Fcra registration
Should Safety and health Consultants Be Registered to Protect Innocent Clients From Incompetence?
Fcra
Maybe this is a proposal that needs to be extended to the FM world. Just about everyone has witnessed in the course of our careers 'consultants' running million-pound FM tender projects, yet struggling to assembled an intelligent cost submission spreadsheet.
Fcra registration
Whilst my initial reaction to the first health & safety proposal was moderately positive, a sense deep down reminded me a good professional consultants build their image on solid referrals from existing clients and, as such, may possibly visit a new registration scheme as a possible unwanted additional cost both in time (administrative investment) and finance (undoubtedly certainly will not be free).
There is a comparison to make using the idea of 'continuous professional development' as CPD schemes run by most suitable membership organisations. I really could produce a f/t administrative position in order to complete and update CPD logs using the various bodies our directors, consultants and trainers are part of (IoD, CMI, IOSH, BIFM, CIEH, etc...). The truth is that to acquire continuous positive referrals from clients, a real professional keeps his/her professional development up-to-date and never have to log it anywhere. I greatly consider my background with both existing and past customers as my 'live' evidence log of CPD and honestly think that potential new clients wish to talk to them rather than to test my (non-existent) CPD logs with the BIFM or even the IoD.
My fear is always that a similar principle could very well connect with the proposed consultants register. Taking this thought further to organisational level, quite a few larger FM providers operate to ISO and OHSAS standards without studying the process of accreditation and the accompanying paper mountain (or electronic data mountain on this sustainable marketplace of ours). While others possess every certification going and when you audit them on an operational site, incriminating evidence is sadly lacking.
Thinking about these issues brought to mind a book I just read come july 1st: The rate of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey Junior (his dad wrote the famous 7 Habits book). Covey Junior produces a strong and tangible case to treat trust being a real cost saver, as opposed to just a soft issue. He suggests an analogy using a tree, illustrating that trust is only able to be achieved when the four elements of integrity, intention, competence and results are present all at once. The lacking of one element can be sufficient to get rid of any existing trust.
When I look back at a number of the FM projects where our independent assistance was sought in improving relationships between clients and suppliers (or partners), this whole concept comes to life.
Trust is most beneficial tagged by the next five words:
Passion: both sides have to be excited about which makes it work
Belief: each party must belief that it'll work
Honesty: both sides must ignore the 'porky pies' approach to issues or problems
Humility: both parties must be adult enough to admit mistakes and shortcomings
Focus: both sides should be fully committed and centered on experienceing this joint goal of success.
These automatically lead to an goal of continuous improvement, relentlessly attempting to better what has been achieved before. After Two-and-a-half decades running a business I realise that here is the best way to produce a trustworthy reputation. However these intentions alone won't achieve trust, because they must be underpinned by amounts of competence on sides: an intelligent FM client along with competent FM suppliers who sign up for achieving an honest profit through spending a substantial percentage of it on developing their management and staff.
I want to illustrate this having an example. In a recent discussion on quality and customer service, somebody sang the praises of Sandals, the business offering exotic holidays, by stressing one reason their staff are so focused and professional - a consistent 12 weeks/year training & development programme (this is a full A few months!). Which is a great instance of integrity and intention supported with achieved competence and results. On the other hand, I visited an FM operation on-site a year ago that was into its fourth year of your TFM contract and 'in trouble'. Whilst honest, friendly and full of good intentions (full marks for integrity and intention), the resident FM representing the contractor admitted not to having had a day's practicing the last 3 years and, consequently, was experiencing the requirements of her more informed client.
Fcra
Maybe this is a proposal that needs to be extended to the FM world. Just about everyone has witnessed in the course of our careers 'consultants' running million-pound FM tender projects, yet struggling to assembled an intelligent cost submission spreadsheet.
Fcra registration
Whilst my initial reaction to the first health & safety proposal was moderately positive, a sense deep down reminded me a good professional consultants build their image on solid referrals from existing clients and, as such, may possibly visit a new registration scheme as a possible unwanted additional cost both in time (administrative investment) and finance (undoubtedly certainly will not be free).
There is a comparison to make using the idea of 'continuous professional development' as CPD schemes run by most suitable membership organisations. I really could produce a f/t administrative position in order to complete and update CPD logs using the various bodies our directors, consultants and trainers are part of (IoD, CMI, IOSH, BIFM, CIEH, etc...). The truth is that to acquire continuous positive referrals from clients, a real professional keeps his/her professional development up-to-date and never have to log it anywhere. I greatly consider my background with both existing and past customers as my 'live' evidence log of CPD and honestly think that potential new clients wish to talk to them rather than to test my (non-existent) CPD logs with the BIFM or even the IoD.
My fear is always that a similar principle could very well connect with the proposed consultants register. Taking this thought further to organisational level, quite a few larger FM providers operate to ISO and OHSAS standards without studying the process of accreditation and the accompanying paper mountain (or electronic data mountain on this sustainable marketplace of ours). While others possess every certification going and when you audit them on an operational site, incriminating evidence is sadly lacking.
Thinking about these issues brought to mind a book I just read come july 1st: The rate of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey Junior (his dad wrote the famous 7 Habits book). Covey Junior produces a strong and tangible case to treat trust being a real cost saver, as opposed to just a soft issue. He suggests an analogy using a tree, illustrating that trust is only able to be achieved when the four elements of integrity, intention, competence and results are present all at once. The lacking of one element can be sufficient to get rid of any existing trust.
When I look back at a number of the FM projects where our independent assistance was sought in improving relationships between clients and suppliers (or partners), this whole concept comes to life.
Trust is most beneficial tagged by the next five words:
Passion: both sides have to be excited about which makes it work
Belief: each party must belief that it'll work
Honesty: both sides must ignore the 'porky pies' approach to issues or problems
Humility: both parties must be adult enough to admit mistakes and shortcomings
Focus: both sides should be fully committed and centered on experienceing this joint goal of success.
These automatically lead to an goal of continuous improvement, relentlessly attempting to better what has been achieved before. After Two-and-a-half decades running a business I realise that here is the best way to produce a trustworthy reputation. However these intentions alone won't achieve trust, because they must be underpinned by amounts of competence on sides: an intelligent FM client along with competent FM suppliers who sign up for achieving an honest profit through spending a substantial percentage of it on developing their management and staff.
I want to illustrate this having an example. In a recent discussion on quality and customer service, somebody sang the praises of Sandals, the business offering exotic holidays, by stressing one reason their staff are so focused and professional - a consistent 12 weeks/year training & development programme (this is a full A few months!). Which is a great instance of integrity and intention supported with achieved competence and results. On the other hand, I visited an FM operation on-site a year ago that was into its fourth year of your TFM contract and 'in trouble'. Whilst honest, friendly and full of good intentions (full marks for integrity and intention), the resident FM representing the contractor admitted not to having had a day's practicing the last 3 years and, consequently, was experiencing the requirements of her more informed client.