On 6 July 2005, we knew that London would be hosting the 2012 Olympic games. I remember being in the car in Brentwood, Essex, with my husband when the news was announced, and I punched the air with a loud ‘Yes!’.
This week marks the one year countdown, and look how far we’ve come! As with the games themselves, making it happen has taken dedication, clear goals, deadlines, and most of all, teamwork.
I think the role of LOCOG is similar to that of a facilities management team – co-ordinating a myriad of functions – construction, transport, ticketing, acommodation, tourism – and at the same time building and maintaining a profile (or brand) that all stakeholders will recognise.
What can you and your team learn from the preparation for the 2012 Olympics? I’d imagine you are pretty good at delivering services, working effectively with suppliers and clients. But what about the profile of FM? Are you a bit like LOCOG with their ticketing? Do people only talk about the FM team when things go wrong?
Here are my seven steps for raising the profile of your FM team:
1. Understand the strategic value of your FM service
2. Understand your organization’s strategy and business objectives
3. Align FM to these objectives
4. Gather evidence – performance data that tells your story
5. Create a ‘one team approach’ with your service partners
6. Know your audience
7. Use a common language to communicate
If you’d like a copy of my full white paper on the seven steps, please drop me a line.
To find out more about us, contact Liz Kentish, The FM Coach on Tel: 01778 561326 / 07717 870777 or email: coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk