101 Things Every Facilities Manager Should Know
Resource type and category
Resource type: eBook / Facilities Management practical guide
Category: Facilities Management, FM Careers, Leadership, Operations and Professional Development
Intended audience
Facilities Managers, Assistant Facilities Managers, FM professionals progressing into management, people considering a career in Facilities Management and employers wanting a broad overview of the skills and responsibilities involved in the role.
Resource-card description
Discover 101 practical lessons about life as a Facilities Manager, covering leadership, communication, maintenance, compliance, budgets, contractors, customer service, workplace wellbeing, sustainability, projects and emergency response.
Full resource-page description
Facilities Management is one of the broadest operational professions in business.
A Facilities Manager may need to understand buildings, people, budgets, suppliers, compliance, maintenance, workplace services, technology and business priorities—often at the same time.
101 Things a Facilities Manager Should Know brings together practical observations and advice contributed by professionals working across the sector to provide a wide-ranging picture of what successful Facilities Management can involve.
The guide starts with the realities of taking responsibility for a workplace.
One of the first lessons is that Facilities Management does not always fit neatly within normal working hours. Important issues can arise unexpectedly, and FMs may sometimes need to respond outside their usual schedule.
That leads directly into one of the strongest themes throughout the guide: ownership.
Facilities Managers are expected to take responsibility for the workplace and the services supporting it. When something goes wrong, people need to know who is coordinating the response and what is being done to resolve it.
Communication and people skills
The resource repeatedly emphasises that Facilities Management is not simply about buildings.
Communication appears near the beginning of the list because FMs interact with employees, contractors, customers, suppliers, management teams and many other stakeholders.
The guide describes effective Facilities Management as being strongly dependent on the ability to communicate with the people needed to achieve operational objectives.
Being a people person is therefore presented as an important part of the role.
Facilities Managers frequently achieve results through others, making relationships, communication and people management fundamental to successful delivery.
The guide also emphasises feedback, recommending that FMs maintain appropriate communication with their customers and keep people informed about actions and progress.
Attention to detail and knowledge
Another early lesson is attention to detail.
The guide argues that a strong Facilities Manager needs to pay attention not only to the physical facility but also to the people and processes surrounding it.
Small problems can develop into larger ones if they are ignored, making observation and awareness an important part of FM performance.
Being knowledgeable is another recurring requirement.
The resource demonstrates the extraordinary range of subjects an FM may encounter—from air conditioning, security and health and safety through to costs, workplace services and the physical layout of the property.
The underlying message is that Facilities Managers do not necessarily need to perform every specialist task themselves, but they need enough understanding to know what is happening, where to find information and who to involve.
Technology and FM systems
Technology appears early in the guide as another important FM capability.
The resource encourages Facilities Managers to stay current with technology so they can communicate more effectively, monitor actions and manage workplace information.
Later sections broaden that responsibility into the systems an FM may encounter, including Building Management Systems, Computer Aided Facilities Management systems, property systems, asset control, booking systems and financial-control systems.
Although some of the technology references reflect the publication period, the underlying principle remains clear: Facilities Managers need to understand and use the systems that support effective workplace operations.
Responsiveness and proactive FM
The guide distinguishes between simply reacting to problems and operating proactively.
Responsiveness matters because people expect Facilities Management issues to be acknowledged and resolved efficiently.
But the guide goes further by encouraging preventative action.
One of its more memorable descriptions is that an excellent FM can sometimes feel almost invisible: problems are anticipated and addressed before they become disruptive enough for building users to notice.
This idea appears again through recommendations around preventive maintenance, organisation and staying on top of tasks before backlogs develop.
Trust and contractor relationships
Facilities Managers cannot personally carry out every specialist task.
The guide therefore highlights the importance of finding capable professionals and building trusted working relationships with them.
However, trust does not mean abandoning oversight.
