Facilitate January 2019

January 2019 / FacilitateMagazine.com

Taster edition

THE SIGHT STUFF Focusing on people and purpose over bricks and mortar is key to FM’s culture change

THE ‘WHY’ OF FM Establishing why we do what we do – and the competencies required

ABLE TO ENABLE Ensuring workplace and facilities managers are up to the challenge

TWO WHEELS GOOD Making the most of the Cycle To Work employee benefit policy

FAC I LITATE

JANUARY 2019

CONTENTS ANA LYS I S

6 I NTERSE RVE WATCH IWFM’s CEO says sector is ‘on alert’ over the future of the support services giant 8 A Q UI ET RE VOLUTION Social value will fundamentally change how facilities services are procured 10 I NSP I RI NG AUTOMATION FM has barely scratched the surface when it comes to using big data 11 TA X I NG PROBL E M Business isn’t ready for SECR energy tax, says the Energy Managers Association 12 B AD B OS S FAC TOR Toxic line managers are the critical factor in staff health and productivity

COM M UNI TY

KNOW LE DGE

3 4 PE R SPE C T IV E S The four most interesting and insightful opinions on FM this month

43 FR AMED FLOR A LivePicture Go from Mobilane is a frame that houses a living plant

3 6 F M @ LA RGE Ideas and comments made around the sector this month

45 TUNED-IN LEADERS Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but the right leader can resolve it

3 7 A BIT A BOU T YOU Karen Farrell discusses FM’s role in productivity, culture and morale

47 HE A LT HY A ND HA P PY Better mental health support could save businesses up to £8bn a year

3 4 JA NUA RY @ IWF M The people and projects currently informing IWFM activity

48 ON YOU R BIKE Cycle to Work is one of the most successful staff benefits schemes

40 C A LL S TO AC T ION The events, surveys and discussions that deserve your attention

50 TO HAV E A ND TO H O L D What can be done to maximise an office’s appeal as a recruitment tool?

LONG FORM

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THE SIGHT STUFF In the wake of an IWFM report evaluating the sector’s culture, Facilitate talks to those whose focus beyond the building is changing perceptions

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A MATTER OF PERCEPTION Organisations’ changing relationship with FM is being driven by the movement towards well-being in the workplace

OUR MAGAZINE

A you flick through this month As you’ll note a few initial changes, y but please note we’re very much b evolving rather than relaunching; ev vo we are, as ever, the facilities management professional’s first m port of call for news, analysis, p insight and comment.

is now

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ABLE TO ENABLE? Practitioners and clients are increasingly seeing the FM role as one rooted in the enablement of communities

OUR WEBSITE

www.FacilitateMagazine.com is set out just as before. You’ll find everything located in the same places as before.

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA

On Twitter, @FM_World TO ACCESS THE has become @Facilitate_Mag while FULL our VERSION LinkedIn group is now the Facilitate Think Tank.

OUR NEWSLETTER OF FACILITATE The FM World Daily is now the T MAGAZINE, JOIN IWFM Facilitate Daily. It will appear in Fa F OUR RECRUITMENT SITE

We’ve changed our title to reflect ect the British Institute of Facilities es Management becoming the Institute of Workplace and Facilities ities Management. So – what doess this mean for you?

W. I W F M .O RG .Uhas K become the th he inbox of those who subscribeW W jobs.fm-world.co.uk every weekday, as before. www.iwfmjobs.com 3

FacilitateMagazine.com / January 2019

F RO NT D E S K A N A LY S I S

CON F E R E N CE

IWFM’s 2019 conference The IWFM Conference 2019 will take place on 24 April at etc. venues, St Paul’s in London. Here are details of speakers already announced: KEYNOTE: MARCUS CHILD One of the UK’s leading motivational speakers, Marcus Child will set the foundation for the day and ignite your IWFM conference experience.

LUCY ADAMS CEO, Disruptive HR Lucy is on a mission to disrupt the HR profession.

What has she learnt and what lessons can we apply to our own profession?

A RT IFIC IAL INT E LLIG E NCE

FM NEEDS TO DELVE DEEPER INTO AI

of firms are in the early stages of big data implementation.

She added that the FM sector had other issues too, such as skills shortages and bringing legacy systems together to produce big data.

