A true leader acknowledges their wider team, they are all as important to the success of the organisation.
Want to improve your own leadership? Then let's talk 07717 787077
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Are you a Manager or a Leader?
What would your team say – are you a Manager or a Leader?
What’s the difference between management and leadership?
How would you say they differ in terms of:
• Power
• Focus
• Risk profile?
This is an age-old question, and one that I have been asked many times, and one that I believe can be answered in several different ways. The main difference between a manager and a leader is how they motivate the people around them.
Do you have to be one or the other? Most of us fulfill both roles, moving from manager to leader when we realize we have to win the hearts and minds of those we want to follow us.
• Managers have subordinates As a line manager you command a certain amount of respect from those who report to you, and you tell them what to do. They do what they are instructed (usually!), because they receive their salary for doing so.
• Manager’s focus As a manager you get paid to make things happen, usually to budget and to deadlines. The actual tasks are usually delegated.
• Managers and risk As a manager you are expected to follow the company’s policies and procedures, without making any substantial changes. Generally this is comfortable for you, as it gives a structure to your role.
• Leaders have followers When you are a leader you don’t have direct reports (although you may still have them in your management role). When you want to lead, you are seeking followers, who follow you because they choose to, not because they are paid to.
• Leader’s focus Telling people what to do does not inspire them to follow you. You need to find out what drives them and show how following you will satisfy their needs. This could be a need for recognition, status, reward, a feeling of ‘giving back’ – as leader you need to know what it is. As a leader you always give credit where it’s due, and avoid blaming others when things go wrong.As a leader you will certainly demonstrate charisma, but this doesn’t mean you have to be friends with everyone, or even be liked by them. Some of the most effective leaders are often seen as ‘loners’.
• Leaders and risk As a leader you expect to face issues and problems, which need to be overcome. You are happy to take measured risks, and follow ‘the path less trodden’, to achieve your vision. People admire your courage – it’s important this is not seen by others as ‘bravado’.
In facilities management, a manager:
• Understands the contract requirements and business plan
• Is confident, a good listener, asks questions, is innovative
• Makes decisions according to the rules
• Customer- and service-focused – gets results by managing tasks
• Meets deadlines, and is focused on short-term results
• Is generally reactive
• Ensures staff understand their responsibilities
• Provides clear guidance to staff – tells them what to do
• Communicates effectively with teams
• Provides regular constructive feedback
• Encourages staff to improve their performance
• Addresses performance issues
• Encourages staff to offer ideas to improve performance
In facilities management, a leader:
• Is consistent in their own style, yet welcomes change and challenges the status quo
• Comes up with new, often radical, ideas
• Breaks the rules
• Generate new ideas and build a vision
• Focuses on long terms results
• Exploits their own strengths, and those of others
• Is aware of their own, and others’ weaknesses
• Pushes people to do and be the best they can
• Speaks in positive terms
So, where do you stand? For a no obligation 30 minute telephone session to identify your leadership strengths and how you can be even more effective, call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 or coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
What’s the difference between management and leadership?
How would you say they differ in terms of:
• Power
• Focus
• Risk profile?
This is an age-old question, and one that I have been asked many times, and one that I believe can be answered in several different ways. The main difference between a manager and a leader is how they motivate the people around them.
Do you have to be one or the other? Most of us fulfill both roles, moving from manager to leader when we realize we have to win the hearts and minds of those we want to follow us.
• Managers have subordinates As a line manager you command a certain amount of respect from those who report to you, and you tell them what to do. They do what they are instructed (usually!), because they receive their salary for doing so.
• Manager’s focus As a manager you get paid to make things happen, usually to budget and to deadlines. The actual tasks are usually delegated.
• Managers and risk As a manager you are expected to follow the company’s policies and procedures, without making any substantial changes. Generally this is comfortable for you, as it gives a structure to your role.
• Leaders have followers When you are a leader you don’t have direct reports (although you may still have them in your management role). When you want to lead, you are seeking followers, who follow you because they choose to, not because they are paid to.
