The FM Guru office team

All of the team at FM Guru would like to wish our friends and supporters a peaceful and prosperous New Year. 2011 was a terrific year for our business despite the continuing problems in the economy thanks to our superb team of consultants, dedicated office team and, of course, our wonderful clients.

This year’s client list for consultancy services includes Anglo American, BDO, Britvic, Comserve, Elior, Forum Events, G4S, HSS Hire, i-fm, Instant Offices, Lloyds Register, Macquarrie, MITIE, Nederlander Theatres, Planon, Rothschild, Scotts MiracleGro, Thames Water, TNT and Westminster Kingsway College. We will continue to support many of these clients into 2012 and there are already new projects in the order book both with new customers and old friends.

We have extended our service offering with BS11000 support, workplace performance consultancy and social media capability. We have new team members and our profile in the FM sector has never been higher thanks to our new website, a round of conference appearances, regular coverage in the trade press and active social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

In August we increased our shareholding in The Asset Faculty Ltd to 100% and we have continued to serve our many training clients throughout the year with bespoke courses and development support. The 2011 training client list includes BDO, Capita, Comserve, Elior, GSK, HSS Hire, Johnson Controls, Jones Lang LaSalle, Mercedes Benz, Qinetiq and TNT. Training in 2012 will continue but all learning and development activity will now come under the FM Guru brand.

Meanwhile our interiors business, Denton Drapes, has experienced significant growth providing bespoke soft furnishings both to discerning homeowners and increasingly to the UK’s elite interior designers. The demand for custom designs made to the highest quality levels using traditional craft techniques has never been higher and our newly extended workrooms expect to be even busier in 2012.

2012 promises to be an important year in the development of UK facilities management. The FM professional institutes appear to be finally getting over their obsession with academic qualifications and show signs of finally beginning to engage in promoting the benefits of good FM to society, business and government.

The deal between G4S and ISS in 2011 would have transformed the international market for FM outsourcing but was deemed too radical for cautious UK investors. However continued rationalisation in the upper reaches of the FM sector seems inevitable as the development of the FM premier league continues and the market strives to meet the demand for an effective international FM solution.

Meanwhile we expect the ever-moving evolution of the FM professional discipline will continue to reflect the needs of the organisations it serves. In the current market that means a renewed focus on efficiency and the better utilisation of assets, a reduced tolerance for poor service and unprofessionalism, and a greater emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

Whatever the future holds, the FM Guru team will continue in our mission to provide advice, support and inspiration to those involved in the management of facilities driven by our belief that professionally designed and managed facilities add genuine value to the organisations they serve.  We delight in working with people who share that passion and in providing what help we can to those who work within the facilities sector.

To each and every one of you we wish a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year and we look forward to working with you again in 2012.

Martin Pickard

The Asset Faculty Ltd, the training and development business  formed as a joint venture in 2008 by Martin Pickard, Oliver Jones, Michael  Fryer and the late John Davis, was acquired on the 1^st August  2011 by business group Denton Business Services Ltd. DBS is owned by Martin  Pickard and Penny Bruce with trading divisions including The FM Guru Training Faculty, The FM Guru Consultancy and Denton Drapes, and was already a  significant shareholder in the company.

The Asset Faculty specialises in the development and delivery of bespoke training courses and materials for the facilities and property management sector.  They are an Approved Training Provider of the Facilities Management Association (FMA) and a Recognised Centre for the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)

Managing Director Martin Pickard said, “Over the last four years, the Asset Faculty has established itself as an expert provider of informed development advice, innovative support materials and inspirational training to facilities service providers and the FM community. This acquisition means that we can use that capability in conjunction with our consultancy skills to further enhance the services we provide to our combined client base. Existing contracts with The Asset Faculty are unaffected by this adjustment to ownership.”

