It goes without saying that the facility management world has changed dramatically. Managers sense they must refresh their approach to strengthening and sustaining their organizations by revisiting management tools and techniques to find what works in this new work environment.

Employees feel differently about their jobs since the pandemic and have new perspectives on what their employment means. A recent Gartner survey reiterates that employees are questioning their jobs after working through the changes brought about by the pandemic:

• 65 percent are rethinking the place that work should have in their overall lives;

• 52 percent question the purpose of their day-to-day job; and

• 50 percent changed their expectations towards their employer.

These statistics are supported by facility management professionals. In addition, other pandemic outcomes within the industry have given rise to a significantly higher value placed by staff on the happiness factor associated with their current job, and how it contributes to their overall sense of well-being.

Often overlooked as a critical management activity is the role coaching plays in solidifying the culture of an organization and influencing how engaged staff are in supporting the facility management mission. When coaching is incorporated into the management playbook, organizations are inclined to be more stable and staff are more invested in the organization’s outcomes. Establishing personal relationships between facility management staff and coaches, and the power of the words that are used when coaching interactions take place, have a significant impact on how staff view themselves and their contributions to the organization.

There is an abundance of information about how to develop coaching skills and implement a coaching plan, as well as models for what it takes to be a successful staff coach. So much of the information, however, makes the “art” of coaching overly complicated to the point that it implies it can be a full-time job for a manager. Coaching models range from the “necessary 15 steps to successful coaching” to “the 25 phases of a successful coaching plan.” It is no wonder facility managers shy away from the task of finding coaches and implementing a coaching program.

Over the years, managers have indicated that keeping the role of coaching in their organizations as simple as possible has proven to be the most successful approach. The art of coaching does not have to be a cumbersome chore. As an example, The Peak Performance Center structured the essence of coaching around three concepts that are easy to understand and develop. It is not difficult to grasp the elements of these concepts and formulate a playbook for institutionalizing them into a facility management routine.

• Strong human relations skills;

• Communication skills; and

• Analytical skills