Most companies have a process for reviewing the performance of employees, to gauge whether the individual is meeting the needs of the organization. Maybe it’s worth adding a twist to that end-of-the-year ritual: a beginning-of-the-year review of the organization, to see if it’s meeting the needs of the individual (i.e., you).
Take one common topic for a review: productivity. The question for an individual facility manager isn’t how much the organization produces, but how well it enables the facility staff to be productive by investing in measures like training and new technology.
Another frequent area for evaluation is teamwork. It’s certainly relevant to ask whether the organization includes facility management on the teams planning projects that will affect facilities.
You get the idea.
So what happens if your organization gets a poor review? Facility managers aren’t typically job hoppers, but a poor review doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to polish your resumé.
The best rationale for annual reviews is that they can help to improve performance. If the company you work for receives a “needs improvement” grade in some areas, maybe it’s time to approach your boss with your concerns and see if you can come up with changes that will make things better.
Needless to say, those ideas for change will have a much better chance of being adopted if you can show how they’ll benefit the organization. But the first step, and the real point of my half-serious suggestion for reviews of the organization, is to start the conversation.
If you can get some improvements made, you may enjoy your job a lot more, even if you’re still working at the same place.
Tell me what you think at myfacilitiesnet.com/edsullivan
