FM Resolutions: Start Networking

There’s an old saying about it not being what you know, but who you know that matters.  Personally I still believe that skills, knowledge and experience count in the long run but…. developing a good professional network is a great way to supplement them and boost your progress.

FMs are usually people-people, so developing a professional network should be a fairly straightforward task: meet new people (from within the industry), talk to them (about the industry) and exchange details.  Of course there are lots of techniques to learn along the way to make your networking more effective, but I won’t cover these in detail here as there are already plenty of online resources available for those who wish to know more.  I will however say that; you’ll be amazed at how exponentially your network grows once you start.

Networking for knowledge, confidence and professional connections

The reason a good network is so useful to your development, is that it gives you access to the knowledge, expertise and contacts of a pool of other professionals. FM is one of those broad (and exciting) disciplines where new stuff comes up all the time and FMs often find themselves having to up-skill at short notice. At times like these being able to get advice from somebody more experienced can really help. In fact, even if no one in your network has the answer, you can bet they’ll know someone who does. 

The flip side of networking for knowledge is that no matter what your experience level is, you’ll find yourself engaging with people who need and value the knowledge you have and can share with them. Your confidence will be rapidly boosted through this validation.

And once a professional network has been established it can be put to work for your longer-term aspirations.  For example, phone calls with recruiters are a lot easier to initiate when you’ve met them socially and job interviews go a little smoother with some insider information about the interviewer or the employer.  In fact, there’s even something referred to as the hidden job market: vacancies which get filled by recommendation and referral rather than marketed: A good network can keep their collective ears to the ground and send these valuable opportunities in your direction.

Getting started

With all the benefits above, I’m often still surprised when FMs tell me that they aren’t really interested in networking. The most frequent reason expressed is a lack of time. If that describes how you feel, I would encourage you to look at it like this:  For 40+ hours a week your efforts mostly benefits other people – by comparison an hour or two a month of networking mostly benefits you. No brainer.

The BIFM make it easy to get involved in networking.  Groups of volunteers organise events across the country where professionals can meet and exchange knowledge, ideas and contacts. Being able to attend these events is one of the best perks of BIFM membership.  Check out the events calendar at: http://www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/events

The other thing that often puts people off is the daunting first-time feeling of walking into a room full of strangers (and experts).  I understand this (I had a first time once too), but trust me when I say that it’s really not like that at all; FM people are a warm and friendly bunch and members go out of their way to make newbies feel welcome. If you’re really nervous about attending an event, try contacting the organiser –they’re usually happy to arrange for another member to look out for you and introduce you to a few people.  There are even a couple of Specialist Interest Groups (SIGs) aimed at running less traditional events to help people through those first networking experiences: My own SIG, the Rising FMs focusses events around having fun and the social aspects of networking and the Women In FM SIG (not just for women by the way) run events with a real spirit of inclusivity and support.
So, if you’ve been putting off getting involved in networking for some time, I strongly encourage you to take the plunge by making it your FM Resolution of 2015.

This blog was originally part of the BIFM's 2015 #FMResolutions series of guest blogs, published on LinkedIn and www.bifm.org.uk. I've published it here as it appears in those locations, for those of my readers who might not have come across it otherwise.

The FM's Party Survival Guide

Traditionally, the beginning of December heralds the onset of the work's-Christmas-party season. Whilst there are many who look forward to the prospect of getting a little tipsy and having a boogie with colleagues, for many in the FM  industry the very thought of sitting down to a turkey dinner with work's-people fills them with dread.  In this blog I explore the reasons why and give some of my party survival tips.

So what exactly do Facilities Managers have against the work's-Christmas-party anyway?  Well for a start it's not just the Christmas party.  In fact, it's not even just work's-parties:  A lot of us have a beef with parties in general.  And it's not because we're cantankerous, Victor Meldrew types either:  It's because in almost any party situation it's virtually inevitable that someone will ask you what you do for a living and if you work in FM, 99% of the time that conversational thread will lead to the point where you end up having to say “Well no, actually! Not like a janitor at all!”  This will be followed by about an hour of explanation as to why being an FM is not like being a janitor.  Not that there's anything wrong with being one, but it's just that the effort of having to spend all that time at parties explaining what you do (when you should be having fun) can really grind you down.