Announcements about new training products and services will be made shortly

At this time of year my team and I find ourselves working with clients to prepare submissions for one or more of the many award schemes that operate in and around the facilities management sector. Submitting a winning entry to these programmes takes time and effort and picking up the prize, or at least getting on the shortlist, is usually the objective.

To stand the best chance of picking up a prize you will have to commit management resource to identifying the right award to enter, gathering data, completing entry forms, preparing and attending presentations, meeting judges and organising tours. Not to mention spending money on entry fees, professional photographs, document production, attending the ceremony and maybe hiring some professional help with the writing and presentation.

The question I often get asked is whether it is worth the effort. Of course, the answer depends on how much you want to win and that depends on your particular situation. There are many potential benefits to winning an industry award for the organisation, the team and the individuals concerned. They may not all be relevant to you but some will.

For the organisation the biggest benefit is a boost to corporate reputation. If the award is in a category directly related to your market then this becomes valuable marketing collateral. However even if you provide a wholly different service but you win an award for your FM operation, it demonstrates a culture of excellence and can be used to enhance your standing with potential clients, staff and investors.

For the team involved the introspection required to just prepare the award can be really valuable but the benefits of winning are vast. The internal reputation and credibility of the team receives an enormous boost with a consequential increase in self confidence. Once you are known as a winning team it can be used to attract new recruits and to bolster relationships with all of your stakeholders.

Individuals benefit too. Leading or just being part of an award winning team increases personal confidence and looks pretty good on your CV as well. Achieving professional recognition by your peers is a terrific feeling. Those on the supply side also benefit greatly from exposure to the great and good of the sector who are usually found on judging panels.

I have been fortunate enough in my career to collect four BIFM awards and a handful of others from different bodies. I have also helped a number of clients to experience the same thrill and have sat on many judging panels (But never when advising a client who is up for the same award). I can assure all doubters that all the processes I have witnessed are fair and worthwhile; however  on my desk is a list of more than 150 different award schemes directly or indirectly related to facilities management so I cannot speak for them all.

The final winner in all of this is the facilities management sector. By celebrating the excellence that exists in our discipline we both encourage others to lift their game and we provide the wider media with case studies of good FM practice to counter the negative stereotypes that are so often employed. So go on then … you’ve got to be in it to win it.

 Every news reader and sports personality is urging us to “follow” them on Twitter. Every article and website has that little button asking you to “tweet this”. With 200 million twitter users (Feb 2011) sending 110 million tweets per day (Feb 2011) Twitter is becoming as commonplace as a household utility and is really simple to use but there are those who make better use of the tool than others. Here are some of the things I have learned from them:

1                    Set your profile up properly: Choose a name that people will know you by not a random bunch of letters and numbers. Post a photograph of yourself (or your company logo if you are tweeting for a brand) – leaving that blank makes you look unprofessional. It’s a good idea to separate your personal and your business tweeting by having two different accounts – your business followers aren’t interested in your comments about Wayne Rooney. You can link your tweets to LinkedIn but set this up carefully using the #in option – you will probably tweet more than once a day and LI users get cross about too many status updates.

2                    Follow People you want to Read: Twitter is full of interesting content but it takes time to read it all. If you follow hundreds of people you will miss most of their input. I find that 150 is the most I can handle. Unfollow those whose tweets you aren’t interested in. They may then unfollow you out of spite but if their content is not your bag then who cares?

3                    Have Conversations: Reply to tweets using the reply button (public) or the message tool (private). Twitter is a wonderful tool for gathering ideas and sharing opinions. Don’t just broadcast – engage in conversations with individuals and groups. Use your followers to give you ideas or suggestions and share yours with them.

4                    Tweet: You can just use Twitter to search for ideas or read the views of your peers but that’s just half the story. Your opinions matter too. Contribute your own observations of life and events and start to build up your own followers. How many tweets you should send a day is often debated. I have found that if I don’t tweet at all people notice and comment on it so I try to do at least one a day and usually four or five. Personally I am irritated by those who clog up my inbox by tweeting a dozen times a day and I swiftly unfollow them. You need to strike your own balance.

