Do maintenance and engineering managers truly fear the unknown?
While sitting in on an educational session at the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo last month in Chicago, a presenter talked about managers who resist benchmarking energy use because they are scared of the results and the way those statistics would reflect on their department and staff. They fear the unknown.
I understand the presenter's point, but I also think, "What do managers really have to be scared of?"
Consider the challenges managers have faced in the last few years. Thanks in large part to the recession, managers have redefined the mantra of doing more with less. A renewed focus on existing buildings has created pressure on managers and their staffs to identify low-cost measures that reduce energy use and lower utility costs. And the green building movement has introduced managers to new products, concepts and ideas with which they have little experience.
Despite these potential pitfalls, managers have not flinched. In fact, they have become more dynamic leaders for having dealt with some of the most grueling times the maintenance and engineering profession has ever seen. However, the tough times are not over. The challenges — anticipated or unexpected — will keep coming.
So, do managers fear the unknown? If the answer is yes, looking at their own performances would help calm their nerves. Regardless of the difficulties ahead, managers can use their track records as proof that any challenge — or fear — is surmountable.
Chris Matt offers insights gleaned from conversations with managers who make key maintenance and engineering decisions in commercial and institutional facilities.
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