Later sections specifically address contractor management, recommending that FMs monitor delivery and ensure suppliers complete the work and hours that have been agreed.
The role therefore requires a balance between delegation, trust and accountability.
Financial management
Commercial understanding is another major part of the guide.
Facilities Managers are expected to understand budgets, cost control and financial reporting.
The resource stresses that accurate budgeting matters to the wider organisation and that FMs should develop the financial skills needed to report appropriately and make informed decisions.
Bills, invoices, operating costs, rent, taxes and other property-related costs are also identified as potential responsibilities.
The wider principle is reinforced through sections on value for money, cost of ownership and service charges.
Facilities Managers should control costs without automatically equating the cheapest option with the best outcome.
Teamwork and leadership
The guide is equally clear that an FM is only as effective as the wider team supporting them.
A strong Facilities Management team should be well briefed, skilled and engaged.
The resource recommends working collaboratively with team members rather than relying solely on authority, while also recognising that the Facilities Manager remains accountable for overall team performance.
Recruitment, resource planning, performance management, staff meetings and appraisals are all discussed as part of the FM leadership responsibility.
The guide also encourages managers to recognise strong performance and communicate positive feedback when team members receive compliments from building users.
Delegation
One of the final lessons focuses on delegation.
The guide argues that trying to do everything personally is neither realistic nor desirable, particularly in a larger facility.
Giving team members genuine responsibility can demonstrate trust and help develop their capability, while allowing the Facilities Manager to concentrate on work that genuinely requires their own attention.
Processes and organisation
The guide presents Facilities Management as a constant balancing act.
Priorities change, unexpected problems arise and several demands can compete for attention at once.
Strong organisation is therefore essential.
The resource recommends building working processes around people, processes, clients and financials, creating repeatable structures that help the Facilities Manager remain on top of responsibilities.
Time management, preparation and prioritisation are repeatedly reinforced.
The guide recommends organising workloads so important issues do not get buried beneath more minor tasks and using appropriate planning to make delegation easier.
Know your building
One of the most fundamental lessons is simply to know the building.
The guide explains that an effective FM needs to understand where important information is located, which people or suppliers need to be contacted and how to access the resources required to solve problems.
It also encourages Facilities Managers to physically walk around their building regularly rather than managing entirely from behind a desk.
Page 31 specifically recommends walking around the workplace when people are present so the Facilities Manager remains visible and approachable while also seeing the facility in operation.
Workplace wellbeing and productivity
The guide also recognises the connection between Facilities Management and the employee experience.
A clean, well-maintained and appropriately stocked workplace can contribute to employee comfort and productivity.
The resource therefore includes workplace wellbeing, happy environments and organisational productivity among the things an FM should understand.
This shifts the FM role beyond simply maintaining physical assets.
The workplace should support the people using it, and Facilities Management decisions can positively or negatively affect everyday business activity.
Space management
Space appears several times throughout the guide.
Facilities Managers may need to understand accommodation databases, portfolio planning, relocations, space planning and utilisation.
They are also encouraged to make efficient use of the workplace regardless of building size.
The broader message is that workplace space is a business resource and should be managed deliberately rather than passively.
Customer-focused Facilities Management
Page 17 provides one of the guide’s clearest statements about the purpose of good FM.
Facilities Managers need to understand both the building and the people using it.
The guide encourages a customer-centric approach, looking beyond hard services to understand how the overall FM provision affects the customer and their normal business activity.
Customer needs, complaints, satisfaction and expectations return repeatedly throughout the resource.
The guide recommends using feedback, surveys and relationship-management approaches to identify what building users need and where services can improve.
Tendering and capital projects
The FM role can also extend into procurement and capital investment.
The guide covers the tender process, including developing an appropriate scope, issuing the tender, evaluating responses and awarding work.
Capital projects may require Facilities Managers to work with architects, builders, project managers and surveyors.
Project management is addressed again later in the resource, particularly in relation to refurbishments and relocations.