5                    Share wisdom: I follow people on Twitter because I am interested in their news and views, not whether they are eating a bacon sandwich.  Nor am I impressed by those who routinely copy some quote of the day from a website I could have subscribed to myself. I’m interested in what you have to say personally. Don’t try to be cute or clever just talk  the common sense you do every day.

6                    MIx it up: I don’t mind you giving me a link to your business website now and then but I didn’t follow you for that. I am interested in practical tips, interesting facts, strong opinions, links to news stories, cool photos etc. I’m more likely to follow you if you provide a variety of these things. Monotony makes me unfollow.

7                    Searches: Twitter’s search facility is very powerful and can be used to find relevant information, new people to follow and local tweeters. Use search commands to refine your search. Frequent search terms can be saved so you can check what is being said about your company or key topic quickly and consistently. Make a habit of doing this and of replying to, quoting or retweeting messages from new people you find who are in your target audience. Twitter gives businesses a unique opportunity to converse directly with their current and potential customers.

8                    Hashtags: The use of a hashtag before a word as in #facilities creates a single click link from your tweet that will bring up all other messages using the same hashtag. This is a wonderful way of creating loose communities of fellow enthusiasts. Hashtags on keywords as in #communication enable new connections between different sectors. Hashtags are also very powerful when attending events such as conferences. People attending the event will tweet throughout the day commenting on the presentations and using the same hashtag. This allows others not present to follow events and even to ask questions by proxy. It also creates a record of the event that can be found by search engines or twitter search after the event.

9                    Etiquette: Twitter is still growing up and its customs and practices continue to evolve. For example one tradition is FollowFriday on the last day of each week when users recommend other tweeters that their own followers might be interested in by naming them and adding the hashtag #FF. Some people are very polite and thank each other for every #FF and Retweet, while others find that annoying and timewasting. I prefer to show my gratitude to those who promote me by promoting them back with my own retweet or #FF. Please don’t irritate your followers by #FF-ing everybody you know. It clogs up my inbox and can’t possibly be a genuine recommendation

10                Don’t get precious: You are (probably) not Stephen Fry and the world doesn’t hang on your every word. The vast majority of your tweets will receive no response and may not even be read. But remember they are now in the searchable timeline and people are more likely to follow you if they can see that you have a track record of tweeting interesting stuff. Your follower list may not rival Lord Sugar’s but you will make some new contacts and learn some useful information.

If you would like to follow me I am @thefmguru for comments on FM and what we are doing at The FM Guru Consultancy or @dentonhouse for my personal gripes about politics, telly and football

Social networks are far more than another way for the young to chat and idle their time. They are a powerful new business media, connecting people and businesses and providing instant access to information, comment and new markets. Here are Ten Top Tips on the use of social media in FM:

1. LinkedIn is the leading business oriented social networking site with more than 80 million users worldwide in November 2010. Users post their career profiles; connect to friends and colleagues and through them to others. This is the fastest way to find people in FM if you want to check them out, make new contacts or to get your next job. Connect with me here
2. LinkedIn Groups are one of the most useful features of the site. Users can form or join Groups on any common subject to connect with new people, follow and participate in discussions, ask questions or just keep up with news. Notable FM Groups include:  ‘British Facilities Management’ with 1900+ members,’I-FM.Net Information Facilities Management Network’ with 900+ and ‘Facilities Management Association’ with 800+ members
3. Facebook is the biggest of all social networking sites with more than 500 million users at July 2010. Indeed it is now the world’s most viewed website. It is a terrific way to check people out and many FMs use it to share interests, keep in touch with colleagues or to follow businesses that they like. Follow FM Guru on Facebook
4. Twitter is the other massive site with 175 million users who post comments and follow others on a wide range of subjects. Twitter is fast becoming the leading search tool providing instant access to the latest news and views. Search for facilities management and you will find hundreds of jobs being advertised. Search for #facilitiesmanagement and you will instantly connect with FMs around the world
5. FMs on Twitter worth following include @thefmguru, @TFMTweets, @BIFM_UK, @FM_Conference, @TheFMJ, @AssetSkills, @PWNews, @ifmnet, @FMCoach, @FMExpert, @Frankandbrown, @iswhiz, @FMXMagazine, @FM_World, @IFMA and many more including most of the leading FM service providers and magazines
6. YouTube is about more than funny videos of cats and excerpts from TV shows. A search for Facilities Management reveals a wealth of comment, case studies and opinion from around the world. As a self study tool YouTube is second to none. It is also an excellent tool for promoting the benefits of FM to a wider audience. Checkout an FM apprentice from Channel 4 talking about his new career.
7. Blogs are personal websites that are frequently updated with news, views and comment and are interactive, allowing readers to comment and message one another. This ability to self-publish quickly and freely is widely used by FM consultants and service providers reducing the power of the traditional trade media. Blogs can be created quickly and freely at sites like WordPress and Blogger
8. FM Bloggers worth following include Martin Pickard,  John Bowen, Martin Brown, Heidi Schwartz, Michael Theriault, Liz Kentish, Iain Murray, James Wouduysen and Andrew Brown       
9. Dedicated networks: In addition to the open business networks like LinkedIn there are a number of FM only groups where the conversation is kept at a peer-to-peer level which some people find more acceptable. Most of these are closed groups where membership has to be approved. Good examples are Connect with FM which is run by ConnectedFM, built environment network Be2Camp Network with BIFM, operated by the BIFM itself.
10. Real Networks: I am a huge fan of the opportunities that social media offers to facility managers for knowledge sharing, making connections and personal development. However nothing is better than meeting real people in real time. FM can be quite a lonely profession especially for those in smaller businesses and meeting others in the same position can be an enormous boost. There are many business networking groups and a few dedicated to facilities management. Some are very local; a good example is the Facilities Management Special Interest Group of the Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce . BIFM Regions are excellent meeting places for FMs as are the monthly networking events held by the FMA . Many sectors have their own network groups such as the FM Charity Network Forum or the Health Estates FM Association

The practice of facilities management is continually evolving and reflects the changing nature of work and the workplace. The new business media are a real part of today’s business landscape and should be embraced by facility managers for the opportunities it offers. There are many others worth exploring such as Bambuser, AudioBoo, Flickr, Slideshare, MyPodcast and many more.

Explore, experiment and keep networking.

1.     Total Facilities Management by Brian Atkin and Adrian Brooks is one of the oldest and most widely read textbooks on UK style facilities management. The third edition was published in 2009 with updated and additional information covering the expanding role and the relationship between FM and facilities planning.

Published by Wiley-Blackwell ISBN-10: 1405186593

2 Workplace by Design – Mapping the High Performance Workspace by Franklin D Becker and Fritz Steele is an expert analysis from 1995 of how facilities design can be used as part of a broader FM strategy to support organisational goals. Becker is one of the founding fathers of modern FM and any of his works merit a place on an FM top 10 list.

Published by Jossey Bass ISBN-10: 0787900478

3.     Facilities Economics UK by Bernard Williams is now the only way to buy his groundbreaking 1986 book Premises Audits which has been incorporated in the 2002 second edition which also summarises each facet of facilities management prior to majoring on the economic issues.

Published by Building Economics Bureau ISBN-10: 0904237397

4.     Facilities Management in Practice by Derek Paxman was published in 2007 and describes FM at the coal-face from the perspective of one of FM’s pioneers. It was written to help people on both sides of the commercial fence to gain a better understanding of tried and tested routes to successful delivery of FM solutions.

Published by Building Economics Bureau ISBN-10: 0904237400

5.       Organization Development for Facility Managers: Tracing the DNA of FM Organizations by Stormy Friday is a first class guide to the planning and structure of an effective FM organisation. Written in 2003 from a US perspective of FM, it has principles which are entirely transferable to other FM environments.