• Leader’s focus Telling people what to do does not inspire them to follow you. You need to find out what drives them and show how following you will satisfy their needs. This could be a need for recognition, status, reward, a feeling of ‘giving back’ – as leader you need to know what it is. As a leader you always give credit where it’s due, and avoid blaming others when things go wrong.As a leader you will certainly demonstrate charisma, but this doesn’t mean you have to be friends with everyone, or even be liked by them. Some of the most effective leaders are often seen as ‘loners’.
• Leaders and risk As a leader you expect to face issues and problems, which need to be overcome. You are happy to take measured risks, and follow ‘the path less trodden’, to achieve your vision. People admire your courage – it’s important this is not seen by others as ‘bravado’.
In facilities management, a manager:
• Understands the contract requirements and business plan
• Is confident, a good listener, asks questions, is innovative
• Makes decisions according to the rules
• Customer- and service-focused – gets results by managing tasks
• Meets deadlines, and is focused on short-term results
• Is generally reactive
• Ensures staff understand their responsibilities
• Provides clear guidance to staff – tells them what to do
• Communicates effectively with teams
• Provides regular constructive feedback
• Encourages staff to improve their performance
• Addresses performance issues
• Encourages staff to offer ideas to improve performance
In facilities management, a leader:
• Is consistent in their own style, yet welcomes change and challenges the status quo
• Comes up with new, often radical, ideas
• Breaks the rules
• Generate new ideas and build a vision
• Focuses on long terms results
• Exploits their own strengths, and those of others
• Is aware of their own, and others’ weaknesses
• Pushes people to do and be the best they can
• Speaks in positive terms
So, where do you stand? For a no obligation 30 minute telephone session to identify your leadership strengths and how you can be even more effective, call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 or coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Monday 8 March 2010
Keeping FM at the Heart of the Organisation – Your 5 Step Plan
Are you tired of your FM team simply being seen as the people who get the call when things go wrong? As their manager, you might actually be OK with that – after all, FM is a reactive business isn’t it? You might see it that way, but what about your team – your staff, service providers and so on?
Here is an easy to use 5 step plan to raise the profile of FM within your organisation
1. Know what the strategy of the organisation is. What are this year’s key business objectives? Who is responsible for each? How are they being measured?
If you were the CEO or MD – what would you be focusing on?
Keeping costs under control? Keeping existing clients satisfied? Growing the business – winning new clients, growing organically? Meeting legislation and other requirements?
From their perspective, what are the stresses, the pressures, the goals, and the demands?
Demonstrating a clear understanding of the strategic focus of the organization will help others to perceive you as a leader and team player.
Once you have a clear sense of this, you are then better able to make decisions, tailor your communications, and make contributions that will enable others to perceive you and your team as invaluable to the running of the business.
Share these objectives with the whole team, so that even suppliers know how they are contributing to the overall performance of the company.
2. What specifically can you and your team do to help the organisation achieve these objectives?
Providing details of the return on investment (ROI) that the company gets from its FM spend – you will no doubt already be reporting on many areas through your management information (MI) system. Apart from your boss, who else gets to see these reports? Why not start displaying the information on notice boards so everyone can see?
What else can you and your team do? For example, if you run the front of house area, what else can you do to make visitors feel welcome (especially existing and potential clients)? Could you greet them by name? Even a simple ‘nice to see you here again Mrs Kentish, how was your journey down from Leeds this morning?’ makes a visitor feel important, as if you really care about them.
Can you set up short lunchtime seminars for the company on topics that are of key importance such as new legislation or new ways of working – but ensure they are fun and interactive so people enjoy them and come back for more.
Wouldn’t it be great for the FM team to be seen not only as the experts, but as the people who deliver training seminars that are fun?!
3. Who are the most influential people in your organisation – it may not always be the most senior people – who are the people that others seem to listen to?
Where do they go when they’re not at their desks or in meetings? What’s uppermost in their minds right now? What can you do to help them? Show people the value of what you do and they will remember and talk to others about it. You already know that your team is indispensable, but does everyone else in the company?
