International. The American consultant, Jim Newman, specialized in sustainability in buildings, shared an interesting article related to tips to overcome times of crisis and manage buildings in the best way. Here are his comments:
Spring is supposed to be a time of growth, renewal and hope. Many cultures and religions celebrate sacred feasts, most of which take place communally, with family and friends.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, many of us are observing these special occasions alone or with family and friends, but only virtually.
As we celebrate with social distancing, we can pause to give thanks for what we have and offer immense gratitude to the doctors, nurses, first responders, supermarket workers, maintenance and sanitation workers, and all the other frontline workers who are giving so much of themselves to help others.
A few weeks ago I shared on our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), an article by one of my favorite local speakers and writers, Josh Linkner. He wrote about ants (ANT). Not the kind that is the nightmare of any facility manager or building owner, but automatic negative thoughts as described by psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen.
I thought it would be helpful to relate some of your points directly to what our customers and other followers might be facing right now, even when you have to manage in a totally remote environment. You may encounter more "ANT" than usual as you work to keep operations going, continue to provide the construction services needed for essential businesses, keep workers healthy, and keep looking and planning for the future of where business can be when we can move forward in what will undoubtedly be a new normal.
When you find an ANT, Dr. Amen says, you'll need to recognize it, confront it, and turn it into something more productive. Here are some examples of what that would look like for a building owner or facility manager:
"Always" thinking: This is when you find yourself gravitating to words like, "always, never, no one, everyone, every time, everything." When you hear those words in your head, start changing the thinking to "sometimes," "some people," or "some things." This leaves room to find the positive.
For example, instead of "Every time things go wrong," think or say, "Sometimes things go wrong, but where did they go right?" and have that conversation end positively. Instead of thinking "you can't," try saying "you can." So instead of "We can't do this," think "How can we make that happen?"
Fault: During these times, we may be quick to blame others or external circumstances for our own problems. Remember that there are very few emergencies if you are prepared. It's about "resilience," both for you and your property.
Take this opportunity to examine where you can improve "readiness." Have you updated your construction plan? What could you improve with your operations and maintenance (O&M)? What resources do you need to be more prepared? Try to find allies instead of creating enemies. After all, everyone is working towards the same goal: to have a safe, clean and energy-efficient building.
Focusing on the negative: If you personally haven't experienced this, you probably know someone who has. This is when someone only sees the bad in a situation.
Every situation can have something positive coming from it. It may just be "What can we do to improve the situation?" If you find yourself constantly reacting to problems, think about what you can learn. Studies show that incorporating preventive and even predictive maintenance practices can save thousands of dollars a year.
Divination: Maybe it's a way of trying to take control of a situation that seems uncontrollable, but we can predict the worst possible outcome for a situation.
In building management, you need to think about all possible outcomes. You can spend hours preparing for the worst. After you do that, now take the time to think about what other (better) possible outcomes might exist. Then consider how you and your team can make them happen and make a plan. If that plan includes purchasing new equipment or making improvements to conserve energy, then you should consider accessing PACE (Property Cleaned Clean Energy) financing to help with the costs of energy conservation measures.
I'm not a native Detroiter, but I've been here long enough to feel like one. When the city went through a different dark time, the bankruptcy of 2013, I am reminded of a constant theme that applies even more today: "Hard times don't last, hard people do."
Running a building efficiently and cost-effectively is not a picnic, especially during a crisis. But local, national and international crises will occur that will affect us all. This current situation with COVID-19 will not last forever, and we will come out stronger. Don't let TNAs affect you! Take advantage of this time to better prepare your building, your staff and your best asset: your own mind.
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