Insights and Inspiration

One of my posts on LinkedIn last week gained tens of thousands of impressions, a handful of comments and one serious business enquiry.

My coach said something to me yesterday that made me think:
'1,000 LinkedIn likes can’t beat one real life conversation.'

If FM keeps comparing itself with FM, it will never change.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

We’re very good in our industry at looking sideways.

We're incredibly proud to congratulate our Managing Director, Liz Kentish, on completing an unforgettable fundraising challenge in support of From Me To You, the charity where she serves as a Trustee.

One of the highlights of my year has been having the privilege of being a judge for the 2026 MEFMA Awards of Excellence in FM.

Reading the submissions has reminded me just how much incredible work is happening across our profession. Behind every entry are teams of passionate people making workplaces safer, smarter, more sustainable and better places to be.

One of the more difficult dynamics in outsourced facilities management is this:

The frustration rarely starts with a major failure.

It starts with uncertainty.

From the client side, there’s a growing sense that things are not working as they should. Not necessarily because service levels are collapsing, but because clarity begins to disappear.

Responsibility in most organisations doesn’t transfer in a clean, formal way.

There’s rarely a moment where someone says:

“From now on, this sits with you.”

No clear handover. 

No explicit agreement.

Instead, responsibility moves gradually, through small, practical decisions made in the moment.

In the facilities and workplace sector, benchmarking and insight are no longer ‘nice-to-haves’, they are essential tools for navigating change, engaging stakeholders, and demonstrating value. Kentish and Co, long recognised for expertise in workplace consultancy and culture transformation, also offers a powerful capability that many in the profession may not yet know: market insight work.

Music and change - two forces that move us. As someone who finds rhythm in both, I believe great leadership is like a great song: it stirs emotion, builds momentum, and leaves a lasting impact.

I was recently encouraged to read Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton, and I’m glad I did. (To be honest, it took me a few weeks to even open it.)

We asked the question - and what you told us speaks volumes:

• 45% say there's a strategic thinking skills gap 

• 23% are bogged down by routine tasks 

• 20% lack data and insights 

• Only 13% believe they're already strategic

Why?
Because off-the-shelf programs don’t speak your team’s language.
Employees forget 70% of generic training content in 24 hours.
One-size-fits-all delivers just a 4% performance boost. Bespoke can exceed 20%.
In FM, 75% of leaders say generic training doesn’t prepare teams for rapid change.

If you work in facilities management - client or service partner side - you’ve probably asked (or heard) that question more than once.

We’ve developed a short, focused workshop that clears up the confusion around roles and responsibilities in FM.

If you've ever followed your favourite band - you know what it means to be a true fan. There’s magic in watching something you love light up different stages, experiencing the energy from new crowds, and telling anyone who’ll listen, “You’ve got to see this for yourself.”

Imagine bringing that same energy to your business relationships.

I recently did something bold — I got two tattoos to raise funds for From Me To You, a brilliant charity that encourages people to write letters to those affected by cancer. The idea was simple but powerful: put something permanent on my skin to create a lasting impact for others. The support was overwhelming.

We recently supported a major global FM provider whose internal transformation team had done all the right things:

·         Process reviews

·         Engagement workshops

·         New KPIs

But progress? Minimal.
Frustrations were rising - across the frontline, in the back office, and at board level.

In the fast-paced world of work, where priorities shift quickly, and diaries fill up fast, flexibility is essential. However, there’s a growing trend that can quietly erode trust and productivity in teams: the habit of cancelling meetings at the last minute.

Change fatigue is real – and it's hurting transformation efforts.

In a recent poll on LinkedIn, I asked:
“How does your team typically respond to frequent organisational changes?”

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to lose touch with our professional network. But staying connected, even when you don't need anything, is incredibly valuable.

We've all been there - standing in front of a room, presenting our ideas, and hoping they resonate with the audience. It’s a vulnerable moment, and every presenter/trainer/facilitator (yes even the Kentish and Co Ltd team!) looks for validation, a sign that their message is landing. That’s where you come in.

Lab Operations & Facility Management for Biopharma Summit Europe

In the current climate it couldn’t be more important to have the kind of personal resilience and self-belief that allows you to roll with the times and to overcome set-backs.

When you recruited your people they may have had all the skills, knowledge, behaviours and attitude necessary to do the job – but perhaps over time the job has changed, the people they deal with have changed, expectations of your team have changed or perhaps just being able to do the job is no longer enough?

The Kentish team is facilitating a lot of in-person workshops with clients at the moment, and here are a few of our tips for attendees to help you get the most value, make an impact, and leave feeling inspired.

At least once a week, someone in our network asks for advice about becoming a consultant. I thought it might be useful to share my own 7 key tips for a successful transition

Recently, when asking why they decided not to work with Kentish and Co Ltd, a global client told me, although they know the impact we have in the FM sector, it would be 'too late' to save their relationship with their service provider.

We’re thrilled to announce that Liz will be speaking at the 3rd Lab Operations & Facility Management for Biopharma Summit Europe this March!

Wow, 24hrs of letter writing for World Cancer Day - we made it. And we couldn't have done it without you.

We recently swapped desks for drum kits and deadlines for guitar riffs at WeJam in Camden - a brilliant team day filled with laughter, music, and plenty of creativity!