“Our industry has barely scratched the surface when it comes to big data”.

The industry, she said, is promoting “real-time evidence-based decisionmaking” and “greater data transparency” so it is “able to have digital trade to evidence engineering compliance”.

She said the research concluded that the industry is at a very early stage when it comes to big data implementation, with well resourced larger organisations emerging as “front-runners".

FM companies need to collaborate with technology firms, consultancies, and even higher education in order “to scale up for this enterprise level adoption”.

W O R D S : H ER P R EE T K AU R G R E WA L

T

he key challenge facing facilities management is “securing access to reliable and potent big data”, said Dr Ashwini Konanahalli of the University of the West of Scotland, who was speaking about artificial intelligence at the first event held by the IWFM. Konanahalli told delegates that research carried out by her team had found FM unable to extract value from big data.

She said: “Poor-quality

data and the mere value for this particular variable was the highest. We’re failing not the aspect of big data [but more]…the sense that we're not addressing veracity [and this] is what big data is all about."

She said the research methodology for her study was a combination of qualitative and quantitative aspects.

For the qualitative aspects the researchers conducted a questionnaire study. The data revealed that only 72 per cent

BRUCE DAISLEY author, and Eat. Sleep.

Work podcast Bruce will show us what we can do to make work less demanding and a place where we can laugh.

RICHARD MULLENDAR former hostage negotiator, Scotland Yard What can hostage negotiation teach us about the art of listening?

DANIEL ROWLES CEO, TargetInternet.com Employee experience is king. Daniel will help us understand the journey marketers have been on and what we can learn from it.

CAROLYN TAYLOR executive chair, WalkingTheTalk.com Carolyn is a world-renowned culture change expert who’ll help us address both how we can influence the culture of our organisations.

TO ACCESS THE FULL VERSION OF FACILITATE MAGAZINE, JOIN IWFM

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W W W.To I Wbook F M your .O RG .U K place, visit

iwfmconference.org/book/

F RO R O NT NT DESK A N A LY S I S

ILLUSTRATION: ALAMY

T

oxic line managers are the most critical factor to the health and subsequent productivity of employees, according to an academic speaking at a workplace event last month.

Professor Sir Cary Cooper, co-founder at workplace consultancy Robertson-Cooper and author, told delegates at Worktech 2018 in London, that “all the evidence in the occupational health, wellbeing areas shows that the biggest problem we all have are our bosses, whoever they are”.

Cooper said: “On the door of every workplace, there should be a sign saying ‘your boss is potentially dangerous to your health’ like we have on cigarette packets. The evidence is clear: that is the critical thing.”

The government’s Department for Work and Pensions was currently working on understanding and improving the “emotional intelligence” of line managers.

Said Cooper: “Our managers are not as socially and emotionally sensitive as they need to be. Who manages you is critical to your well-being.”

WOR KTE CH CON F E R E N CE

BAD BOSSES DRAG DOWN STAFF WELL-BEING W O R D S : H ER P R EE T K AU R G R E WA L

approach rather than a faultfinding one, who knows you and knows you have issues at home, who gives you flexible working if you need it – it is really important.”

He said that in an average workplace only about 20 per cent of managers have the natural skills to manage people, around 60 per cent are trainable and there are around 20 per cent who “should never be allowed near people”.

Neil Steele of Asure Software stressed how sensor technology would only become increasingly popular. But he added that while “sensorbased data collection was “in and accepted” – the worker's “perception [of it] is crucial to its successful

Cooper added that the workplace has to be designed for employees – so they must be involved in its design.

“Psychological environment is much more significant,” said Cooper. “You can be in a lousy work environment but if you have a great boss who manages you with a praise-and-reward

“ON THE DOOR OF EVERY WORKPLACE, THERE SHOULD BE A SIGN SAYING ‘YOUR BOSS IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH’ ’’

adoption in the workplace”.

Ulrich Blum, an associate at Zaha Hadid Architects, told delegates that design was essential in ensuring that data was used more effectively in offices.

“The workplace used to be about getting more out of people but now it’s about getting the best out of them,” he said. Blum said algorithms now existed that measured desk distance and research showed desks that were within 24 metres of one another encouraged collaboration.

He pointed out that research showed that often managers and bosses sat farther than 24 metres from the rest of their W W W. I W F M .Oundermined RG .U K colleagues, which

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collaboration within teams.

F E ATU R E

THE ‘WHY’ OF FM

THE SIGHT STUFF

‘Start with why’ – the message from business author Simon Sinek – is a ACCESS rallying cry for professions seeking to reevaluate their true TO purpose.

In THE the FULL VERSION wake of an IWFM report considering the sector’s culture, Bradford Keen talks OF FACILITATE MAGAZINE, JOINrole IWFM to those whose focus beyond the building is changing perceptions of their I L LU S T R AT I O N : M I C H A L B ED N A R S K I

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W W W. I W F M .O RG .U K

F E ATU R E

FM’S CHANGING ROLE

on buildings, so it can be changed at this early stage,” adds Seddon.

Much of the change in relationship with FM is being driven by the movement towards well-being the workplace, says Ravi Bhatnagar, account director with FM service provider Anabas.

“In the past, we were reporting in to finance or procurement. It was all price-driven and not about the value that we could bring,” he says. “Now we’re more involved in bringing alive the telemanagement of a building and supporting HR. “We were also taking buildings on well after the design stage, but we’ve just won a tender on a contract where the client’s actually involving us six months prior to moving into their new building.

This is the first time this has ever happened in my experience.

Normally you get a month, if that, and then you end up with all these workarounds.”

Change started to happen around the time of the financial crisis in

IAN SEDDON Manchester Metropolitan University

FINBARR MURRAY 2gether Support Solutions

SIMONE FENTON-JARVIS Twinkl Educational Publishing

2008, when organisations wanted to cut costs regarding property and support services, according to Finbarr Murray, formerly a director of estates and facilities with the NHS and now managing director of 2gether Support Solutions.

“Prior to that, and certainly in the areas that I’ve worked in, it was perceived as a cash drain.

It was a big cost to carry and didn’t pay back,” says Murray.

“But I’ve watched it go from being a glorified office support function to something that can be a very strategic component at board level.”

In Murray’s experience, more often than not the person commissioning a project in the first place is now the FM director.

“They are working hand in glove with the real estate or capital build teams. Their influencing skills are not just about service provision, but the commissioning of the project,

THE FM PROFESSION’S NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP (content from research participants)

MEANS FM STRUGGLES WITH IDENTITY AND RECOGNITION...

HOW FM IS PERCEIVED...

It’s hard to sell the benefits of FM

There’s a lack of understanding of FM FM isn’t seen as important

There’s a lack of recognition of or interest in FM

HOW FM BEHAVES...

We’re reporting to the wrong people Unrealistic client expectations are increasing

Senior managers don’t support or engage with us

There’s a lack of communication with FM

We’ve got too much work

We lack control over our work and destiny

We don’t have a big enough say We aren’t involved (early) enough

We’re working with out-of-date technology We’re dealing with clunky processes (bureaucracy)

We lack the required skills and education We lack resources (money, time and staff)

We’re too reactive

We don’t act strategically

There’s a lack of forward planning

We’re working in a silo (there’s a lack of collaboration)

MEANS FM STRUGGLES WITH STATUS AND VOICE...

Source: IWFM Report – ‘Managing Facilities or Enabling Communities’

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the strategy and masterplanning that sits behind it,” he says. “I’m seeing them making cases to the board, doing the financial analysis, and so on. That’s a massive turnaround from when I first started.”

But Murray admits receiving blanks looks when he tells people that he works in FM. As a sector it still doesn’t have the sense of place and identity that finance or IT do, he says.

Simone Fenton-Jarvis, chief workplace officer with Twinkl Educational Publishing, agrees.

“When I started at Twinkl, the CEO didn’t even know what a facilities manager was, so I was called an operations manager. I was subsequently made a chief workplace officer, which allowed me to raise issues with finance and HR. “However, HR still saw facilities as something that simply did health and safety tours during the staff on-boarding process. It was only when we started looking at the workplace as a whole that HR realised that we could improve engagement massively, both internally and externally, and support them as well.”

