Leadership and strategy are crucial for facilities management, as it ensures that the facility organization is effectively led and that its operations align with the goals and objectives of the broader organization. A facilities manager with strong leadership and strategy skills is able to lead the facility organization and provide leadership to the entire organization.
Some key aspects of the leadership and strategy competency for facilities management include:
- Leading the facility organization: This includes leading, inspiring, and influencing the facility organization; searching for best practices; managing change; promoting continuous improvement and providing tools; advocating for facility management needs and priorities, developing, implementing, and evaluating policies, procedures, and practices for the facility organization, clarifying and communicating responsibilities and accountabilities, resolving conflicts, and organizing and staffing the facility organization.
- Providing leadership to the entire organization: This includes promoting, encouraging, and adhering to a code of conduct; developing and managing relationships with suppliers, the community, government, tenants, business partners, and occupants; and ensuring compliance with the organization's social responsibility policies.
- Planning strategically: This includes aligning the facility's strategic requirements with the entire organization's requirements, developing and implementing a strategic planning process, and assessing what services are needed to meet the business' goals.
- Develop and manage/oversee relationships: This includes building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders such as suppliers, community, government, tenants, business partners, and occupants.
- Ensure compliance with the organization's social responsibility policies: This includes ensuring that the facility operations are aligned with the organization's commitment to sustainability, diversity, and ethical behavior.
Overall, effective leadership and strategy are essential for a facilities manager to ensure that the facility organization is effectively led and that its operations align with the goals and objectives of the broader organization. Additionally, the ability to lead the facility organization, provide leadership to the entire organization, and plan strategically can help to ensure that the facility is able to meet the needs of its occupants and the broader organization.