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ProFM: Collaboration

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  • Post last modified:July 8, 2020

Collaboration is one of the five cross-functional competencies (communication, sustainability, quality, innovation, and collaboration) in the ProFM Body of Knowledge. These competencies describe the behaviors, attributes, and underlying knowledge necessary for FM professionals to facilitate the application of core technical knowledge and skills.

Definition: Collaboration involves working together to find ways to achieve multiple parties’ goals simultaneously. It is both a method of resolving conflicts that already exist between parties and an intentional process that parties can decide to adopt as they begin working together.

Collaboration in the workplace is nothing new. However, it is becoming increasingly important for facility management, as facilities continue to include a wide range of new and interconnected systems that require buy-in and awareness for the building to perform as intended.

Facility professionals lead and manage teams of facility staff, contractors, and/or consultants and may lead and manage projects with even more diverse teams. They also often work with other business units and outside organizations. This provides key opportunities for facility managers to partner with multiple stakeholders to ensure project success.

Workplace collaboration means bringing varied talents together, combining different skills and knowledge. Different people working in collaboration as a team complement each other in various areas that can be used to the benefit of the organization.

Collaboration requires:

  • A certain attitude—a belief that one’s own ideas may not be the best solutions, that others have equally valid perceptions and ideas.
  • An ability to listen and problem-solve.
  • Skills in managing and focusing group activities.

As everyone contributes toward certain goals, collaboration with all stakeholders produces the best results and the highest levels of satisfaction among stakeholders.

Key Concepts:

  • Team building skills and model.
  • Elements of successful teams and partnerships.
  • Personality types/roles in teams.
  • Consensus-building tools (nominal group technique, Delphi technique, mind maps).
  • Stakeholder collaboration.
  • Power/interest matrix.
  • Stakeholder prioritization.

Collaboration Proficiency Indicators (Task Statements)

  • Supports a team-oriented organizational culture.
  • Creates and/or participates in project teams made up of FM and non-FM stakeholders.
  • Fosters collaboration and open communication among stakeholders and team members.
  • Builds engaged relationships with team members through trust, task-related support, and direct communication.
  • Fosters a climate that is conducive to successful teams and partnerships.
  • Encourages productive and respectful team discussions, soliciting opinions and feedback from each team member.
  • Promotes the benefits of a diverse team.
  • Establishes partnering agreements to promote collaboration.
  • Facilitates agreement for collaborative efforts using consensus-building tools (e.g., brainstorming, nominal group technique, Delphi technique, mind maps).

 

Image credit: Augusto Ordonez from Pixabay

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