Women in Facilities on Proactive Leadership, Safety, and Driving Results

This special episode is a celebration of the incredible women making a significant impact in the facilities management industry. We hear directly from female leaders who are shaping the future of the field with a core philosophy that leadership is about people, not just buildings. These experts share their experiences managing vast, multi-campus institutions by acting as a "conductor" for diverse departments like procurement, risk management, and capital planning. They offer a masterclass in building positive team culture through bold strategies like the "no assholes rule," which prioritizes humility and team cohesion over raw technical skill. The conversation highlights their innovative approaches to talent management, effective change implementation, and fostering a proactive, hospitality-minded service culture. Listeners will also gain invaluable insights into their expert handling of technical and safety challenges, from using causal analysis for incident investigation to leveraging data through custom "control towers" and improving processes with accessible technology like mobile ticketing and QR code audits. Takeaways:Prioritize Team Cohesion with the "No Assholes Rule." When building a team, remember that technical skills can always be taught, but it is very difficult to train for humility. Do not keep a highly skilled but disruptive individual on staff if they undermine the team's cohesion, as it is not worth the negative impact.Implement the "30-Day Rule" for Change Management. When introducing a change that may be met with resistance, such as new office furniture or different coffee, communicate to your team that the change will be in place for 30 days before any requests for reversal are considered. This forces a trial period and allows people time to adapt, often reducing initial complaints.Use the "Five by Five" Exercise to Understand Team Dynamics. To improve communication and avoid "drama," conduct an exercise where you ask your direct reports a series of questions about their work preferences (e.g., "Do you prefer a plan or to just go?"). Post each person's preferences on their cube wall so colleagues know the best way to approach them, such as scheduling a meeting versus having a spur-of-the-moment conversation.Adopt Causal Analysis Over Root Cause Analysis. For incident investigations, shift focus from finding a single "root cause" to understanding all the causal factors involved. Major incidents are rarely due to one failure but rather a series of breakdowns where all the "holes in the Swiss cheese" line up. This approach involves identifying each failure in the timeline and creating a specific defense mechanism for each one to prevent recurrence."Inspect What You Expect" with a Control Tower. Create a "control tower" to get a daily snapshot of your most critical operations. This system, which can be built simply in a spreadsheet, should automatically flag exceptions, such as when vendor costs exceed a set variance or if a data feed fails overnight. This allows you to manage by exception rather than digging through raw data daily.Leverage QR Codes for Simplified Auditing. To track trending issues in real-time, create focused audits with 3-5 questions and link them to a QR code. Place these QR codes around the facility for staff and even visiting executive leadership to scan with their phones. This makes providing feedback seamless and brings in "fresh eyes" that can identify problems you might overlook.Build Your Professional Network Before You Need It. Proactively build relationships with vendors, mentors, and peers in the industry. Don't wait until you have an urgent problem to reach out. Having a strong network already in place allows you to leverage those connections for advice, guidance, or services when the need arises.Quote of the Show:"Whenever you have a major incident, it's almost always the Swiss cheese model. It's not one thing that occurred, but it's a breakdown of an entire system and all of those holes in that cheese lining up."Links:Katie HuardLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-huard-081584190/ Website: https://blountfinefoods.com/ Tatyana Blankenship LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatyanablankenship/ Website: https://www.416group.org/ Kimberley DoughertyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-dougherty-190b686/ Website: https://www.cbre.com/services/transform-business-outcomes/lab-services Gretchen CatlinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-catlin-29311149/ Website: https://www.maine.edu/ Agata GojzewskaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agata-gojzewska-cfm-345331a4/ Website: https://www.cbre.com/ Emily Giannola LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-giannola-m-s-79958927/ Website: https://www.tecomet.com/