Facilities management, like any field, is made up of different levels of performers from the best-of-the-best down to the slackers. Because of this, facility managers will have to switch up their management styles to address each employee individually. Then, when approaching the top performers, facility managers will want to understand what motivates them so they can be rewarded accordingly.
These topics and more will be covered in the session “Leadership & Supervision”, hosted by Andy Gager, chief executive officer at AMG International Consulting. This session and others will be featured at NFMT Remix 2024 in Las Vegas from October 29 to 30.
FacilitiesNet: How can supervisors effectively tailor their leadership approaches to address the different needs of individuals within a team?
Andy Gager: Based on my experience, I break it down into 20, 40, 30 and 10 percenters. Every organization has the top 20 percenters, those are the superstars. I mean, you can just look at them and boom, they can take off and they know exactly what to do. Then there’s the next group, the 40 percenters, which they're rock solid. They come in and they do quality work, they're dependable. The next group down, which is about 30 percent, may be brand new to the organization and facilities maintenance, but they have potential.
Then every organization has the 10 percenter, the bottom feeders. There's at least one individual in the group that every fiber in their body is negative. A lot of times those negative 10 percenters carry a big stick, and they can be the negative influencers in the group. The unfortunate thing is, as supervisors or managers, we spend most of our time with that group for one reason or another.
Maybe we can convert them to a 40 percenter, but they'll never be a 20 percenter. However, in their own mind, they are 20 percenters. Again, as I always say this, you could debate with my percentages, but I’m darn close.
So, the question is, how do we tailor our leadership style or management style? Firstly, I must understand where do these individuals fall? Which group do they fall into: the 20’s, 40’s, 30’s or 10’s? Once I understand where I believe those individuals are, then I can start tailoring my style depending on where the individuals fall within those buckets.
We don't supervise a 20 percenter —I'm more of a consultant with those individuals. Now if you move down to the 40 percenters, there we’re more of a coach. Again, we help them out and we can coach them until they get it and understand it. With the 30 percenters, we are going to become teachers to them. We're going to become teachers because our goal is to move those 30 percenters up to the 40 percenter range or maybe even the 20 percenters.
Then when I get down to the bottom feeders, the 10 percenters, I'm now going to be a heavy hand supervisor. Our role there would be to document these individuals in order to remove them from the rest of the group.
So again, how do we tell our style? First, we must understand what motivates each individual when we get into 20, 40, 30 and 10. There is not one silver bullet that motivates everybody. It's almost a two-pronged attack for how we tailor our style.
FacilitiesNet: What strategies can facility managers implement to ensure that top performers are appropriately recognized and rewarded, particularly during critical situations?
Gager: It's every industry in the world that is really struggling to find skilled and competent resources. Then once we do find those individuals, now the challenge is retaining them. There’s a saying out there — people don't quit the company, they quit their managers. Which, to be honest with you, I believe that 100 percent. However, the concern is not only finding and hiring skilled technicians, but how to retain them. Too many managers believe that money is what's going to motivate our employees — that's not true.
As a matter of fact, years ago, I wrote an article on this based on some research from Forbes, and out of 10, money was ranked lower as to what motivates an employee. So, when we're talking about keeping our top performers, managers need to understand money is not the motivating factor to keep top performers.
Money is a short-term stimulator. If I give you a raise today, what are you going to be looking for three to six months down the road? You're going to be looking for more money. Money is a short-term stimulator for employees to do a better job, but that's only short term because down the road they're going to be looking for more money.
The true motivators are being treated well, being respected, having a career path and having a sense of contribution. However, the number one motivator that that employees want is trust. Do I trust my manager to have my back? That's how we retain top performers in all those things I just talked about — that's what keeps and retains employees.
To learn more about tailoring management styles and rewarding top performers, be sure to check out Gager’s session at NFMT Remix 2024 this October. Register for Remix here.
Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor for the facilities market.
