Last week I was facilitating the Professional Facilities Manager 2, on behalf of BIFM Training, and the topic came up - 'what do you call a group of FMs?'
So the search is on for a suitable collective noun. Here's what the delegates came up with:
A...
Cluster
Worry
Whinge
Solution
Challenge
Frustration
Rush
Madness
Faculty
Stress
...of FMs.
What do you think? Please take a moment to comment on this blog and add your own ideas.
Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Friday, 29 May 2009
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
An exciting new role from 1 June
I am thrilled that from next week I will be taking over as Chair of Women in FM (WiFM), which is a special interest group run for the benefit of BIFM members (www.bifm.org.uk)
Our aim as a group is to promote women within the FM sector throughout the United Kingdom, to encourage them to join the industry, to develop their careers and to provide networking groups at which knowledge and ideas can be shared. All BIFM members, women and men, are welcome to join us at our planned forums throughout the year throughout the country. In order to meet as much of our target audience as possible, these are held in both the afternoons and the evenings.
People in the industry with experiences to share tell their stories at forums across the UK. The forums encourage open discussion around subjects that are pertinent to everyone involved and there is often the opportunity for a building tour led by the Facilities Manager at the venue.
Want to find out more? Email me coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 07717 787077
Our aim as a group is to promote women within the FM sector throughout the United Kingdom, to encourage them to join the industry, to develop their careers and to provide networking groups at which knowledge and ideas can be shared. All BIFM members, women and men, are welcome to join us at our planned forums throughout the year throughout the country. In order to meet as much of our target audience as possible, these are held in both the afternoons and the evenings.
People in the industry with experiences to share tell their stories at forums across the UK. The forums encourage open discussion around subjects that are pertinent to everyone involved and there is often the opportunity for a building tour led by the Facilities Manager at the venue.
Want to find out more? Email me coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 07717 787077
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Facilities Management – Women's Perspective
Women are severely under represented in the construction industry - our latest research has shown that there is a high demand for more communication channels between them” Dr Lisa Worrell (Salford University).
This event will introduce the topic of women and Facilities Management (FM), how women employed in the construction industry can engage with each other and why FM offers greater opportunities and is more appealing than related sectors.
Discussions will focus on the relevant issues such as the benefits and opportunities for women in FM, the barriers faced. There will also be an opportunity to talk about questions such as Is it right to have women-focused events? Why is this effective? What are the proven benefits?
Liz Kentish The FM Coach will be presenting her viewpoint - What works? - and exploring the evidence on how women and men network differently.
Book now for this workshop on 3 June 2009 in London.
This event will introduce the topic of women and Facilities Management (FM), how women employed in the construction industry can engage with each other and why FM offers greater opportunities and is more appealing than related sectors.
Discussions will focus on the relevant issues such as the benefits and opportunities for women in FM, the barriers faced. There will also be an opportunity to talk about questions such as Is it right to have women-focused events? Why is this effective? What are the proven benefits?
Liz Kentish The FM Coach will be presenting her viewpoint - What works? - and exploring the evidence on how women and men network differently.
Book now for this workshop on 3 June 2009 in London.
Monday, 27 April 2009
Managing effective meetings
If you are responsible for running meetings, and aren’t quite sure how best to go about creating an effective meeting experience, here are a few key steps to successful meeting management.
1. Meet with a purpose
If you ask most people, they have been to one too many meetings that seemed (whether or not accurately so) to have no purpose. Be sure to call a meeting only if you have a clear reason for doing so. It doesn’t matter what your reason might be. If you need information from the group, set a clear agenda with key questions ahead of time.
If you want to share information, draft an outline of your key points. If you just want to get the team together to allow for bonding time, then organise it so that you have the right environment.
2. Communicate your purpose/agenda
So, you know why you’re meeting, now, tell everyone else why you are. Be sure to let all attendees know how long the meeting will be, where it will be, and what information is to be covered.
Be sure to let them also know what the goal of the meeting is—what deliverables, outcomes, etc. are expected so they can come prepared. Just because you’ve called the meeting doesn’t mean you’re the only one who has to do the talking.
Enable them to participate — sharing relevant information ahead of time, will ensure they come prepared to contribute, and take the spotlight off of you at the same time!