Published by AMACOM ISBN-10: 0814406300

6.     The New Office by Frank Duffy provides an expert analysis of the “new ways of working” phenomena by the architect credited with introducing US style space and facility planning to Europe. The international case studies date from 1997 but successfully explores the dissolving of boundaries between office and home.

Published by Conran Octopus Ltd ISBN-10: 1850298912

7.     The Facilities Management Handbook by Frank Booty is an accessible reference work providing relevant legal compliance, strategic policies and good practice information on a wide range of FM activities. The fourth edition was published in 2008 with comprehensive updates on topical areas.

Published by A Butterworth-Heinemann ISBN-10: 075068977

8.  Sustainable Practice for the Facilities Manager by Sunil Shah provides practical guidance and information which can be implemented to integrate sustainability into the day–to–day activities of those who manage buildings. Published in 2007 it is the only FM book to thoroughly address the sustainability issue.

Published by Wiley-Blackwell ISBN-10: 075068977

9.  Facilities Management and the Business of Space by Wes McGregor and Danny Shiem-Shin Then reprinted in 1999 provides another expert analysis of the relationship between FM and workplace design.  It focuses on the correlation between work and workplace and between the workplace and work effectiveness.

Published by A Butterworth-Heinemann ISBN-10: 0340719648

10.  Facilities Manager’s Desk Reference by Jane Wiggins was first published in 2010 and provides relevant, practical information on the all the principal facilities management services, as well as information on legal compliance issues, the development of strategic policies and tactical best practice information.

Published by Wiley-Blackwell ISBN-10: 1405186615

Like the rest of my Ten Top Things series this list is in no particular order. It represents a cross section of ideas and information from some of the leading thinkers in facilities management from the 1970s to the present day.

The practice of facilities management is continually evolving and the process of book writing and publishing is extremely slow. This makes it difficult for FM textbooks to reflect the latest thinking and best practice. The FM trade media, smart use of internet search engines and personal engagement with FM practitioners in real and virtual networks are much more useful for the latest information.

The history and development of FM is an important area for study as the discipline moves forward. Reading the books on this list is highly recommended for any student of FM. Understanding the past is frequently the key to understanding the future.

The planes were flying this Bank Holiday weekend although for a long time it looked as if the conflict between BAA and the trade union Unite would spoil the big holiday getaway. The resolution of their dispute shows the importance of maintaining a dialogue and of working problems through to a resolution together.

The Coalition Government has shown its commitment to deep and significant public spending cuts and the impact of these on public and private sector alike will be felt throughout the life of this parliament. With so many industries reliant on government spending, BAA will not be the only employer struggling to deal with industrial unrest.

The Trade Union movement may well be a shadow of its former self but if the country’s biggest union is prepared to threaten strike action that could see six airports closed over a one per cent pay increase, what will they do when the biggest cuts to the public sector start to arrive?

Facilities Managers are very familiar with the pressures that financial demands can place on an operation. Enforced budget cuts often have to be passed down the supply chain and comfortable relationships can quickly change to a more adversarial position.

In these situations a collaborative dialogue is most important. Both parties need to understand the situation that the other is in and must recognise the necessity of making changes. By maintaining effective communication there is the opportunity to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties.

One of the clear issues behind the BAA and Unite situation was the perceived lack of trust between the unions and the government. A similar trust shortfall has dogged the FM sector for many years, polarising opinion between clients and suppliers. Sometimes this has been justified; often it has been entirely misplaced.

These situations can only be resolved if the main protagonists speak to one another about their concerns, and develop a clear ongoing and constructive dialogue. Let’s hope that a similar open and frank communication can be created between the unions and the coalition government to avoid the difficult period of change ahead of us all.

