Facility management as an industry is still largely a man's world. The average facility manager is white, somewhere in the mid 50s, and male. But women in facilities management have been steadily increasing in number over the years, and such strategies as networking, platform-building, and finding a mentor can help them build this number.
In the overall commercial real estate market, which includes the asset, property, and facility management sector, women comprised 43 percent of commercial real estate professionals in the United States, according to a 2010 CREW Network survey. And women are rising through the ranks of leadership — to a point. For example, in the CREW Network survey, of respondents who reached the C-suite 9 percent were women, compared to 22 percent men.
As the average facility manager, along with the majority of the Baby Boomers, is poised to retire in the next ten years or so, a wealth of opportunities exist for women to move in ever greater numbers into leadership positions in the industry. This upward movement, however, is not inevitable nor automatic and will require strategy, smart planning, and more than a little bit of moving outside of personal comfort zones for the people who want to make that possibility a reality.
What follows is the insight provided by women in the field who have been there, done that. They discuss what women, men, and their managers should be doing now to prepare the next wave of industry leaders.
Across the board, when asked what women should be doing to advance their careers, the top-of-mind strategies were networking, finding a mentor, and working with a sponsor. These terms are often repeated in the industry and can feel like they mean almost the same thing, but there are important differences.
Networking is more than just meeting up for drinks. It's building a cadre of peers that can serve as a sounding board, help troubleshoot issues, and keep an eye out for new opportunities.
"That's the way to make connections, that's the way to grow, in this profession," says Alana Dunoff, consultant, AFD Facility Planning, and associate adjunct faculty at Temple University. "Whether it's BOMA, or IFMA, or COREnet, or CREW — there's so many different associations. But stay connected and find your place, because you have no idea what that network will bring you in the long run."
These organizations can also be used as platforms for establishing oneself as a subject matter expert, by running a chapter, presenting at a conference, or serving on a committee.
Within the network, a facility manager will likely find a mentor, though this individual does not necessarily have to be in the same field. Some companies have formal mentor/mentee programs, but these at times can be artificial relationships and not provide the desired results. The goal is to identify someone with whom you have a natural affinity, who can serve as a sounding board and guidepost in a collegial relationship.
Networking, Platform, Mentors Can Boost Women in Facility Management
Sponsors, Career Strategy Can Help Women in Facility Management
Core Values, Communication Also Important in Advancing Women in Facility Management
Women in Facility Management: Role of Mentors, Sponsors, Gender-Based Assumptions
Women in Facility Management: To Grow Careers, Avoid Self-Defeating Attitudes and Take Charge
Career Tips for Women in Facility Management: Don't Overstay; Build Credentials