Still it could be worse: at least we're not Health & Safety Officers!  That might sound harsh, but honestly, those poor guys have it way tougher than Facilities people.  If, in a party situation, you ever find yourself foolishly happening to admit that your work involves being responsible for managing Safety, the best course of action to follow is to immediately get up from the table, step outside, hail a cab and go home...... because that's your night done!  If you're stubborn enough to stay, you'll spend the rest of the night having to justify or refute every safety measure or myth ever conceived to people with a chemically-diminished capacity for logical and reasoned discussion. It's a no-win situation.

But if parties in general are bad, in many ways the work's-party can be the pits. For a start everyone already knows that you're not a formula one driver and to make matters worse;  everyone, and yes I do mean everyone, will talk shop to an FM at a work's-party.  Now there are those who say that talking shop is par for the course and to a certain extent they're right. But....... there is a world of difference between gossiping about who is and isn't getting promoted and the relentless barrage of gripes and grumbles some FMs have to put up with. At the work's-party, an FM can find themselves facing a steady stream of people who, on account of the fact that they've just bumped into you, decide that it is surely the perfect opportunity for passing on that complaint about the air-conditioning that they haven't got round to emailing you about yet. I mean why not? It's not like you make it easy for them to catch up with you during the 'normal' working day by being at work, having a phone and an email account is it?  At Christmas parties past, whilst everyone else has been busy occupying themselves by eating mince pies and trying to work out who Sarah-from-Accounts has been disappearing into the stationary cupboard with,  I've had my evening wasted justifying the recycling policy, getting feedback about cleaning, explaining air-conditioning, hearing everyone's opinion of the vending coffee, etc, etc, ad infinitum. And it's not that I normally mind talking about that stuff, it's just that, well...........it's a party: I'm here to have fun like everyone else!

The list of minor groans and grievances you can face at a party can almost be enough to put you off going. Almost. But you shouldn't be deterred: FMs make a huge contribution to an organisation's success and they have every right to celebrate that success with colleagues.  Not only that, but it's a great way of engaging in the culture.  In fact, one of the reasons many FMs suffer from such a hard time at work's-parties, is that they fail to identify it as an engagement opportunity and therefore don't go adequately  prepared. 

So if all of this sounds a little too familiar, allow me to share with you my top tips for Christmas-party survival.

1:  If you're off the clock, be off the clock

Some people say that that listening to moans and groans goes with the job, but I say that it's just plain rude.  Between courses I might well spend time engaging in speculation with colleagues about the extent of Sarah-in-Account's extra-curricular activities, but if I was to collar her at the bar and give her a hard time about the speed and accuracy of her invoice coding, most people would say I was "bang out of order: It's a party for heavens sake!"   So be prepared to politely and firmly stand your ground:  There is absolutely nothing wrong in saying “I'd really like to talk to you about this on Monday, but it's a party so do you mind if we don't talk shop?”

2:  People love to hear themselves talk

Something that not all FMs realise is that......... it's not just FMs who feel like nobody understands what they do and how important it is.  Honestly: it's true! If you don't want to be caught with the what do you do? question, why don't you be the one who asks it instead?  Making people feel like they're important to you and that you want to understand them is a great way to forge new alliances and build trust.  And who knows: you might just find out something useful.....

3:  The best defence..........

If like me, you are one of those people mentioned in the tip above who really love do to hear themselves speak, you just might struggle a little with my second tip, but that's ok I have a third one for you:  try treating it as a public relations opportunity. Instead of waiting for people to approach you with a complaint, why not go in armed with your list of recent successes and exciting future plans and solicit feedback?  Try saying things like, “We're considering going fair-trade when we re-negotiate the vending next year..... do you think we should?“  Of course, everyone is going to say yes and you're going to do it regardless anyway, but.... they don't know that: Their perception could be that they are making a contribution to the decision making process and when you eventually  bring it in, they may even see it as a shared success. Result!

4: The three-hit-combo

As any boxing fan will tell you, victory rarely comes with a single blow, but through skilfully delivered combinations.  To make the best of these tips, use them all together: Ask about them, fend off the complaint then solicit some positive feedback.  It takes skill and practice but master it and they'll be putty in your hands.  And if all else fails, there's always tip number five.....

