Facilities managers do much more than ensure the smooth operation of their buildings. In fact, FMs are partially responsible for creating productive work environments for the people in the facility.
We’ve looked at how factors such as smart lighting, temperature and noise control can impact employee health and productivity. For FMs thinking a few steps ahead of everyone else, tips from productivity experts can shed light on possible aspects which they can address to improve the work environment even more.
In John Brandon’s list of 30 productivity tips at Inc., for example, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of business productivity firm Herrmann International, talks about distractions at work and how multitasking can hamper productivity. “We know that the brain is not a parallel processor,” she writes. “In other words, it can only do one thing at a time well. To be more productive, shut down the sources of distraction.”
While Herrmann-Nehdi is actually referring to texting or emailing while in a meeting or trying to talk to someone, a facilities manager can be responsive to other sources of potential distractions. When an FM sees, for instance, that heavy foot traffic in a pathway is a possible disruption to occupants doing their jobs well, she can make a proactive change.
For more quick tips and practical advice, we’ve compiled a list of 50 workplace productivity experts on Twitter. Thinking outside the box and implementing just a few of the actions these professionals suggest might make a real difference to a facility’s work environment, its employee productivity and possibly the company’s bottom line.
- Laura Stack, @laurastack
- Julie Morgenstern, @JulieMorgenstrn
- Fred de Villamil, @fdevillamil
- Lisa Kardos, Ph.D., @lisakardos
- Alexandra Cavoulacos, @acav
- Think Productive, @thinkproductive
- Meggin McIntosh, @MegginMcIntosh
- Craig Jarrow, @TMNinja
- Jill E. Duffy, @jilleduffy
- Peter Bjellerup, @thesocialswede
- Adrian Thompkins, @adrianthompkins
- Enyo Kumahor, @enyok
- Michael Sliwinski, @MSliwinski
- Kathryn Minshew, @kmin
- Dan LeFave, @DanLeFave
- Monica Ricci, @MonicaRicci
- John Boyens, @JohnBoyens
- Helene Segura, @LivingOrderSA
- Jackie Kiadii, @learntech
- Evan Carmichael, @EvanCarmichael
- Neen James, @neenjames
- Tina Marie Parker, @Nozeyparkers
- Lisa Woodruff, @organize365
- Carrie Greene, @CarrieCoaching
- Charlie Gilkey, @CharlieGilkey
- Tylie Eaves, @TylieEaves_VM
- Mike Vardy, @mikevardy
- Chris Bailey, @wigglechicken
- Mark Struczewski, @MarkStruczewski
- Asian Efficiency, @asianefficiency
- Heather Yamada-Hosley, @Curious_Heather
- Courtney McQuade, @CourtMcQuade
- Gary Greenfield, @LifeRider
- Lisa Montanaro, @LisaMontanaro
- Erica Dhawan, @edhawan
- Bill Jensen, @simpletonbill
- Graham Allcott, @grahamallcott
- C. Spencer Reynolds, @spencerreynolds
- Pomodoro Technique, @PomodoroTech
- To Be Productive, @2bproductive
- Richard Maybury, @RichardMaybury
- Cathy Sexton, @CathySexton
- Dr. Frank Buck, @DrFrankBuck
- Peter Bregman, @peterbregman
- Jocelyn K. Glei, @jkglei
- Debbie Rosemont, @simplyplaced
- Lori Krolik, @MoreTime_ForYou
- Peter Walsh, @PeterWalsh