We’ve probably still have a long way to go before FM becomes a cool and aspirational career choice. Talk to many in the sector and it’s a job they seem to have fallen into in a roundabout way, which is probably a lot to do with the lack of recognised pathways into it.

Only in the past 10 to 15 years have universities started offering FM courses. However, slowly but surely it’s being recognised for the vital function it performs on a personal, organisational and societal level. It’s long overdue.

TO ACCESS THE FULL VERSION The following pages show OF FACILITATE practical implementations from MAGAZINE, JOIN IWFM FM function that have shifted W W W. W F M .O RGothers .U K perceptions ofI them from in the organisation they serve.

F E ATU R E

ABLE TO ENABLE?

ABLE

to realise their competitive advantage in a new and complicated world of emergent FM. Indeed, Burtt-Jones says that when clients want information on metrics, data on supporting agile working, or knowledge about making a workspace more productive, they will turn to a consultant or property adviser rather than their FM. “FM is part of a wider matrix that includes many partners including consultancies, property advisors and, in a wider sense HR, operations and even sales,” he says. “The FM has a significant part to play in workspace; all these functions are linked and should be more closely bound, rather than delivered in isolation.

Burtt-Jones believes that the perception of FM is changing and that amidst this shift, professionals will seize opportunities to act as leaders and strategists to support the client. However, the opinion of FM as a bricks-and-mortar-led function persists because clients want to buy a certain product and FM companies want to sell it.

“You go to a sandwich shop to buy a sandwich, not to learn how to be a cordon bleu chef,” Burtt-Jones quips. “FM companies provide a product and that’s all the client wants. I think it’s probably that simple

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY, GETTY

TO

A

small but significant number of FMs at the starting point of a cultural change realise the benefits of offering a holistic, strategic service that encompasses people as well as property. This is a significant departure from the traditional world of FM, in which quantities, space management and costs were the prevailing points of focus.

This change is best visualised as a peloton leading a group of cyclists, argues Adam Burtt-Jones, workplace design consultant and partner at Burtt-Jones & Brewer LLP. In his analogy, the peloton comprises forwardthinking FMs who have realised that property and people are fundamentally intertwined and, by keeping close, others can stay at the front of the pack. However, for the peloton to work in the first place, Burtt-Jones says a consultancy-led approach is needed for FMs

ENABLE Facilities management has begun to change the way it views its place in the world, recognising a remit beyond its traditional physical domain. Practitioners and clients are TO ACCESS THE increasingly seeing the role as rooted in the FULL VERSION OF FACILITATE enablement of communities, with the MAGAZINE, IWFM management of facilities just one JOIN of several W W W. I W F M .O RG .U K means to that end. Kevin Stanley reports 28

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INSIDE 34 36 37 38 41

Perspectives – four IWFM office holders give their opinions FM @ Large – seen and heard this month Behind the Job – Karen Farrell Think Tank – Employees and microchip implants Calls to action – events worthy of your attention

Each month we explain the background to phrases you may be hearing, or the key issues currently making waves

O

nce upon a time, a clan of property services professionals debated whether inviting elephants into their village would be advantageous to their future. Some said, “Let’s roll out the baobab.”

Others weren’t keen on elephants sticking their

VIEW POINT

THE B E ST O F THE S E C TO R’ S DI S C U S S I O N A N D DE BATE

BUZ Z WOR DS

EMBRACING THE ELEPHANT

isn’t worth talking about, the pursuit of harmony with let’s just do the job; and, most the anti-elephant contingent, importantly, the elephant sits many decided not to talk among us, so let’s embrace it. about the big grey beasts sitting alongside them at the campfire. The elephants and Trunking doughnuts the people that wanted them OK, it’s probably fair to say that there were aware of their we’ve laboured the figurative own silence and that of their beyond the acceptable, so fellow villagers. let’s return to the literal.