5: The master avoidance strategy

If you've tried all the above and you're still getting grief, it's time to beat a tactical retreat to the dance floor. Now let me tell you, many people claim they can multi-task, but it is quite literally impossible to have a serious discussion about car-parking whist doing the Macarena or the Cha-Cha-Slide. Frankly anyone who can manage it probably deserves their own parking space anyway! Now if you've seen me busting-my-moves, you'll understand that this high-risk strategy is not to be taken lightly, but it can be brutally effective in a sledgehammer-to-open-a-walnut kind of way. There is even a very slim possibility that if you manage to pull it off extremely well, then at next years party you might just discover yourself being the subject of speculation about what Sarah-in-Accounts has been up to! Now go! Get out there and have fun! 

Merry Christmas.

Women In FM - An Inspiration to us all

It was a day that will stay with me for a very long time.  The message I posted on twitter that afternoon was short and simple, but I think it managed to capture exactly what everyone in the room was thinking. It was re-tweeted a number of times within minutes. It read simply this;  “I have a lot of new heroes today. Feel very humble and very inspired”.

On Wednesday 14th November 2012, I attended the “Lets Inspire” conference hosted by the Women In FM (WIFM) special Interest Group.   It was a day which promised much and delivered more.  This blog is not a report about the conference as such – that is something which others have already done far better than I ever could (I’ve included some links at the end of the post), but the conference did inspire me and this blog post is my way of sharing some of that experience with those who were unable to get a place. I like to think of it as paying it forward.

At least I didn’t have to shave my legs to get in

So let me address the obvious question first - how did I, a man, get to be at the WIFM conference?

Understandably, it was something I got asked quite a lot on the day.  The somewhat casual anecdote “by the time the message came through that skirts were optional, I’d already finished shaving one leg.........”  did get a few laughs, but the truth is much simpler: Whilst the members of WIFM are predominantly women, the group is really about promoting the FM industry and supporting diversity and inclusion within it; the fact that I’m a white male is not actually held against me........ that said, there is something of a running joke about the early days of FM which seem to have been populated almost entirely by hairy engineers called Geoff......... but I digress.

A far more interesting question is why did I, a man, want to be at the WIFM conference?  Well I’ll admit that the fantastic line-up was part of the draw.  It was great opportunity to hear from some wonderful speakers and to learn some fantastic new skills, but actually, it’s those WIFMs themselves that really draw me in.

It’s a fact that the FM industry is predominantly male, but ask anyone who the most influential people in the industry are and they’ll probably reel off the names of more women than men.  Some people might say it’s because they stand out more, but I personally believe it’s because they do more to promote and support the industry than many of their male counterparts. In an industry where promoting your cause and championing what you do is an essential skill, they’ve had to be best in the face of adversity, discrimination and sometimes outright hostility.  Throughout the morning and early afternoon, speaker after speaker got up on stage and reminded me why, when I go looking for FM role models, I so often find women.

The speakers on the day provided plenty of the inspiration that was promised.  A whole host of personal stories as well ideas and discussions on motivation, engagement, communication, inclusivity, confidence, coaching, etc, etc, left me feeling like the owner of a brand new toolkit and a bunch of fresh ideas.  I was inspired, but the best was still to come.

  What makes a hero?

As the afternoon wore on, two particular women took to the stage and made a roomful of people re-evaluate their lives. 

The first of these women was Diana Man, who lost both legs and the fingers of her right hand to meningococcal septicaemia five years ago.  I won’t describe her story in detail as there is really no way I can do it justice.

The second woman was Ismena Clout, who having been treated for breast cancer in 2004 was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2010.  Again, Ismena’s story is best told by her.

What I do want to share is that both of these women received a standing ovation.  It was partly for their courage, partly for their strength and partly for their amazing positivity in the face of adversity, but it wasn't just that. The thing that really inspired me was the amazing way both women took their experiences and made a conscious decision that it wasn’t going to stop them from following their dreams, aiming higher, and achieving more.  Their incredible success is testament to just how well they’ve done that, with Diana becoming a presenter at the Paralympics (and currently training for the Paralympics dressage in 2016) and Ismena becoming the Chairman of the BIFM .

The word hero can be used a little too freely sometimes, but for both these women it’s entirely appropriate. Their outright refusal to settle with simply staying positive, when they could be aiming higher had me looking in the metaphorical mirror and asking myself “so what’s your excuse?”

More about the conference

For more info about the Women In FM “Let’s Inspire” conference, I recommend you take a look at the Cathy Hayward's and Martin Read’s blog posts below.

