3 crucial skills to develop if you’d like to transition from office management to facilities management
As an office manager, you’ve mastered the art of taking whatever office life throws your way and rolling with it. But you’re looking for a new way to channel your energy.
When it’s time for a change, office managers often move in one of two directions: Human resources or facilities management. While human resources has a 1:1 line to employee success — such as recruiting, hiring, training, payroll, or benefits — facilities managers serve others by taking a big picture approach.
Facilities management (FM) is often seen as a technical field, responsible for everything from office moves and renovations to HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), security, and waste removal. It helps to be curious about how things work. And it’s an interesting time to make your move with trends like the Internet of Things and big data changing the way these systems work.
At its heart, though, facilities management is about the people. Your decisions can have a direct impact on their productivity, health, stress levels, and overall quality of life. If you think FM might be the right move for you, here’s a look at the skills you already have that will help propel you forward, as well as the ones you should aim to develop.
4 fundamental skills you’ve already mastered
One of the things facilities managers typically say they love about their jobs is that every day is different: Problems to solve, multiple tasks to juggle, and people who need your help.
Sound familiar? Here are some of the qualities that will translate well into your new career.
Adaptability: Whether it’s the challenge of learning something new or the joy of getting your hands dirty, no two days are the same for a facilities manager. From working with a wide range of people, to managing different contracts, to understanding a range or processes, success in FM relies on your ability to keep calm and stay agile.
Reliability: When you’re a stellar office manager, people have confidence in you. In FM, that reliability is mission critical — not just for a good manager, but for the uptime and cost effectiveness of the systems and processes you might be responsible for.
Multi-tasking: The life of a facilities manager is busy and unpredictable. Staying on top of what’s urgent, without dropping what’s important, is a daily scramble. You’ll need to keep your project management skills sharp.
People skills: Connecting with other people is what helps you keep your finger on the pulse of your office and anticipate what might be coming down the pipeline. In FM, being able to listen to, cooperate, negotiate, and communicate well with others won’t just help you get things done. It will also help you make better, more-informed decisions.
3 skills you may need to improve
Educational requirements for facilities managers depend on the position and scope of work, but it typically requires a degree in civil engineering, management, business administration, or a related field. There are also certification programs that focus specifically on facilities management.
To thrive in FM, however, there are some other skills you’ll need to polish. Here are a few examples:
Process management: As an office manager, it’s easy to get stuck in day-to-day minutia and grunt work. Facilities managers need to keep their heads above the weeds, studying and controlling building systems, making sure their continuously improving. With connected devices, big data, and other emerging technology, how this happens is changing.
Leadership and people management: Keeping your overall focus above the fray means sharing your vision with others. As a facilities manager, you may be in charge of a team of other operations professionals or office managers. Strong guidance, effective communication, and trust in your team will all help you keep moving in the same direction.
Continuous learning: It’s critical for facilities managers stay in-the-know about a wide variety of topics including new technology, changing government regulations, emerging health issues, green buildings, and workplace trends. You never know where your attention will be needed next, and you may not always have time to sit back and consider decisions.
Feeling intimidated but intrigued? Learn more by grabbing a ticket to one of the facilities management conferences coming up this year.
