A few months ago, my colleague Millie asked me if I was free to attend an event hosted by Women in Facilities Management (WIFM). Curious about the event and to learn more about ABW from a facilities perspective, I attended. I didn’t have any expectations walking in, but upon walking out, I reflected on having found a huge treasure of women (and men!) who were curious, opinionated, and open. This was a community who wanted to share, learn from each other, and most importantly, engage in dialogue.
The hostess in me got to work thinking about how we could bring this community together in our home; our office on Bond Street. A short few emails and calls later, our team got to planning. With nothing else in mind but to bring a community together and foster dialogue around ABW. Over 30 bright and curious minded professionals showed up at our offices on Tuesday for some food, drink, and community building. My intent was to listen... to listen to the stories, the celebrations, and the struggles that the community faced in making an impact on the world of work. And this is what I heard:
There is widespread misunderstanding around what ABW is and is not. This means we need to start with educating ourselves and our leaders about the potential of ABW as a philosophy and what it could mean for the organisation. It is with this education that a greater seed of conversation is planted - a seed for Vision. A clear and compelling vision will inspire the organisation towards a bigger, bolder future. This, will get your people on board.
Facilities Managers widely recognise that “it’s not about the office!” This came through loud and clear, and the ideas of trust and collaboration were key themes that arose from various discussions. Recognising that ABW is a key lever to enable this, how do FMs actually influence this change and bring it about? There were some great stories about breaking down siloes and increased informal collaboration. Still, the big question lingered. If ABW is all about freedom of choice, then how do we create the trust in the workplace, and more importantly, get senior leaders on board with truly embracing this to foster successful cultural change?
Timing is everything. The group agreed that leadership from the top in setting the vision was the critical success factor. However, if the timing isn’t right and the leaders can’t or won’t engage in the dialogue, then the organisation won’t be able to reach its potential. It takes time and patience to build a case for change, and the FM can play a key role in this. Just because it’s not the right time, doesn’t mean it can’t happen in the future. This is the real and honest dialogue that needs to happen before jumping in.
The concept of shared ownership breaks down the traditional way of thinking around who plays what role before, during, and after the move into an ABW environment. FMs recognise that the greatest success is achieved when the business is engaged all throughout the process. This is especially important post move, because the reality is, that is when the real work begins.
FM’s want to think bigger and bolder. They all recognised that there is space to create a bigger picture of the workplace and what that means for their roles now and in the future. Yes, there will always be the day to day....but the evolution of the FM is taking place to become a strategic advisor to senior leaders in how to optimise the workplace. This is a journey and a very real challenge that this community faces to bring those around them along.
In the end...
The evening wrapped up with some shared laughs and final sips of wine. I left energised and ready for our next session, with one word lingering on my mind - potential. It was an evening well spent, and the team is ready to start planning the next session and explore this potential.
Until the next one... keep an eye out for more information coming up on session #2 in November. Feel free to contact any of the team at Veldhoen + Company or Kirsten at changeangels@gmail.com to be kept in the loop.
- Allison
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