They say the deadline is the ultimate inspiration. But for this article, that was not the case. Aimlessly scrolling through LinkedIn – I mean, researching, I came across a post by IFMA which posed the question, What is your BEST tip for facility management? And it clicked. We can all learn from – and inspire – each other. We have some of the best answers in this article. If you said it, we will credit – let us know! Which ones do you love?

This is the crux of facility management. It is the crux of management, period. If you are running the show and cannot communicate what you need, it is impossible to get what you need. What you think, what you want to say, what you actually say, and how the other person interprets it means there are a lot of opportunities for miscommunication along the way. So how can we overcome this FM version of Chinese Whispers?

First, identify the prime communication needs of your particular company. Assuming that you don not scribble on the back of your hand when an employee emails asking for vacation days, there are many options. A weekly, or fortnightly meeting, whether in person or via the video conferencing platforms we have come to love and hate over the last year is a good place to start. Even if there is nothing specific that you as a manager need to communicate, providing an opportunity for your employees and clients to air their voice can be eye-opening.

Showing your employees and customers that you are open to listening helps to build a bridge of trust – which of course, is bidirectional. You get to know those whom you work with on a deeper level and they feel they can open up to you, keeping you in the loop of what is going on. Of course, once the meeting is over, it is important to act on any suggestions and ideas. A fast response is key to building trust, as Karen Stephenson highlights in this article from Strategy+Business.

IFMAs question also evoked some extremely practical responses. David A Mason from Atlanta Marriott Marquis suggested programmed visits to properties Tuesday through Thursday, and leaving Mondays and Fridays open for those unexpected occurrences, which are not elusive as we well know. The great thing about this approach is your reputation. If you are booked up from Monday to Friday, it can seem like you are difficult to get hold of when one of those surprise incidents arises. It is an obvious advantage if you can respond over the weekend saying, I will be there on Monday morning, or Do not worry, it will be done by the end of this week, compared to Umm, ok, I will try and come by when I can.

Treat every day as a new learning day, said Nicholas Solomon on IFMAs replies. This equates to openness and adaptability when things don not go as expected, having sufficient self-awareness and humility to say to yourself, OK, my way is not working as I had hoped, how else can we do this?, can go a long way. As managers, we often feel like everything needs to under control to prove we are worthy of our position, but in fact, being open and able to adapt can be the make or break of a reputable manager.

In a similar vein, Michael Parmele suggested being the new guy from time to time. Work side by side with your team members, and let them tell you how they handle the different aspects of their day-to-day and roll with it. Not only does this give you the fly on the wall insight, but it also allows you to study the hierarchies and dynamics amongst your team members that you may not have otherwise seen from your office.

Key performance indicators KPI and service level agreements SLA should be well adhered to, suggests Hassam Aboualchamat on the LinkedIn post. Having efficient business administration systems in place and actually following through with them also allows you to see where you can improve as well as increasing credibility amongst your employees and clients. It shows you take your business seriously.

A recurring reply was technology. Leveraging the endless benefits that the IoT, organizational Apps, and communication strategies can offer us make our lives immensely easier. There is no shortage of options, either. This article gives us no fewer than 59 Apps to choose from. If this information is overwhelming, start with a shared Google Sheet and take it from there. Your memory will thank you.

As always, a little humor and humanity is necessary. We loved Riza Khans down to earth suggestion of crying into a cup of tea before getting on with your day. We are not only in the business of facility management, we are all in the business of people. And at the end of the day, a little vulnerability shows that side of us that people want to see, associate with and work with.