Eventually, at a Workplace is now embedded gathering in a tall glass in the future of the newly rebuilding, it was decided. named Institute of Workplace Elephants, for too and Facilities Management. long, have had to bear Judging by the feedback at the brunt of humans’ the official launch (where this reluctance to address image was illustrated) and this the obvious. An month’s features, we should anthropologist (not view this as a means to elevate really) Simon Heath the sector to decision-making (freelance illustrator and prominence; attract a new workplace commentator, generation of professionals to pictured left) witnessed the drive the sector; and enable goings-on and reached for a communities of people to pen to capture the likeness of perform to their best by the creature. providing them with space that On seeing the image, many caters to their diverse needs. villagers rose to voice their It’ll take time for the use of opinions: the elephant will workplace in IWFM’s title to modernise the way we talk resonate beyond the profession about property services; the and lead to more meaningful elephant is not an eraser of the conversations – but we’re WW W. I W Fforward M .O RGto.U K past, it’s an addition for the looking the future; the elephant, no offence, debates ahead.

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trunks where they didn’t belong. And anyway, elephants had their own territories.

Eventually the wise elders called for a vote to settle the dispute. The clan found in favour of the elephants but, in

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INSIDE 44 45 46 47 48

Martin Reed: Follow the leader Terry Hayward: Tuned-in leaders Jamie Tabord: Streamlined energy Gary Danson: Healthy and happy Gary Webb: On your bike

KNOW HOW THE L ATE ST L E A RN I N G A N D BE ST P RAC TI CE

WORKPLACE BIOPH I L I A

N

FRAMED FLORA

ow that everyone seems to have photographs of lovers, spouses, children or pets as their background on their phones, it is time to fill the workplace with frames filled with plants rather than more boring images of family members. It’s not like you’ll forget what they look like anyway.

Designed with an office reception, hotel foyer or airport lounge in mind, LivePicture Go from Mobilane is a frame that houses a living plant to provide a 3D living organism of green

to brighten your working day. Green fingers and a power supply aren’t necessary, say the designers.

Winner of a Red Dot Design Award, the frame conceals a capillary wick that sits inside a plant cassette, which can be changed to suit seasonal or aesthetic demands – although house plants, herbs, succulents and grasses are best suited – and contains two plant-pockets that can hold up to three plants each.

The capillary technology keeps the plants at optimal moisture levels – you just have to keep the water tank fill and

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there are two detection systems to notify you either when the tank is full or needs filling.

The frame, made from high-quality plastics that can be disassembled and recycled, is mounted to the wall with two screws.

Dimensions of the product are: 51.6 x 51.6 x 11.2 cm (L x H x D) and it weighs 2.7kg without water and plants and around 5kgWwith and W W.water IWFM .Oplants.

RG .U K

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GARY DANSON is operations director at surface repair and restorations firm Plastic Surgeon

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ccording to the Mental Health Foundation, around one in seven people experiences mental health problems in the workplace, and better mental health support in the workplace can save UK businesses up to £8 billion a year.

An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which offers confidential advice to staff, can address this problem in a practical and pre-emptive way.

An EAP should offer: Life support and unlimited counselling for emotional problems; Legal information for issues causing anxiety or distress; M E NTAL HE ALT H

HEALTHY AND HAPPY

It’s essential to support employees with mental health issues through an effective employee assistance programme, says Gary Danson

Bereavement assistance from qualified and experienced counsellors; Medical information from qualified nurses offering practical advice on a range of medical issues; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) services that include information sheets and videos from leading counsellors; and A well-being health platform with advice on how to keep your body and mind in shape.

We decided to enhance our existing support systems, having previously operated a more traditional policy, which saw employees speaking to their line manager and pointed towards external resources.

We wanted to make the process of voicing problems easier and less intimidating by offering an independent and confidential resource for staff as a first port of call.

We provided a free telephone number with access to trained counsellors.

Alongside this, they have access to an E-Hub, with online resources and advice.

This was taken to the company directors to make the final decision before rolling it out to the business, which wanted an affordable solution to deliver its objectives.

The whole process took about six weeks to research. We decided on a comprehensive programme our staff members could rely on, including advice and guidance on issues – legal, financial, relationships, housing, retirement – and factors affecting mental health.

Three months after the launch of our EAP we sent out a survey to all staff members. The findings showed: 80 per cent of staff felt the EAP is a good addition to our mental health support; and 95 per cent of staff members rated our mental health support as excellent or good.

Lessons learnt

While the feedback shows a job well done, we learnt a lot in the process to make the programme a success.

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K N OW H OW EXPL AINER

Create a clear communications plan before the launch of the EAP to make sure the benefits of the programme are understood among staff.

