Facility managers are critical to maintaining a company’s brand image. They oversee maintenance, ensure the facility is in tip-top shape, leverage technology to lower costs, build in-house talent and ensure success. Having the right facility manager is key to a lasting return on investment. Best-in-class facility maintenance lies in these 7 habits of highly successful facility managers.
1. Excels at Time Management
A facility manager’s to-do list has tasks ranging from urgent needs to strategic deliverables. To effectively sort out such a workload, a highly successful facility manager sees time as an invaluable asset and has mastered time management.
2. Communicates Effectively
Facility managers often act as the liaison between facilities, employees and third-party service providers. Departments need accurate information in order to effectively schedule, plan and carry out daily tasks. Facility managers often serve as a communication hub – vendors rely on their instruction, customers rely on their listening skills and their subordinates rely on their direction.
Often, breakdowns in communication result in insufficient instruction, incorrect detail and lack clarity in direction. Successful facility managers comfortably exhibit effective communication to prevent breakdowns.
3. Adds Strategic Value
Highly successful facility managers do not regard strategic business operations and facility maintenance as two distinct concepts. Rather, facility managers know how to link the key performance indicators of the business operations to the key performance indicators of facility maintenance. As a result, strategic value is achieved. While the use of analytics to measure facility maintenance objectives and activities has become commonplace, successful facility managers know how to define successful KPIs. These KPIs reflect the real pain points within the company and often, facility managers will use a checklist to review reports and metrics. Facility managers go out of their way to make sure everything is complete and address their stakeholders’ feedback immediately.
4. Practices Patience
Highly successful facility managers know that not every stakeholder is going to be on the same page at the same time. Between vendors, customers and technicians, timelines and priorities can oftentimes be in conflict. Practicing patience, when combined with #2 above, strengthens buy-in and alignment, delivering more efficient and cost-effective outcomes.
5. Constantly Defies The Status Quo
Businesses are prone to certain obstacles. Constant change, for instance. Regulations may be altered, a new set of employees may suddenly be introduced into the system and external pressures may impact workplace operations. An expert facility manager can adapt to these changes, be innovative and cost-effective, challenge the status quo when necessary while ensuring that the goals of the company are met.
6. Embraces Automation
Highly successful facility managers also understand the value of automated systems to manage work orders, service calls, and follow-ups. These top-of-the-line individuals rely on the latest technologies – including mobile devices – to automatically track and manage facility maintenance processes.
7. Proactively Addresses Business Needs
Successful facility maintenance practices begin with a proactive approach to addressing business needs. Rather than waiting for things to break, proactive facility managers actively look for ways to improve operations. They spend their days planning and scheduling facility maintenance services, attending meetings with team members. Often, they have equipment inspected for additional work in need of completion while scheduled maintenance is being performed in order to address additional needs while already on site.
The journey from being an average facility manager to being one that blazes the facility maintenance trail can seem challenging. These 7 habits are essential to the creation of a proactive work environment and can help build best-in-class facility maintenance processes for the teams within your company.
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About Lakeside Project Solutions:
With the above 7 habits in mind, Lakeside Project Solutions set out to cater to these traits in our operations and KPI development. Lakeside Project Solutions aids facility managers with an endless list of facility maintenance services, dedicated account managers and transparent performance reporting—everything is done right the first time. Working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our quick, responsive facility maintenance and repairs keep your business running smoothly. A team of facility experts ensures that your service is always satisfactory, no matter what the request. Contact Lakeside Project Solutions to get started today!