FM Pet Peeves – Part 1
IFMA Communication Committee
6/21/22
We all have pet peeves that we experience in our daily, professional lives. Yes, even Facilities Managers, gosh darn it!
And, yes, don’t think that we don’t get together to compare notes!
That is why I am going to change things up and take a break from the COVID diaries that I have regularly written about since Spring of 2020. Why? Well because it finally seems like the pandemic is largely over, judging by the busy NYC streets and commuting trains, as more and more folks return to the office to work.
Yes, let us head into the post-COVID world and having a little fun at others’ expense, shall we? While these pet peeves being discussed are real and have happened in the professional lives of many FMs, this article is ultimately written in complete and utter jest! My goal is not to shock, offend, upset, rattle or anger anyone with these writings; instead, my aim is to make you at least smile, heck maybe even laugh, giving you a little taste of what some of YOU do that makes facilities managers’ roll their eyes and sigh (and maybe even curse under their breath) while they, like you, juggle multiple tasks throughout their average, chaotic workdays!
Access Badges
Let’s ease into this gingerly with a simple topic that, like anything else, can become unnecessarily complicated. As many are aware, your friendly neighborhood Facilities Management Team usually manages all aspects of physical security — including the installation and maintenance of security equipment and systems, right down to the issuance of building/space badges. The entire process behind access badges, while seemingly simple on the surface (allowing space access based on role), is usually mandated by written protocols and procedures and involves coordination with other key players (building security, third-party security vendors, internal teams like HR/IT, etc.). In the end, a Facilities Manager’s goal is to have all proper and approved employees enjoying unfettered access to the building/workspace as quick as humanly possible. Trust us, we want you to have access in and out of the building/space and to its tools and amenities so you can experience a positive, productive workday.
But sometimes things happen. The badge printer is out of order, yes, even out of ink sometimes. Blank badges are on backorder. The one employee who knows how to make badges is out sick or, yes, even on PTO. Even with proper programming, badges sometimes still do not work, and some trouble shooting needs to take place, even a replacement badge is required. The reasons for delays in the issuance of badges are endless, and we can personally and professionally attest that we have seen everything — until something happens, then we have not!
But it doesn’t help matters much that, even with these legitimate excuses, you will always have those employees constantly asking where their badges are. We have more than our fair share of colleagues “follow up” via email, even stopping by our desk/office numerous times throughout the business day. We even had employees drop guilt trips on me (“I cant get into to the office to get my work done without this badge”; “it is urgent I get it”; etc.).
Again, Facilities Managers have no reason whatsoever to just hold onto your badge, and we sincerely want to deliver them to their recipients ASAP, partly to avoid being constantly asked. Theories do float about in the Facilities Management world that this constant badgering for badges seems to come from a place far beyond access, almost like a validation of one’s existence comes with an active badge. Remember, Facilities are part-time psychotherapists too!
So, please, we do understand and we do appreciate your patience as we earnestly try to deliver your access badge to you as soon as possible, regardless of the numerous times that you asked; it never speeds up the process and only causes frustration and psychotherapeutic evaluations!
Desk Moves
Another hot topic among FMs. Sometimes it seems as if employees think their Facilities Teams get bored and start moving employees or teams around the office just for the heck of it or to justify their paycheck. The reality is 99% of moves often evolve and are ultimately approved by upper management after a thorough analysis of space and workplace efficiencies/deficiencies, to name just a few factors. If an employee/team comes directly to Facilities seeking to relocate, we will go directly to their management for approval or ask for written approval from them before proceeding. Hence, no desk move is done blindly and haphazardly, and often intense planning goes into each one and involves other internal teams, such as HR, IT, etc.
Again, most moves start and are approved from above and the directive is given to Facilities to proceed, especially with large, multi-phase moves. You can complain to Facilities all you want until the cows come home, but, again, it isn’t us that made the final decision. That is why a company-wide email blast goes out from Executive Management when large moves occur. If you read in between the lines of these communications, management is basically telling all employees “we approve this move plan and support facilities to carry it out, so shhhhh.” Yet, even despite these executive-level communications, there were numerous occasions in our long, corporate, FM careers where we had to tell many complaining employees to address their grievances to the CEO of our company because they made the final decision. A majority of the time, the whining stopped dead in its tracks once this epiphany sinks in.
Again, planning goes into these moves, right down to the date and time of them, so if you want to make any changes, go to the primary administrator of these relocations. One major desk-move pet peeve that irks FMs to no end usually occurs like this: a plan is made between all involved parties to move X amount of employees on Thursday at 3 p.m. (FYI, later-afternoon moves prove better because they don’t negatively impact operations during the busy workday). Thursday arrives but, instead of going to Facilities, moving employees go to IT and request them to move their computer hardware, monitors, etc., earlier, say at 1 p.m. Why? Take your pick – impatient to move to their new location, moving employees want to leave early, etc. Then, the IT Team doesn’t bother to notify Facilities on these change of plans either and proceeds to move said items for the employees.
After the employees land in their new seating location, they usually realize that all their personal items (desktop stuff, files, etc.) did not follow them, so THEN they send an email to the Facilities Team requesting (read: complaining) to move their desk items ASAP, ultimately making it look like the Facilities Team dropped the ball even though the employees weren’t scheduled to move until 3 p.m.! Uggh, even the thought of it…
You smiling/laughing yet? We hope so because more FM pet peeves to come! Heck, maybe even future articles of pet peeves employees have toward their Facilities Team!
Paul Haley, CFM, FMP, Facilities Manager at EHE Health, Professional Development Committee Member/ CFM Certified Instructor Candidate, Communications Committee Member
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