Search Results for: management

December 7, 2017

What P T Barnum can teach us about the facilities management circus

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Comment, Facilities management, Workplace

Does any of this describe you? “You have a need for other people to like and admire you, yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable yet hidden strengths that you have yet to turn to your advantage. Self-controlled on the outside, you are slightly insecure inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you always make the right decision. You prefer a certain amount of change and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by limitations. You pride yourself as an independent thinker and do not accept the statements of others without satisfactory proof. But you also think it can be unwise to be too frank in revealing too much about yourself.” Does this sound familiar? Well it should because that is how most people see themselves.

September 22, 2017

Poor time management leaves SMEs with too little time to devote to business growth

by Sara Bean • AI, Flexible working, News, Workplace

Poor time management is the greatest obstacle to the growth of Britain’s business enterprises, claims new research commissioned by instantprint which found that sub-optimal time management is a major barrier to business growth. In an average working week a typical business owner finds just 12 hours to pursue activities dedicated to growing their enterprise. One in ten has less than an hour a week earmarked for business growth, while 8 percent say they struggle to find any time at all. A third of business owners polled are unable to find the time they need to run their business effectively, and 53 percent feel their minutes ebbing away under work admin and report writing. Thirty three percent need help managing their finances to save time, while 22 percent feel that responding to customer service concerns could be streamlined. And while the average business owner works a 38-hour week, ten hours of this time is dedicated to completing tasks which they consider a distraction from activities that encourage business growth.

September 7, 2017

Remote workers perceived as less valued by management than office based staff

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

Remote workers perceived as less valued to workplace by office based staff American office workers think it’s twice as difficult for remote workers to build relationships with the boss, make work friends, collaborate with their team and navigate the workplace culture than in-office workers, according to recent research. The “Reality of the Remote Worker Report,” claims that remote workers tend to have their presence go by unnoticed, with 43 percent of office workers believing it’s harder for remote workers to be seen in the workplace than those non-remote. The report, conducted online amongst over 1,500 US workers by YouGov for CyberLink, found a number of disadvantages for remote workers; with nearly 1 in 6 (15 percent) of office colleagues thinking that remote workers are less valued by a company, 20 percent believing they’re promoted less often and 8 percent even viewing them as less trustworthy. And office workers who were asked about their own concerns about working remotely expressed a range of potential frustrations.

August 3, 2017

BIFM formally adopts new ISO definition of facilities management

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News

If you’ve ever wearied of the endless debate about a precise definition of facilities management, and thought the squabbling often seemed like the conflict over the right end to open an egg that led to war in Gulliver’s Travels, then salvation might be here with the news that the British Institute of Facilities Management has formally adopted the definition of facilities management set out in new ISO standards published earlier this year. That definition forms part of ISO 41011:2017 Facility management – Vocabulary, which was published in April this year. The definition finalised in the standards is: Facility management (facilities management, FM) — organizational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business. In addition to the vocabulary standard, ISO 41012:2017 Facility management– Guidance on strategic sourcing and the development of agreements was also released earlier this year, while the most recently published – ISO/TR 41013:2017 Facility management – Scope, key concepts and benefits – was published in July.

June 27, 2017

BIFM calls for views on the scope and future of facilities management profession ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News

As part of its ongoing commitment to the FM profession and its members BIFM has commissioned research by independent consultants 3edges, to explore how well equipped the facilities management profession is to support the future world of work. As part of the study, a survey has been issued direct to BIFM members this week, covering aspects about individuals and their roles, the FM profession, workplace and BIFM. All BIFM members are invited and encouraged to participate. It is hoped that the findings will inform BIFM’s future direction as a professional body, enabling the Institute to refine its offering to both its members and the FM profession.

June 2, 2017

Revised guidance is published by the BIFM on space planning and management ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Workplace design

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) has issued updated guidance to help in-house FM teams understand what is involved in managing and changing space. The revised Space Planning and Management Good Practice Guide aims to provide practical advice on the tools and techniques that can be deployed when planning and managing space, clearly illustrating the processes involved and enabling facilities managers to set overarching space management strategies for their organisation. Key areas covered in the guide include space demands, strategy and standards, programming and managing projects and the technologies available to help with the process. The guide has been updated by its original author Joanna Eley, director of Alexi Marmot Associates.