Get these people on your side and they will tell the rest of the business.
4. Recognise your own people, even if others don’t.
When people in your team perform particularly well, make a fuss. You can set up an awards scheme to nominate ‘supplier of the month’, ‘employee of the quarter’, or whatever else you feel will work in your company. Ask your ‘end users’ to vote and make it easy for them – a tick box on a postcard or a token to put into a box at lunchtime for example.
Many studies have shown that you don’t need to give a financial award, a simple thank you in public is what people want.
Don't however measure and reward pointless things that have nothing whatever to do with the success of your company and execution of your company's strategic plan.
5. Blow your own trumpet.
Record and publicise your team’s accomplishments, and inquire about other ways you can contribute to overall team goals. Be assertive about the FM teams’ capabilities and ask for projects that will stretch your current abilities. Be clear about the support you seek from the company, and be equally clear about the deliverables you will produce.
Here is an easy to use 5 step plan to raise the profile of FM within your organisation
1. Know what the strategy of the organisation is. What are this year’s key business objectives? Who is responsible for each? How are they being measured?
If you were the CEO or MD – what would you be focusing on?
Keeping costs under control? Keeping existing clients satisfied? Growing the business – winning new clients, growing organically? Meeting legislation and other requirements?
From their perspective, what are the stresses, the pressures, the goals, and the demands?
Demonstrating a clear understanding of the strategic focus of the organization will help others to perceive you as a leader and team player.
Once you have a clear sense of this, you are then better able to make decisions, tailor your communications, and make contributions that will enable others to perceive you and your team as invaluable to the running of the business.
Share these objectives with the whole team, so that even suppliers know how they are contributing to the overall performance of the company.
2. What specifically can you and your team do to help the organisation achieve these objectives?
Providing details of the return on investment (ROI) that the company gets from its FM spend – you will no doubt already be reporting on many areas through your management information (MI) system. Apart from your boss, who else gets to see these reports? Why not start displaying the information on notice boards so everyone can see?
What else can you and your team do? For example, if you run the front of house area, what else can you do to make visitors feel welcome (especially existing and potential clients)? Could you greet them by name? Even a simple ‘nice to see you here again Mrs Kentish, how was your journey down from Leeds this morning?’ makes a visitor feel important, as if you really care about them.
Can you set up short lunchtime seminars for the company on topics that are of key importance such as new legislation or new ways of working – but ensure they are fun and interactive so people enjoy them and come back for more.
Wouldn’t it be great for the FM team to be seen not only as the experts, but as the people who deliver training seminars that are fun?!
3. Who are the most influential people in your organisation – it may not always be the most senior people – who are the people that others seem to listen to?
Where do they go when they’re not at their desks or in meetings? What’s uppermost in their minds right now? What can you do to help them? Show people the value of what you do and they will remember and talk to others about it. You already know that your team is indispensable, but does everyone else in the company?
Get these people on your side and they will tell the rest of the business.
4. Recognise your own people, even if others don’t.
When people in your team perform particularly well, make a fuss. You can set up an awards scheme to nominate ‘supplier of the month’, ‘employee of the quarter’, or whatever else you feel will work in your company. Ask your ‘end users’ to vote and make it easy for them – a tick box on a postcard or a token to put into a box at lunchtime for example.
Many studies have shown that you don’t need to give a financial award, a simple thank you in public is what people want.
Don't however measure and reward pointless things that have nothing whatever to do with the success of your company and execution of your company's strategic plan.
5. Blow your own trumpet.
Record and publicise your team’s accomplishments, and inquire about other ways you can contribute to overall team goals. Be assertive about the FM teams’ capabilities and ask for projects that will stretch your current abilities. Be clear about the support you seek from the company, and be equally clear about the deliverables you will produce.
Thursday 7 January 2010
Positive Women - Who Wants to Know the #1 Question to Ask Yourself For More Peace of Mind?