These activities require organisation, preparation and the ability to remain calm while coordinating several parties simultaneously.
Problem-solving
One of the simplest entries is also one of the most important: Problem Solver.
Facilities Managers regularly encounter situations that were not part of the original plan.
The guide describes the role as requiring an ability to prioritise issues, identify solutions and get the job done.
Innovation complements that skill, with the guide encouraging FMs to think on their feet and develop new approaches when existing solutions are insufficient.
Maintenance and building systems
Maintenance forms a major part of the guide.
Facilities Managers may have responsibility for building systems including air conditioning, lifts, fire systems, generators, refrigeration, electrical testing, lighting and heating.
The resource also encourages preventative maintenance and the use of durable materials where they can reduce recurring repair requirements.
Mandatory maintenance is highlighted later, reinforcing the need to ensure safety-critical systems receive the appropriate attention and servicing.
Soft services
The guide demonstrates that FM extends well beyond engineering and maintenance.
It includes responsibilities across front of house, reception, helpdesk, conferencing, switchboard, catering, cleaning, supplies, logistics and document services.
Page 29 brings several of these areas together under “Services”, reinforcing how Facilities Management supports the ability of employees to perform their everyday work.
This mixture of hard and soft services is one of the reasons FM demands such broad organisational capability.
Security and risk
Security is another major responsibility identified in the guide.
Potential areas include access control, alarms, CCTV, patrolling, surveillance, information security and emergency procedures.
Risk management similarly spans health, environmental, safety and insurance considerations.
The guide repeatedly reminds Facilities Managers of their responsibilities around compliance and keeping informed about requirements affecting the facility.
Compliance
Compliance appears throughout the document as a core FM responsibility.
The guide encourages Facilities Managers to understand the requirements that apply to their building and ensure they are being met.
A later section on regulations and legislation reinforces the importance of staying informed and avoiding failures that could expose the organisation to penalties or operational risk.
Because the document includes period-specific terminology, this aspect of the resource should be presented as a reminder of the importance of FM compliance, rather than as an up-to-date legal reference.
Business continuity and emergency response
Facilities Management becomes particularly important when normal operations are disrupted.
The guide includes a dedicated section on business continuity planning, considering how an organisation might recover following a fire or major failure and how Facilities Management can support relocation or alternative operating arrangements.
Emergency response is also addressed directly.
The resource discusses failures involving heating, air conditioning, electricity, fire, flooding and security and stresses the importance of having appropriate people available to respond when emergencies occur.
Staying calm under pressure
The FM role can involve several problems appearing simultaneously.
Page 38 provides an extended section on staying calm, explaining that visible calmness and efficient action can increase the confidence colleagues place in the Facilities Manager during difficult situations.
Discipline and adaptability appear alongside it.
The Facility Manager needs a structured approach to maintaining standards while also being able to adjust when the workplace or business changes.
Sustainability
Environmental responsibility also features prominently.
The guide covers sustainability, energy, waste management and reducing the organisation’s environmental impact.
Its “Go Green” section connects environmental improvements with financial savings, client and employee satisfaction and wider organisational reputation.
The resource also covers waste streams and the need to manage different forms of waste appropriately.
Again, individual legal references within the original document should be treated according to their publication date, but the broader themes of sustainability and responsible resource management remain central.
Professional development
The final part of the guide turns towards career development.
FM training, professional qualifications, networking and self-improvement are all encouraged.
The resource argues that Facilities Management continues to change, making ongoing learning an important part of a successful career.
Networking with other FM professionals is also presented as valuable because even experienced people encounter unfamiliar problems and can benefit from sharing knowledge.
The guide concludes with its 101st lesson around fire safety before acknowledging the large group of sector contributors who shared their knowledge and experience to help build the resource.
Taken together, 101 Things a Facilities Manager Should Know provides a broad and sometimes light-hearted picture of just how varied the profession can be.
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