Inspired thought at the WIFM conference Cathy Hayward - Magenta Associates

Inspiration Stations Martin Read - FM World

BIFM: Being In Facilities Management

Being responsible for managing facilities, is not the same as being a Facilities Management professional.   Most of us stumble into FM by accident: we display a little practical capability at a time when something practical needs doing.  And then we discover that actually, FM offers variation, challenge and lots of opportunities for job satisfaction.  Some of us think that these things would make a good basis for a career and we choose to develop our knowledge, skills and experience and become Facilities Management professionals. The BIFM (British Institute of Facilities Management) is here to help.

Recently, I've been extremely proud to have been invited to join the BIFM Home Counties Region Committee.  It's prompted me to write this blog about my experiences with the BIFM and why I jumped at the chance to get formally involved.

British Institute of Facilities Management

For those who don't know, the BIFM is the professional body for the Facilities Management Industry in the UK. It’s run by industry members, for the benefit of fellow professionals.
Whilst professional bodies are commonplace in many industries, there are few which I believe, can benefit their members as much as the BIFM. In this blog, I explain some of the thinking for this rather bold statement.

One is such a lonely number

FM can be a lonely business: often under-resourced and usually over-stretched.

As a general rule, FM teams are small, at least at the management level. In fact, many FMs work alone. Sometimes they'll have reporting staff, but when it comes to management, they stand by themselves. Organisationally, they report to Operations Managers, HR Managers, Finance Managers, etc, but it can be quite rare event to come across an FM who reports to someone who has served their time in the trenches too and intimately understands the challenges.

For FMs this can be a source of great frustration. We all need someone to "sound off" to once in a while: someone who understands that you can't make machines work by shouting at them and that you can’t buy a new AHU off-the-shelf at your local Argos store. This is where the BIFM comes in.

The BIFM holds regular events where you can meet other professionals, swap anecdotes, nod-knowingly at the tales of others and get a fresh perspective. Sometimes we need to know that it's not just us - that others are in the same boat.

Together we are greater than the sum of our parts

"FM offers such wonderful variation", I once told a colleague. That was the day I spent half the day talking about building a new office and the other half sniffing my way around the building to try and locate the source of a mysterious odour .  An extreme example perhaps (and no, I never did find it), but the point stands.  Facilities Management is a catch-all job, but what it entails can vary considerably from one organisation to the next. FMs constantly find themselves facing new situations and unforeseen challenges. In many jobs, if you don't know the answer or come across something new, the first person you ask is the boss, but if your boss is the Operations Director, it's probably no good asking them what the requirements for Legionella risk assessments are, or how frequently the AHU filters should be changed - you just have to find out. Again, the BIFM can help.

The Institute was set up to facilitate the sharing of knowledge. Members are actively encouraged to network and share information, knowledge and experiences with one another. As well as its own user forums, the BIFM has very active communities on Twitter (search #BIFM) and LinkedIn. These communities can help you answer questions, find suppliers and resources and give you advice or techniques on how to deal with challenges.

The BIFM also publishes lots of information on its web-site including news, articles and Good Practice Guides, and will keep you well informed with all that is happening in the world of FM with magazine and newsletter subscriptions.

Monkey see - Monkey do

The main way we learn is by seeing others doing. I'm a great believer that FM Professionals can learn all sorts of useful skills and techniques from others in their organisations, but ultimately the question is this: if your organisation doesn't have many (or any) other Facilities Managers, who does it have who can teach you what you need to know?  Facilities Mangers need role models and mentors outside of their organisation more than most people.  Whilst you can learn many useful communications and management skills in-house, you may have to look further afield to learn about space planning or lifecycle management.

One of the greatest benefits of the BIFM, is the regular CPD (Continued Professional Development) events. These events are usually local and take place during the week, after work. They are an opportunity not only to meet other professionals, but also to learn more about a particular topic. 

Over the past year I have attended events featuring presentations and workshops on a whole range of topics; from catering to alternative power generation, from interactive building systems to facilities strategy planning.  These events have expanded my personal network, taught me new skills and techniques and increased my industry knowledge. In many ways I would say they have quite literally, changed my life.
Get involved

So my advice to anyone looking to make the transition from managing facilities, to Facilities Management is to join the BIFM and get involved.

It may seem a daunting experience to go to your first event. You may imagine a room full of seasoned professionals with encyclopaedic knowledge and decades of experience.  Well some of those people will be there, but the vast majority of delegates will be people like you; people with a passion for FM, who want to share, learn, understand and teach.