CIOReview | | 9 DECEMBER - JANUARYTHE SIGNIFICANCE OF STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT IN LEADERSHIPGone are the days of the Facilities Manager, whose job accountabilities were being the janitor and handling the minor maintenance requests of changing a lightbulb, replacing a ceiling tile, or shifting furniture. This is not to say that the accountabilities do not remain within Facilities but that the Facilities Manager is no longer performing these tasks unless short-staffed. The Facilities Manager's scope of work has transitioned from being a laborer to being a strategic key stakeholder in leadership meetings, acquiring the business acumen of all the various departments and the company itself, and creating strategies that ensure the properties or the services within the properties allow all who are there be it for a minute, a day or repetitively are safe and able to focus on what they came to accomplish without environmental inconveniencies or interruptions.To accomplish this, the most critical step for the Facilities Manager is to embrace emotional intelligence as a foundation to build strong relationships across the company, ensuring they understand the needs and concerns of the employees, the leadership, the visitors,and customers. Without these relationships, there is a strong possibility that any solution created will not be a holistic benefit for all and could potentially create a disruptive environment in the future. There is no single accountability that falls within the Facilities Manager's purview that does not have a domino effect impact if the work does not begin with strong relationships and collaboration in a balanced manner with all. One of the most prominent Facilities Manager's accountabilities where the need for strong relationships and collaboration is required is whenthey are responsible for keeping the layouts of the properties safe, efficient, and usable for all who are physically present. Most will believe this is easy. Have a conversation with the key stakeholder and build as specified. This was a successful approach thirty years ago when technology was one size fits all, and the workplace or workday was more straightforwardand slower, for lack of a better term. As we all know, that is not the reality of today. Today, space needs and uses are in continual ebb and flow, adapting to the demands of the overall businessat a much faster pace, at the same rate as technology changes. It is virtually impossible to build out spaces that will have the same requirements or needs six months down the road.For a Facilities Manager to succeed, they need tobuild and maintain strong relationships andcollaborate with as many individuals across the company as possible. Why? Working with all and having solid relationships with all, the Facilities Manager will be able to create an agile standard that meets the needs of the bulk of the company that is cost-effective, easy to support operationally, and can become a relatively seamless experience for the actual users of the space. More importantly, the Facilities Manager will be able to implement these standards with strong leadership backing (key word here "STRONG" not "FULL" as there will always be the one individual who will be overruled by the majority and continuously feel standards cannot apply to them because the nature of their work is more confidential, requires different measures, etc. ­ yes, you know whom I am talking about).Another critical area where the need for strong relationships and collaboration is imperative revolves around the operational support services the Facilities Managers implements. This is true for the equipment and technologies chosen to be installed into the building and the physical, technical labor brought in to maintain or repair the equipment. Yes, the Facilities Manager may be the expert on knowing what services or equipment are needed for the building to remain comfortable, safe and operational.However, suppose the Facilities Manager does not have a strong relationship with departments such as IT and Compliance to review specifications to ensure any software is included with the equipment. In that case, the Facilities Manager is the one who could become solely responsible for creating an entry point for a hacker to get into the company's servers. Suppose the Facilities Manager does not have a strong relationship with Legal to ensure all necessary liabilities are accounted for in contracts. In that case, they could be the one who is solely responsible for large lawsuitseven when the fault was that of the contracted service they brought on. Suppose the Facilities Manager does not have a strong relationship with departments such as Communications and Human Resources. In that case,they could implement a program or project with the best intentions but with the worst impact or experience for specific individuals, going against a genuinely inclusive environment.There is not a single accountability within the Facilities Manager's purview that does not have a domino effect if the work does not begin with emotional intelligence as the foundation for buildingsolid relationships and embracingcollaboration. Without this, the technical components of projects could be successful and yet have massive negative impacts on the company financially or culturally.The days of a Facilities Manager who ispurely a laborer are gone. The Facilities Manager of today and beyondmust be a key stakeholder sitting at the leadership table, needing to know how to relate and speak to the full spectrum of audiences and users impacted by their decisions. By Michelle Higgins, Director of Facilities and Workspace Solutions, McKinstryMichelle HigginsAnother critical area where the need for strong relationships and collaboration is imperative revolves around the operational support services the Facilities Managers implements
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