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
Sunday 31 October 2010
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
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