3. Supporting materials
Come prepared with the appropriate supporting materials. If this is an information gathering session, bring forms or tools for completion. Presentation? Bring slides/handouts, etc. Whatever will support communication of your key points, gathering of the required information, or structuring of the discussion should be included to create a stronger sense that everyone’s time is being well spent.
4. Everyone present for a purpose
Please ensure that every single individual invited to the meeting is there for a reason. And, more importantly, that each attendee clearly understands his/her specific role.
When planning your meeting consider team members’ roles. How can they contribute? Do they have key information, skills, experience that you can leverage in the meeting? Help them feel useful by letting them know the important role you’d like them to play.
Also helpful in running effective meetings, is to assign meeting management roles before you begin the meetings. Some specific meeting facilitation roles might include:
Scribe: to record key information, and meeting minutes
Flipchart recorder: to capture key points, questions visually on flipcharts
Timekeeper: to help keep to the agenda
5. Outcomes/agreements captured and reviewed
Before you end the meeting, review the agreed upon action items, along with the responsible parties for each item as discussed during the meeting. If you’ve assigned meeting scribes or flipchart recorders, then this step should be relatively simple.
6. Next steps defined
Discuss roundabout timeframes for completion of action items, and also make sure to review next steps. Set expectations now for a follow-up meeting, should one be required. Let everyone know what you anticipate will need to be covered in the next meeting.
7. Show your appreciation
Every single person’s time is precious. So, be sure to thank them for their participation and contributions. Motivate key participants by letting them know after the meeting just how helpful their contributions were during the meeting. This will help to ensure that next time you need to have a meeting, you’ll find willing participants ready to go.
8. Reflect on your process
Identify what went well, and what didn’t.
Send your burning questions about managing meetings to Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk for a personal response.
1. Meet with a purpose
If you ask most people, they have been to one too many meetings that seemed (whether or not accurately so) to have no purpose. Be sure to call a meeting only if you have a clear reason for doing so. It doesn’t matter what your reason might be. If you need information from the group, set a clear agenda with key questions ahead of time.
If you want to share information, draft an outline of your key points. If you just want to get the team together to allow for bonding time, then organise it so that you have the right environment.
2. Communicate your purpose/agenda
So, you know why you’re meeting, now, tell everyone else why you are. Be sure to let all attendees know how long the meeting will be, where it will be, and what information is to be covered.
Be sure to let them also know what the goal of the meeting is—what deliverables, outcomes, etc. are expected so they can come prepared. Just because you’ve called the meeting doesn’t mean you’re the only one who has to do the talking.
Enable them to participate — sharing relevant information ahead of time, will ensure they come prepared to contribute, and take the spotlight off of you at the same time!
3. Supporting materials
Come prepared with the appropriate supporting materials. If this is an information gathering session, bring forms or tools for completion. Presentation? Bring slides/handouts, etc. Whatever will support communication of your key points, gathering of the required information, or structuring of the discussion should be included to create a stronger sense that everyone’s time is being well spent.
4. Everyone present for a purpose
Please ensure that every single individual invited to the meeting is there for a reason. And, more importantly, that each attendee clearly understands his/her specific role.
When planning your meeting consider team members’ roles. How can they contribute? Do they have key information, skills, experience that you can leverage in the meeting? Help them feel useful by letting them know the important role you’d like them to play.
Also helpful in running effective meetings, is to assign meeting management roles before you begin the meetings. Some specific meeting facilitation roles might include:
Scribe: to record key information, and meeting minutes
Flipchart recorder: to capture key points, questions visually on flipcharts
Timekeeper: to help keep to the agenda
5. Outcomes/agreements captured and reviewed
Before you end the meeting, review the agreed upon action items, along with the responsible parties for each item as discussed during the meeting. If you’ve assigned meeting scribes or flipchart recorders, then this step should be relatively simple.
6. Next steps defined
Discuss roundabout timeframes for completion of action items, and also make sure to review next steps. Set expectations now for a follow-up meeting, should one be required. Let everyone know what you anticipate will need to be covered in the next meeting.
7. Show your appreciation
Every single person’s time is precious. So, be sure to thank them for their participation and contributions. Motivate key participants by letting them know after the meeting just how helpful their contributions were during the meeting. This will help to ensure that next time you need to have a meeting, you’ll find willing participants ready to go.
8. Reflect on your process
Identify what went well, and what didn’t.
Send your burning questions about managing meetings to Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk for a personal response.
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