Start communications early, at least a month before the launch of your EAP. Vary the channels (physical guide, emails, blogs and digital updates on our internal communications platform) to promote the EAP. Build the buzz and make a big splash on launch day.

Keep the discussion going after the EAP launch by talking about mental health topics and the services on offer.

We try to share a relevant story, video, interview or tips on a monthly basis and this can be done via printed staff newsletters or online communications platforms. Since the EAP’s implementation, we’ve seen staff members coming forward to discuss their own mental health – a sure sign that the process is working.

And after you’ve looked at the effectiveness of your EAP?

Organise events. An effective use of the EAP is to provide opportunities to participate as a team.

We formed a team of 14 staff from across the business to participate in the Great West Run to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation.

We also took part in the foundation’s Tea and Talk initiative, which encourages people to talk about their mental health.

As part of this we organised a tea party at our head office, while staff working in the field received a pack of goodies and mental health advice for them to enjoy during their breaks.

The premise of this was to start a conversation and normalise discussion about mental health.

A whole range of personal and work-related issues can lead to serious mental health problems and an effective EAP can help staff strengthen their mental health and support them when problems arise.

W W W. I W F M .O RG .U K

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S U P P LY S I D E

BUSINESS NEWS

In brief BELLROCK BUYS NAPLES GROUP

Technology workplace solutions company Bellrock has announced the acquisition of Naples Group Ltd, which provides property-focused consultancy services, including compliance, surveying, data collection and M&E design.

Naples Group comprises two distinct offerings: NIFES Consulting Group, based in Manchester and Glasgow, and The Oakleaf Group, based in Northampton.

The business capabilities will operate within the technical and real estate and workplace and compliance divisions, led by Andrew Walker.

Following nine acquisitions over the past 26 months completed together with investor Horizon Capital LLP, the addition of Nifes Consulting Group and The Oakleaf Group bolsters Bellrock’s tech-driven facilities and property services.

NIFES and Oakleaf customers will now have access to the Bellrock’s fully integrated facilities and property services.

SODEXO ACQUIRES ALLIANCE IN PARTNERSHIP

Sodexo has purchased the Alliance in Partnership (AiP) group of companies, a specialist education caterer that includes The Contract Dining Company and Class Catering Services.

AiP will continue to operate independently with managing director Paul Rogers leading the business and its 1,500 staff from its Birmingham head office.

Established in 1998, AiP has grown considerably over the past few years through organic growth and acquisitions. The company has stayed true to its ethos of supplying high-quality, locally sourced and seasonal meals at competitive prices, a focus shared by Sodexo.

The food services experience at school is important, as lunchtimes provide a vital break in a busy day for students.

SUSTA INA BI LI TY

OCS VOWS TO CUT SINGLE-USE PLASTICS ACROSS UK OPERATIONS W O R D S : H ER P R EE T K AU R G R E WA L

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CS UK has announced a plan to reduce single-use plastics across its business. The company has published a statement of intent and plan of action detailing how “it can limit the impact of our operations on the environment”.

Bob Taylor, CEO for OCS UK Ireland & Middle East, said: “Our business touches millions of people every week, and that means that we are in a position to make positive changes. For us, that means taking stock of how we manage waste across our business, being realistic about what we can do to improve, working with our suppliers and clients to ensure that improvements are made holistically, and making sustainable changes that will have a positive impact on our plastic use.”

OCS has replaced plastic straws and sandwich bags across UK catering

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functions with more sustainable options; updated its procurement process to prioritise working with suppliers who share the business’s vision.

In collaboration with waste management supplier Reconomy it has also started an education programme to encourage all those who interact with OCS to consider their own plastic use and formed a steering committee including suppliers Commercial Group and Reconomy to consider what the business can do to reduce the use of, and improve waste management of, single-use plastics across UK operations.

Facilities managers have “a huge footprint across both the public and private sectors and can collaborate with clients to help embed the necessary behavioural change for corporate consumers to follow through W W W. I W F Mon .Othese RG .U K objectives” says the group.

