Competence counts

What should the characteristics of an office building manager be?
Facility managers should have a great deal of flexibility and openness in their approach to the various issues they come across. The property market is dynamic and you need to focus on self-improvement and gain new experience. Thus good facility managers have to continually increase their competence by taking professional courses and attending training sessions. The trade press is also very helpful, as it provides new information on the real estate sector. A manager should be knowledgeable about all the legal, accounting and technical issues. Even if they do not deal with these matters personally and have designated specialists, they should have a basic knowledge of these fields. The work of a facility manager consists in responding to all kinds of requests from the tenants and the building owner. So broad competence and versatility are of key importance in this profession.

What is most important aspect for you in this work?
The most important thing in my work is effective and smooth communication – both with tenants and individual service suppliers. Good long-term relations allow me to manage the property efficiently even in problematic situations. Besides the various forms of communication available, it is important to build direct relations. In my case, I had the advantage that the tenants gradually moved into the building that I manage. Our cooperation was a success from the technical acceptance stage for the individual units.

What problems does an office building manager have to face?
The manager’s key tasks include ensuring that the technical systems in the building operate property and to prevent failures. Still, if this does take place, a manager must be prepared to react competently – regardless of whether it happens when the majority of the staff are in the building or in the middle of the night at the weekend. An office building manager must reconcile the expectations of the lessor and the tenants. In the case of a complex of several buildings, the contentious issues include tenants’ hopes of claiming the communal area, e.g. for marketing purposes. Managers have to maintain the cohesion of the decor of these places. Because of this their responsibilities also include the supervision of the fit-out work in new areas. The everyday work also involves coordinating deliveries to individual offices and their swift organisation so that they do not hinder other tenants’ work. It needs emphasising that a commercial building is also an investment product. The manager’s basic tasks include maintaining and increasing the building’s value.

What gives you most satisfaction in your work?
The tenants’ contentment with the financial terms (lower fees resulting from activities aimed at the reduction of the building service costs, e.g. the consumption of utilities). And a friendly working environment.

How does does it feel to be chosen for this honour?
This is a special award because it expresses their recognition of the manager’s work in a direct way. However, the distinction has been earned by the entire Cushman & Wakefield team working on the Katowice Business Point project.