Facility Managers spend a lot of time writing everything from business reports and tender documents to emails and out of order signs. Incorrect punctuation can confuse the reader or even completely change the meaning of the written word.  Taking care over punctuation and proper use of English can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your communication.  Here are some top tips on Punctuation relevant to facilities management:

1. Commas (,) make the meaning of sentences clear by grouping or separating clauses, phrases, or words. Leaving commas out can change the meaning of a sentence completely: Sometimes you have to say “sorry, customer” to a sorry customer! The comma can also be used in place of ‘and’ or ‘or’ to make a list: Our services include facilitation, procurement and strategy development.
2. Another use of Commas (,) is to join two sentences if followed by a conjunction such as ‘and’ or ‘yet’:  FM is a growing profession, yet many people are unaware of it. Commas are also used to bracket additional information within a sentence: The FM Guru Consultancy, established in 2003, is led by Martin Pickard.
3. Semicolons (;) are used to highlight a pause in a sentence that is stronger than a comma but not as final as a full stop. Do not simply use the semicolon instead of a comma in order to make the text appear sophisticated. Try using a semicolon between two clauses that contrast each other – Many FM consultants have little practical experience; FM Guru team members have all worked as facility managers.
4. Colons (:) are used to show that you are going to explain more about what you’ve just said. Colons show a move from something general to something specific. For example: FM Guru have worked for some big clients: Axa, AstraZeneca and, among others, Primark. Colons can also be used to introduce quotations: One client was very pleased: “The advice received from Martin and his team was invaluable.”
5. Hyphens (-) are used to join two or more words to make a compound word, showing that the words have a combined meaning: state-of-the-art products and best-in-class services. With compound adjectives use a hyphen when the compound comes before the noun: well-known consultants and a first-class service but not when the compound comes after the noun: consultants that are well known and services that are first class. Remember that the combined meaning may be entirely different to the words’   individual meaning: A solid waste system is not the same as a solid-waste system
6. Apostrophes (‘) are used to show that letters or numbers have been left out: It’s important that businesses don’t forget the lessons learned in the recession of ’09. This form is perfectly acceptable in emails but should be avoided in more formal business communications like letters, reports or tender submissions: It is important that businesses do not forget the lessons learned in the recession of 2009.
7. Another use for Apostrophes (‘) is to show belonging. With a singular noun or most personal nouns, add an apostrophe plus s: FM Guru’s experience is extensive (The experience of FM Guru). With a plural noun that already ends in s, add an apostrophe after the s: We attach three months’ accounts (Accounts for three months).
8. More Apostrophe (‘) rules apply to possessive pronouns, words like ‘its, hers, yours, and ours’, which are exceptions to the rule about using an apostrophe to show belonging. So, if ‘it’s’ is short for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’: it’s going to be a competitive tender, write it with an apostrophe, but if the meaning is ‘belonging to it’, then there’s no apostrophe: Each tender will be judged on its own merits.
9. Full Stops (.) are used to mark the end of a sentence. An additional use is to highlight an abbreviation when expressed in lower case: e.g. or i.e. Abbreviations expressed in upper case should not normally use Full Stops: BIFM or RSVP. One area of Full Stop confusion is when using brackets.  A full stop appears inside the brackets, if the bracket contains a complete sentence: FM outsourcing advice is offered. (This includes both strategy and implementation.) The full stop appears outside of the brackets if the brackets don’t contain a complete sentence: Outsourcing advice is offered (including strategy and implementation).
10. Exclamation and Question marks (! and ?) are special forms of full stop. A question mark is placed at the end of a sentence which is a direct question: How many FM Consultants are truly independent? Exclamation Marks are used at the end of a sentence or a short phrase which expresses very strong feeling: The best advice I ever received! This works well in writing that represents normal speech such as a quick email to a friend or when quoting a client endorsement; however it should be avoided in more formal documents as it gives a childish and almost surprised quality to the message: The business has been operating for seven years!

