Archive
but in the end nobody did it
We all know the lines about everybody knowing that somebody would do it, but in the end nobody did it; it’s a little off pat, but rings nicely true and it sums up one of the basic issues of leadership that is often overlooked (see foot of blog for the full story). Read more…
Musings from the facilities front #2
Service Level Agreements; where would we be without them? A lot better off in the case of most of those that I have inherited and I would like to tear them all up. Read more…
Knowing the other party
After my last blog I took some stick from a colleague over my using the term “Know your enemy” in the context of colleagues. In this PC world maybe they have a point, for the phrase as used more than forty years ago was one that we all, at the time, applied a different meaning to. So here I am going to change it to “Knowing the other party” which is more neutral. Last week I was talking about site visits in general and one that we had coming up in particular and I want to carry on that theme to consider things from both the view of the host and their visitor. Read more…
“Prato” and the Site Visit
One of my tenants has a VIP visit coming up and they are looking to create the best impression that they can. Much depends on their own efforts of course, but as the FM team for the site my colleagues and I can make our contribution. The question is how far do we go to help? There is a service level agreement in place so we could just do what we are contracted to do, but I am not comfortable with that route because there is a time to do what you need to and there is a time when you do it right. Read more…
on the pros and cons of protégés
I mused here last week on succession planning and one part of that is the possibility of having a protégé. It is a complex relationship, almost a partnership, and can be very beneficial when it works well. Certainly I have had the delight of seeing a number of people that I have taken under my wing go on to do well in their careers. Read more…
the importance of Succession Planning
Independent types like me are often called in to cover for someone who has just left an organisation. They want someone to come in as interim cover while they recruit a permanent replacement and one of the phrases that comes in almost all of those conversations is that they need someone to “hit the ground running” because they do not have anyone on their team who can do that. Read more…
We have a plan! OK, but is that all you’ve got?
“I thought you were right handed”. My friend had just watched me latch a gate, close a hasp and lock a padlock with my left hand as we locked up the shed and retired out of the rain. Our planned day working in the garden was being curtailed by one of the squalls sweeping across Wiltshire and thus demonstrating the first of my topics here; we knew that the weather was unreliable and had a back-up plan. Read more…
more musings on measuring stuff
Measuring performance is important. It doesn’t matter whether you are measuring it at individual, team or organisation levels or that of pieces of equipment or infrastructure, you need to know how well things are working. Read more…
can you learn leadership?
Can leadership be taught? I believe that it can and to a good standard, but it is another question as to whether someone who learns how to lead can become a great leader. Read more…
holiday humour – FM the way it was
It’s another public holiday and so another amusing story is due. This one is a true story; it recalls events from over thirty years ago and it wasn’t too funny at the time because back then I was taking myself a little too seriously, but it was one of the things that made me see that flaw and do something about it. Read more…
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the Monday Musings column from that consultant bloke 