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Back to Facility Manager
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How a facility functions, no matter what the size, depends heavily on the
staff, or “team,” assembled to manage the various facets involved in staging
an event. Housekeeping, security, crowd management, food and beverage, parking — and the list goes on — all depend on each group supporting the event collectively, leaving guests fulfilled and eager to return in the future. To reach guests in such a manner, each entity must realize the importance of each other’s responsibilities and contributions. Much the way an athletic team counts on contributions from associated positions to execute plays successfully, so too must a facility team have responsible contributors who have practiced their “plays” to execute seamlessly in coordination. One missed assignment at a concession stand, or a parking lot “fumble,” can affect the facility’s overall performance, leaving the facility on the defensive in the minds of a few guests — or hundreds of them. Commitment Successful athletic teams have as a foundation a commitment to each member, players to players, coaches to players, players to coaches and coaches to coaches. Knowing that each coach and each player is committed to preparation and game planning is key. On the other side of the coin, knowing what you know and knowing what you don’t know — or admitting deficiencies — to become better as a team player is vital if individuals or groups wish to improve. Improvement will require leaving egos at the door. It most definitely will require teammates supporting others through an event. The same is true in building your facility team. Surrounding yourself with solid role players who are willing to learn or adapt to an environment, new technologies or strategy will make the facility team stronger and more capable of pulling off even the most challenging events. Within commitment is perhaps the most important fundamental — one that turns professional boundaries into seamless, transparent operations, where each entity is accountable to the other. When an operation and the contributors are working together as one, team spirit is born within responsibility to teammates or groups.  Respect A famous quote holds that you can accomplish anything, as long as you don’t care who gets the credit. It’s easy to bask in the glory of a great event or accomplishment as a manager or supervisor. It’s important to recognize and give credit to your front-line employees. Effective managers shower praise on team members who work hard behind the scenes, quietly and efficiently. As crunch time approaches, you find the frontlines executing plays: “Here’s what we have to do. This is what my job is. I have to make sure I take care of the details. I can’t worry about what the others next to me are doing. I have confidence that they’ll do what they’re supposed to do.” If your facility teams can begin an event with such respect and confidence in each other, as free as possible of ego or worries, your guests will receive the attention they deserve — not to mention that in the end, your facility as a whole will receive the credit. You as the manager can stand out in front and say, “We played an excellent game.” Leader/Coach/Ship Captain Imagine your facility as an iceberg. You — as a director, coach or captain — can only see the small portion above the water’s surface. No one in authority can be everywhere and see everything, yet every facility’s success is impacted by what employees do when the manager is not around. When wise leaders recognize how much of the iceberg can’t be perceived, they hire self-motivated employees; foster organizational buy-in to an overarching philosophy and vision; and cultivate enthusiasm and excitement for the facility’s work and success. Many athletes think of themselves as playing a particular position. Great athletes contribute to their team’s success in any way possible. They don’t think special teams are beneath them. They want to get onto the field on every play, and they want to make a difference in the game’s outcome. They take pride in contributing, not in performing a specific role. They take pride in winning, not in inflating their personal stats by taking “heads-I-win-tailsmy-team-loses” gambles that either make them look great or hurt their team. A perfect example of the team approach is a byproduct of the Disney philosophy: “Everyone is in charge of trash. ” This is a seamless, transparent devotion by employees, who don’t allow trash to be seen anywhere on the Disney grounds. Egos aren’t involved, and no one is credited, yet attendees hardly notice. Score a touchdown for the facility. Developing the Standard of Performance Everyone has a critical timeframe to accomplish specific employee training. It’s important then to bring the attention to detail and structuring of facility objectives to the forefront. 
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©
2002-2007
International Association of Assembly Managers635 Fritz Dr. |