May 18, 2017

Reflection on facilities management and the people I’ve met along the way ⁰

by Paul Carder • Comment, Facilities management

I’m in reflective mood. Yesterday was #WorldFMDay, I thought I should reflect on my affection for, and criticism of, Facilities Management (or Facility Management). It is merely one person’s perspective. But it may provide a viewpoint, perhaps useful (or not) for the younger professionals joining our sector. There are some great, varied, and sometimes well-paid careers ahead for people who pick up the education and variety of skills needed in today’s FM market. And to keep my friends happy, I’ll take the widest definition of FM that you may find! It is different in almost every organisation, and only limited by what one chooses to add to the FM portfolio. And the confidence shown in FM by the leadership of that organisation. That confidence is in the people who lead, manage and deliver FM – and there are some great leaders, managers and ‘do-ers’ around the world. It is a truly global sector.

May 17, 2017

Yes, facilities management press, your bum does look big in that ⁰

by Simon Heath • Comment, Facilities management

I suspect we’ve all got one of those friends. Needy. Constantly seeking validation. Of a new partner. Of a new outfit. Of their choices for all aspects of their life. If the industry media and chatterati are to be believed, facilities management is becoming just such a friend. Handwringing articles asking how FM can best demonstrate the value it brings. In actual fact, the sector seems to be in robust good health. It benefits whatever way the market moves. New buildings means new work. Fewer new buildings means more attention required on ageing stock. Fadism and bandwagon jumping mean there’s constant changes to be made. All grist to the mill of the hardworking facilities management professional at the coalface.

March 27, 2017

New report identifies ways facilities management contributes to business success ⁰

by Neil Franklin • Facilities management, News, Property

RICS in collaboration with IFMA has now published the full version of Part III in its ‘Raising the Bar’ research series. The report, written by Occupiers Journal, makes a case for how facilities management makes contributes to business success and organisational effectiveness and reviews the current state of the FM sector. An Executive Summary of Raising the Bar: From Operational Excellence to Strategic Impact in FM is also available. Both versions of the review identify the key issues facing the facilities management sector and suggest ways forward for how FM can build recognition and understanding within the boardroom, among other business leaders, and with related infrastructure groups.

February 28, 2017

A report into facilities management that is hard to swallow ⁰

by Simon Heath • Comment, Facilities management

I’ve wanted to write this piece for a while. I suspect it’ll piss a few people off. But I need to get it off my chest. I’ve held off writing it because I have been worried that it will be seen as disrespectful to the memory of a well-liked and respected member of the facilities management community, Chris Stoddart. I never knew Chris. But from what I’ve heard from those who did, his reputation is well deserved. I hope that Chris’ friends, colleagues and family will understand what I have to say and why I’m saying it. I was at last year’s Think FM event where the BIFM launched The Stoddart Review in Chris’ memory. The aim was to explore the link between workplace design and management and productivity.

February 13, 2017

Neuroscience can function as a management tool for personal development ⁰

by Mike James • Comment, Workplace

More and more employers, especially big corporates, are looking at ways to improve employee satisfaction, creativity and productivity. The business of managing change in the workplace has received much attention. It’s a clever game, and one that’s fuelling a booming growth in neuroscientific consulting. Coaching staff to embrace change and think about personal growth, alongside individualised learning programmes are hot topics in the business world. Brain science is a growth industry and it’s providing interesting answers to many important questions about why affecting change in the workplace has historically suffered low success rates, and how that can change.

January 12, 2017

Recruitment, change management and morale are chief HR challenges in 2017 ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace

While a fifth of respondents to a study commissioned by Cascade HR revealed the topics most likely to keep HR awake at night in 2017 said they don’t foresee any challenges as Brexit begins to unfold, the remainder highlighted recruitment, managing organisational change and staff morale as the overriding struggles they expect to encounter. While 80 percent of participants said their organisation is OK, good or excellent at managing major change, significant areas for improvement were also identified, with 61 percent stating better communication is required, 57 percent striving for greater staff involvement/engagement and 50 percent highlighting the need for improved planning. Of the 275 industry professionals questioned in the survey, to uncover their plans and fears surrounding Brexit and other significant economic developments, 59 percent said they will rely on technology to help them manage such change.