Facilities
Management By Chuck Morris
I believe a career in facilities manage-
You see, facilities management carries
ment is an outstanding choice and one
a lot of burden. One must know how to
While this can seem a little onerous to
that has all kinds of benefits that go with
multitask – or at least how to use the day
some, let it be known that it is the case
the job. If you find yourself as a director
in such a way as to know when to deal
with this type of job if you look after
of facilities, director of operation – or as
with the tough jobs and when to deal
hundreds of thousands of square feet of
someone in charge of most everything
with the lesser, more mundane tasks and
facility space. With the public education
but without those titles – you already
still get them done. Your job could entail
system, you may deal with added work
know you have an important job. Your
caring for one million square feet of floor
thrust on you by the board of educa-
job carries with it a myriad of responsi-
space or more; that floor space could be
tion or other bodies as appointed by
bilities ranging from quite minor duties
spread out over a vast geographical area
the Ministry of Education or Ministry of
to others that can, in all likelihood, keep
and require hours of driving, ferries or
Advanced Education from time to time.
you awake at night.
even flying to get to each locale. With
Who would want this job? Really! Just
ing with multiple conflicting priorities.
In most cases you may have very good
that square footage you are responsible
thinking about the tasks previously men-
people working for you as managers of
for building construction, physical orga-
tioned leaves one wondering where the
departments looking after a wide range
nization of employee workspaces, fire
time will come from to go fishing or just
of tasks that their staffs carry out. This
protection, energy management, risk/
be with family. That time is there – albeit
does not ease your responsibilities at
liability identification, and ensuing rem-
fleeting at first. However, after determin-
all, but does make it easier to shift some
edies to mitigate that risk.
ing priorities and learning what could
of that workload onto their shoulders. If
You have control of tens of millions
wait and how you can block-off time for
they fail or if they succeed, it will still boil
of dollars of budgets, operational cost-
yourself, you will see where you will fit
down to the fact that it is your respon-
control for utilities, compliance with all
it in; along with dealing with a greater
sibility to ensure things go right, and
government policy and local authorities
awareness of the total cost of sustain-
that you can have the work carried out in
having jurisdiction, health and safety
ability, how to increase the need for
such fashion that it gets done in a timely
programs and much more. You must
energy-efficiency, finally complete that
fashion and resolves whatever issue it
have excellent communication and in-
emergency and disaster plan (continuity
was that caused the work to come up in
terpersonal skills and have an ability to
plan), managing infrastructure with new
the first place.
make good decisions – sometimes on a
technologies, and searching for new
moment’s notice.
ways of doing business!
Many facility managers may not have the same workload as their counterparts
The position requires almost obses-
Facility management people are a
in other areas of the country. Neverthe-
sive attention-to-detail, coupled with
breed of their own and once ensconced
less, that work is just as important as
analytical thinking, flexibility and good
in the position for a few years, know ex-
those who have heavy workloads they
problem-solving skills. Knowledge of
actly how to cope. They know what can
struggle to maintain. Sometimes budget
procurement systems, project manage-
be left to do in the morning, after adjust-
constraints reduce the available man-
ment, blueprint reading, electrical and
ing their “To-do List” as each day does
power to deal with things, causing work
HVAC systems, plumbing systems, man-
bring with it new challenges and re-
to backlog. Other times, the work that
agerial accounting, and computer skills
wards. The job is rewarding in itself and
comes in is fast and furious and it is easy
are all a must.
that helps to make the overall view of it
for others to comprehend that more
Therefore, consider the job to have a
staff is required to make sure policy is
heavy and continuous volume of work
My hat goes off to all facility manage-
adhered to, or that issues around com-
while maintaining a constant need for
ment personnel for a job well-done. I
pliance are dealt with correctly.
tact and diplomacy and while also work-
know what it is like; I sat in that chair. b
16
Ops Talk • Fall 2013
so much nicer.