If there was one question you could ask yourself to gain more peace of mind and keep a positive attitude, do you think it would be blanketing billboards, magazines and the internet? Would it be sensational enough to make the news? Would: less controversy, better communication and happier people be worthy of paparazzi? I think not, and that may be why is the best question is not being widely publicized. Or, it may be because most people don't know what the question is to share it with the masses. Or, maybe people who like drama have kept it under wraps since time began. I'll tell you what it is and you tell me your results from asking it. Deal?
The Question: "How is the best way to handle this situation?"
Reason Why it is the #1 Question to Ask Yourself
We tell people what we don't want them to do and they do it because we won't acknowledge that the subconscious mind ignores the word "don't."
We "try" to make things work when we know, good and well, the word "try" implies doubt and gives us an "out." There is never any real commitment when we "try" and there are much better words to use instead, inspiring success instead of failure.
We often end up pleasing ourselves or others by default because we have done everything else and there's only one thing left to do. By this time, we are depleted, frustrated and weakened so are we really pleasing ourselves?
Peace of mind and a positive attitude come from playing your way through life in a manner that makes it fun. Have you ever spoken with someone who feels real peace of mind? They are helpful though avoid taking on everyone else's problems as their own. They see the bright side of situations. How do they do this in a world that is often negative and draining if you let it be? They ask themselves, "What is the best way to handle this situation?" in whatever words or thoughts they might use. They may not consciously realize they are asking it but they are.
Just do it. Your brain will answer any question you ask it so make sure to ask it good questions. What answer will you get? You will get an answer that comes from your gut and that is where you want all answers to come from. No one knows you better than you so ask yourself what you want to know about and always trust it as the right answer. Will it always make sense? No, maybe not immediately but looking back, how many times have you second-guessed yourself and chosen wrong?
Gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with and their job is to keep you alive. Ask the question, trust the answer.
To be more positive, empowered, successful, and have greater peace of mind, I invite you to visit http://PositiveWomenRock.com/gift where you will receive audio and PDF versions of "3 Reasons Positive Women Excel at Everything" and invitations to TeleWomenars - empowering conversations for women.
Submitted by Kelly Rudolph, Creator of PositiveWomenRock. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Rudolph
For one to one support in handling those challenging situations, contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 or coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
The Question: "How is the best way to handle this situation?"
Reason Why it is the #1 Question to Ask Yourself
We tell people what we don't want them to do and they do it because we won't acknowledge that the subconscious mind ignores the word "don't."
We "try" to make things work when we know, good and well, the word "try" implies doubt and gives us an "out." There is never any real commitment when we "try" and there are much better words to use instead, inspiring success instead of failure.
We often end up pleasing ourselves or others by default because we have done everything else and there's only one thing left to do. By this time, we are depleted, frustrated and weakened so are we really pleasing ourselves?
Peace of mind and a positive attitude come from playing your way through life in a manner that makes it fun. Have you ever spoken with someone who feels real peace of mind? They are helpful though avoid taking on everyone else's problems as their own. They see the bright side of situations. How do they do this in a world that is often negative and draining if you let it be? They ask themselves, "What is the best way to handle this situation?" in whatever words or thoughts they might use. They may not consciously realize they are asking it but they are.
Just do it. Your brain will answer any question you ask it so make sure to ask it good questions. What answer will you get? You will get an answer that comes from your gut and that is where you want all answers to come from. No one knows you better than you so ask yourself what you want to know about and always trust it as the right answer. Will it always make sense? No, maybe not immediately but looking back, how many times have you second-guessed yourself and chosen wrong?
Gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with and their job is to keep you alive. Ask the question, trust the answer.
To be more positive, empowered, successful, and have greater peace of mind, I invite you to visit http://PositiveWomenRock.com/gift where you will receive audio and PDF versions of "3 Reasons Positive Women Excel at Everything" and invitations to TeleWomenars - empowering conversations for women.
Submitted by Kelly Rudolph, Creator of PositiveWomenRock. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Rudolph
For one to one support in handling those challenging situations, contact Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 or coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
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