Early in your facilities management career, the word “yes” is your passport. It’s the open door to opportunity, learning and, frankly, survival. Most facility managers don’t start their careers with a clear roadmap, and they’re tossed into the deep end, learning to swim by taking on whatever comes their way. The key to success is to embrace that challenge immediately.
When managers are new, every task no matter how small or seemingly unrelated teaches something valuable. Whether it’s helping a maintenance technician troubleshoot a stubborn HVAC system, sitting in on a vendor meeting or volunteering to coordinate the company picnic, each “yes” adds a tool to a manager’s professional toolkit, and each tool helps shape their reputation. That reputation is that they are willing to get into anything, to learn and to help the overall mission of the organization.
Managers quickly realize that facilities management is a jack-of-all-trades profession that combines operations, project management, budgeting and people skills as well as technical know-how.
But there is more to saying yes than just being agreeable. It’s about the curiosity about each thing a manager agrees to help with and be a part of.
The best facility managers are relentlessly curious, always asking, “How does this work? Why do we do it this way? What happens if we try something different?” This mindset accelerates learning and demonstrates initiative to supervisors and colleagues. That initiative carries into building a reputation and brand, and that reputation carries into opportunity after opportunity. And it all stems from saying yes and being curious.
Of course, there’s a risk to all of this. If managers are not careful, an overpopulated calendar will lead to a serious case of burnout. The key is to say yes, but do it strategically. Managers need to take on new challenges without being afraid to ask questions and seek help.
Early in their careers, managers are not expected to know everything, but they are expected to be willing to learn, and the more they say yes, the more they will discover their likes, their dislikes, what they are good at, and where they want their careers to go. In the end, saying yes becomes a sure win-win situation.
As facility managers progress, they will notice that their “yes” starts to carry more weight. People will seek out their opinion, ask for their help and trust them with more responsibility. At that point, managers can start to be more selective, focusing their energy on projects that align with their strengths and long-term goals. They will have the experience to know which opportunities are right and which ones might stretch them too thin. But they only get to that point by first being open to everything.
In the end, facilities management is about adaptability, resourcefulness and a willingness to dive in headfirst. By embracing the early chaos, saying yes to new experiences and maintaining a spirit of curiosity, managers lay the foundation for a rewarding and dynamic career. The skills, relationships and reputation they build in the early days will serve them well for years to come by transforming every “yes” into a stepping stone toward professional success.
Charles M. Thomas is an operations professional, consultant and writer who has held positions with reputable organizations as a facilities and operations manager, operations manager and technical writer. With 12 years of operations experience working among the research, education, financial planning, legal and public relations industries, Thomas has built and sharpened his skills in general operations, strategic operational planning, project management, human resources management and organizational community relations. Thomas is a mentor to those in the facilities industry and has a passion for helping others. He established LACE Management with the mission to help organizations build their programs from the ground up, enhance their existing programs, and serve as a communicator for a generation of young professionals. His personal mission is to learn all he can while he can from the people who do it best and to be of service to all clients in the best way possible.
