Staying Ahead of the Pack in FM

Quotes:

“…Solving problems and being a liaison between salespeople and operational people that have to deliver solutions is a tremendous role. And you can only do that if you’re a leader and you understand strategically how to navigate an organization, tactically how to navigate an organization, and then fundamentally how you communicate with that organization.” – Randy Olson, (6:41)

“…Some common themes in conversations with facility management…kind of rose to the top that…the speed of change is not slowing down. It’s going fast, and you’ve got to adapt and be able to critically think through that change.” – Randy Olson, (9:06)

“…Anybody can learn how to do the plumbing aspect of [FM] or the lighting, but what’s really valuable to my clients and what I got out of ProFM is…just being able to understand their day-to-day challenges. [It] is helping me become a better partner to them.” – Krystal Vasquez, (13:45)

“…Everybody seeks meaning in their career and meaning to me is these individual stories where folks tell me the impact that [ProFM] had…that makes it all worthwhile.” – Randy Olson, (16:06)

Staying Ahead of the Pack

On this episode of FM Evolution, host Shawn Black was joined by Randy Olson and Krystal Vasquez. Randy is the Vice President of Global Business Development for the ProFM Credential Program, and Krystal Vasquez is the Customer Integration and Support Manager for Chain Store Maintenance who recently earned her ProFM certification. Throughout the episode, Shawn, Randy, and Krystal discussed getting into the FM career, conferences for growth and connection in the industry, and how to stay competitive and successful through credential programs like ProFM.

The Career by Accident

Many people end up in the facilities management industry by accident, and Randy and Krystal are no different. Krystal began her FM career by taking a position that she viewed to be temporary and eventually moved up the rankings to her current role with Chain Store Maintenance. Randy entered the education and credential realm 12 years ago and through his ProFM program has been helping to develop leaders ever since.

Conferences – Opportunities for Growth

“…Some common themes in conversations with facility management…kind of rose to the top that…the speed of change is not slowing down. It’s going fast, and you’ve got to adapt and be able to critically think through that change.” – Randy Olson, (9:06)

Conferences like NFMT and Connex allow people the opportunity to learn and connect to be successful in the industry.

Randy noticed recurring themes arising in conversations at these events. The first was that change is happening fast, and as a result, many have felt uncertainty around adapting to keep up with the changes. Another theme he noticed in conversation was the widening retirement gap in the field. To combat this, companies need to hire for potential and then train their employees to give them the skills they need to be successful and stay in the career, which is where ProFM comes in.

Staying Ahead of the Pack with ProFM

Facility managers have a deep passion for what they do, so a desire to learn and grow follows naturally. ProFM has proven to be a successful avenue for facility managers to be the best they can be. ProFM modules contain information and insight on aspects like business management, human capital, diversity, leadership, communication, and much more. Completing the ProFM credential program has allowed people like Krystal to truly understand and connect with their clients on a deeper level.

“…Anybody can learn how to do the plumbing aspect of [FM] or the lighting, but what’s really valuable to my clients and what I got out of ProFM is…just being able to understand their day-to-day challenges. [It] is helping me become a better partner to them.” Krystal Vasquez, (13:45)

If You Want to Know, You Have to Ask

In an industry with a lot of movement, it’s important to ask for and analyze current data to understand how to retain the people you invest in. A training outlook survey for managers and staff revealed that in order to stay in the FM industry, people want increased compensation and benefits, professional development and training, and the opportunity to advance. When managers and employers offer such things, the staff gets more confident and credible which benefits not only the people advancing but the people they serve as well.