What makes the perfect FM?

The world of FM is constantly changing, so describing the perfect FM person is no easy task.

Of course, this means that Facilities Managers need to be extremely adaptable in order to keep up in this fast-paced and highly diverse sector. So, what are the most important traits you’ll need to survive in FM today?

Able to go with the flow

In such a dynamic industry as FM, you’ll need to be able to roll with the punches. In life, things rarely go to plan, and being able to keep a level head and think on your feet when this happens is absolutely critical.

Every single day as a facilities manager is different. Whether you’re managing a big project or overseeing the day to day operations, your team will turn to you for professional expertise and guidance should things go wrong.

Being able to think under pressure and maintain a cool head when the chips are down will take you extremely far in this sector.

IT Savvy

Whilst you may not need a software engineering degree to be a facilities manager, being able to keep up with rapidly changing technology is becoming more important than ever before.

You may find that more and more of your work is becoming reliant on technology as time goes by. From your room reservations to asset monitoring, communications to budget management, you’re going to struggle to do your job properly unless you have a firm enough grasp on technology.

Make sure you keep up to date on all of the latest trends and upgrades in facility management software and communications to ensure you don’t get left behind. The more you embrace technology, the more valuable you will become – not only to your organisation, but to the sector as a whole.

People Skills

No matter how much the world around us becomes focussed on technology, nothing will ever be able to replace good old-fashioned communication skills. Facilities management brings you into contact with a wide range of different people every day, and you need to be able to adapt your style in order to effectively work with:

• colleagues,
• team members,
• senior staff and other managers,
• contractors,
• customers,
• clients,
• tenants,
• occupiers,
• landlords,
• stakeholders,
• vendors,
• …the list goes on!

Being able to build strong relationships with these people is an essential skill that every facilities manager should have; making sure everyone is heard and understood.

“People management skills are also increasingly essential as true agile working becomes the norm people will be in the office less, yet will still need to be communicated with and made to feel part of the organisation,” says Julie Kortens, managing director at Konnected People.

“Some would argue this is the responsibility of our colleagues in HR, but it is essential that FMs are aware of the issues and able to support people in their day to day activities.”

This brings us swiftly on to our next point.

Versatility

As you well know, a facilities manager has to wear many different hats on a daily basis. One minute you could be training a team of junior FM professionals in H&S, the next you’ll be presenting your operational budget at the senior management meeting.

And nowadays, you’ll struggle to find an FM post that doesn’t ask for proficiency in both hard and soft services. For this reason, you’ll need to be a jack of all trades in every task you may be required to do.

In addition to this, you’ll need and in-depth understanding of all compliance measures and legislation relating to your facility in order to keep things running as they should.

If you’re still looking for your dream FM job, speak to the Maxwell Stephens team today.