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BAC K PAG E

EPHFMERA

Facilitate, incorporating FM World, is the publication of IWFM, the professional body for workplace and facilities management. For information on membership, qualifications and training contact us:

The stories that just don’t fit anywhere else (Email us: editorial@facilitatemagazine.com)

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ust as we’ve never before had so many people and organisations fixated on our ‘well-being’, so too is ephFMera assaulted almost hourly these days by those keen to discuss our ‘experience’ of the workplace.

We remember when talk of ‘experience’ was confined to the bit on a CV where applicants detail what they’ve done in relation to a job they’re chasing. Today, however, the way someone ‘experiences’ the workplace is uppermost in service and product providers’ minds, their offerings doubtless integral to the warm, fuzzy and productive feeling that the optimised workplace commands.

But instead of the fine customisation of an individual’s workspace, might we suggest focusing on something rather less nebulous? How about concentrating on the ‘work’ component of ‘workplace’ as in, if we can be blunt, a guarantee that everything a worker ‘experiences’ to get through their day just bloody well works?

Experience – or just stuff that works?

ephFMera has spoken to workers whose washroom experience has been blighted firstly by a paper towel dispenser so poorly designed that water and wads of towels routinely spill across the floor; then by a replacement jet air dryer so fragile it frequently fails to function at the very point a worker would want to use it. It’s the perfect example of an important basic service that’s theoretically so easy to get right, yet for no obvious reason remains next to impossible to perfect.

Every user of a facility will be able to conjure a myriad such complaints specific to their workplace, perhaps best characterised as problems that recur routinely no matter how seemingly trivial or straightforward to resolve they appear to be: the office microwave that refuses to ping; the access control pass that beeps when presented but just won’t let you through; the override button that puts the entire HVAC system out of whack for entire seasons at a time.

Of course we ‘experience’ these annoying failings – but come on, can’t we just bracket this sort of thing as workers simply wanting their workplaces to ‘just work’ as advertised?

Because when they do, all those experience metrics have a ten tendency to take care of themselves.

Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Charringtons House, 1st Floor South, The Causeway, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 2ER, UK Tel: +44 (0)1279 712 620 Email: admin@iwfm.org.uk Web: www.iwfm.org.uk

Redactive Publishing Ltd 78 Chamber Street London E1 8BL www.facilitatemagazine.com EDITOR Martin Read 020 7880 7664 martin.read@facilitatemagazine.com

DEPUTY EDITOR Bradford Keen 020 7880 7615 bradford.keen@facilitatemagazine.com NEWS EDITOR Herpreet Grewal 020 7880 8544 newsdesk@facilitatemagazine.com

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SALES MANAGER Daniel Goodwin 020 7880 6206 daniel.goodwin@redactive.co.uk

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGER Josh Hannagan 020 7880 6220 josh.hannagan@redactive.co.uk

SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE (RECRUITMENT) Paul Wade 020 7880 6212 paul.wade@redactive.co.uk PRODUCTION MANAGER Aysha Miah-Edwards 020 7880 6241 aysha.miah@redactive.co.uk

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Joanna Marsh 020 7880 8542 joanna.marsh@redactive.co.uk Subscriptions IWFM members with Facilitate subscription or delivery queries should call the IWFM’s membership department on +44 (0)1279 712650.

Facilitate is sent to all members of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management and is available on subscription to non-members. Annual subscription rates are UK £110, Europe £120 and rest of world £130.

To subscribe call 020 8950 9117 or email subscriptions@fm-world.co.uk – alternatively, you can subscribe online at www.facilitatemagazine.com/about-us/subscribe/ Editorial Advisory Board Simon Ball, market director, Engie UK & Ireland Peter Brogan, research & information manager, BIFM Rob Greenfield, director, Assured Safety & Risk Management Ian Jones, director of facilities, ITV Liz Kentish, managing director, Kentish and Co. Pleun van Deurssen, EMEA regional facilities manager, JLL Anne Lennox Martin, FM consultant Jeremy Waud, chairman, Incentive FM group Jane Wiggins, FM tutor and author

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Average net circulation 14,996 (July 2017 to June 2018)

66

FacilitateMagazine.com / January 2019

facilities to find out how.

FACILITATE IS THE MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTE OF WORKPLACE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT. TO ACCESS THE FULL VERSION EVERY MONTH, JOIN IWFM TODAY. WWW.IWFM.ORG.UK

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