I am not suggesting that every facility manager needs to develop the grammar and punctuation skills of an Oxford scholar. The practical challenge of operating in FM is difficult enough, but we must beware of sending out unprofessional signals or even confusing our readers with the  wrong meaning.

Here are three different sentences. Which team do you want to work for?

• The FM Team will be required to work twenty four-hour shifts.
• The FM Team will be required to work twenty-four hour shifts.
• The FM Team will be required to work twenty-four-hour shifts

Over the last year I have been representing The FMA as a member of the BSI drafting committee producing the new Standard BS11000 which is due for publication autumn 2010.

BS 11000 will be a voluntary British Standard to support collaborative business partnering and has been developed from the framework specification PAS 11000 with the involvement of industry, government and BSI. It enables an organization of any size and sector to apply good partnering practice and to manage valuable business relationships. The Standard will help organizations to establish, manage and improve collaborative partnering between both public and private sector organizations.

The draft of BS 11000 is now available online and BSI is calling for comments from all interested parties.

To comment, please visit http://drafts.bsigroup.com/Home/Details/511

The intention of public consultation is to capture wider industry views to improve the draft and ultimately ensure that it can be used by industry. All comments will be fed back to the committee responsible for the standard’s development for their consideration. Both general comments on the standard and those specific to sections and clauses can be submitted.

The more FM people comment, the more useful we can make the Standard for use in our world. It would be terrific if you could take a look.

Thanks

Martin

Communication is easily the most important and most powerful of all management skills. That is doubly true for facilities managers who need to be expert listeners, speakers and writers. The perceptions that your stakeholders gain from each transaction with you and from observations made by others will influence everything from credibility at budget time to the chances of career advancement. It is therefore important that facilities managers work hard to develop first class communication skills. Here are some top tips for communication in FM:

1. You have two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion. Listening is an active pursuit not a passive one. Look for non verbal clues; Listen to tone and emphasis; Take useful notes; Ask clarification questions; Summarise for accuracy; Explore feelings and reasoning; Avoid making assumptions.
2. People want to hear Why you are planning something, Why not following another option, How it’s going to work and WIFM or What’s In It For Me.  A good communication covers all of these and they don’t listen until you’ve covered the one they are interested in most so you will need to repeat, repeat and repeat things.
3. We all listen in different ways and some folk take in information better from pictures, numbers, words or examples. Repeat the same message in a variety of ways to emphasise your point and make sure they get it.
4. Little, often and consistent is much better than long, loud and complicated. The dripping attention tap effect demonstrates commitment to your message, repeats it for those who weren’t paying attention and ensures you are heard.
5. Be genuine and honest. People spot frauds and love enthusiasts so avoid waffle, management speak and theory. Speak from the heart and make what you say relevant to your audience from your own experience.
6. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t talk about it – do it! If something has changed by the time they get back to their desks they will be seriously impressed and your credibility next time will have trebled
7. When it’s important, do it in person. Not email, text or teleconference. Your personal presence shows that you care, that you respect them and allows you to benefit from all the non-verbal elements of good face to face communication
8. What we say is only a small part of getting the message across. Non-verbal signals aren’t just body language, tone and emphasis, but also how you dress, how quickly you respond to emails, the state of your reception etc. They all say something to your audience.
9. Getting buy in requires involvement. Get people to write things down or repeat them if you really want them to get on board. If you can lead them to make the conclusions themselves rather than just giving them the answer then your communication is much more effective.
10. Speak their language if you can, be clear and simple if you can’t. That goes for Accountant speak as well as Cantonese. It doesn’t matter how clever your words are or how important your message, if they can’t understand you then you’ve wasted your time and theirs.

Communication is a really complex thing that can be affected by dozens of variables which is why it goes wrong so often. I could easily carry on with a hundred more tips but my best advice is to remember the importance of engagement with your stakeholders and to recognise that a communications strategy, good communication skills and active listening are essential tools for a successful facility manager.