What makes a good facilities manager

There are certain skills and strengths that are most in-demand in the modern FM marketplace. The attitude and aptitude that a good facilities manager requires to take on each day’s challenges are the points to be highlighted.

Most facilities managers aren’t economists or mathematicians but budgeting and financial planning are nevertheless important parts of the job. A good facilities manager needs to know what the key metrics are and how to calculate them. The more financial insight he has, the more effective a manager he will be.

Even if mathematics was not a favourite subject in school, he can learn the skills needed to understand high-level business budgeting. Critical thinking goes a long way too. In addition to numerical know-how, employers look for someone with an analytical approach, a commitment to getting (and improving) results, and good old-fashioned business sense.

A good FM doesn’t need a law degree any more than a mathematics degree, but having an appreciation for the impact that federal, state, and local laws have on his facility is important. Whatever industry a good FM finds himself, the chances are that numerous statutes and regulations apply to every aspect from HR to day-to-day operations. Understanding occupational Health & Safety laws are especially important in the discharge of his duties.

Sustainability continues to trend not only as a buzzword but also as an emerging corporate value around the world. That’s especially true in the facilities sector. A sustainable building is an efficient resource for residents or any company so your employer or client will count on a good FM to keep the facility as green as can be. Make sustainability a goal and take proactive steps towards it. It’s good for his professional portfolio, the environment, and bottom line.

Companies consist of numerous divisions charged with specific sets of responsibilities. Often, these areas may overlap. That’s especially common in FM because the physical structure interacts with almost every activity that happens inside it. That’s the reason a good FM needs the ability to network across the entire organization with IT, HR, administration, other executives etc. It’s Important to take a step back and think about the ways his job complements the work others are doing in the company. Striving to improve those relationships is a tremendous benefit.

A good facilities manager needs to be decisive because systems and processes in an organization need to run smoothly, comprising of set standards to guide the staff and end users. The manager has to ensure these are in place to help workers complete routine jobs successfully on a daily basis. A good facilities manager follows the plan and takes remedial steps when disruptions occur, as he needs to ensure that the organization achieves the targets and objectives it has laid out.

The FM world today is more technology-reliant than ever before. The more quickly a good facility manager embraces it, the more valuable he becomes in his field. Everything from room reservations to asset monitoring and facility maintenance is managed through the use of software these days and increasingly on smartphones and tablets. Information technology plays a vital role in the way facilities managers communicate with their workforce, vendors and end users.

A client or employer will assume his facilities manager to be good at the use of FM software as the former, generally, doesn’t have time to educate himsef on the latest developments, and will rely on a good facilities manager to keep abreast of developments in technology.