It’s people power that counts, not policies
The election is over, we have a result and life goes on. That is the harsh reality, we have all got to grin and bear it and do our day jobs whilst the politicians get to grips with the ‘big issues’. But on day-to-day basis, the respective problems we all grapple with are just as important. Julie Kortens, featured in FMX this month as head of FM for Channel 4, gets to have a glimpse of both worlds.
Working in the media she sees the glossy side of life, but most of her job is focused on the practical work involved in keeping the infrastructure around one of the UK’s leading broadcasters functioning. In the May edition of FMX the interview with Julie on page 18 reveals a professional that has a refreshingly direct and occasionally radical take on life, business and the world of facilities management. In fact, in a business environment that is often not very good at demonstrating how good it is, Julie does not hide her light under a bushel.
She is a loud and leading voice within BIFM and in particular, Women in FM (or WiFM as it is known). This does not always win her friends in the slightly dry and sometimes austere world of facilities, but it would appear to be what the industry needs if it is to move forward. Most people agree with what Will Hutton said at the BIFM conference that FM is a part of the UK’s ‘knowledge economy’ and as such as a great chance to play a leading role in the country’s economic recovery.
As I write this we don’t know for certain who is in power now (we might even get another election), but regardless of the severity of the economic policies initiated in the next few weeks FM still has a great opportunity to prosper. But one factor above others will be central to its success and it is a theme very close to Julie Korten’s heart. It is the place of people in the bigger picture. FM is often a very technical, sometimes technological process oriented sector. She argues that it is the people that count more than the processes.
This is not merely the rhetoric of a business leader either. With a background in HR and years of experience in FM she knows her subject better than most and argues strongly for a bridge to built between HR and FM. Her views struck a chord with me and my personal experience of FM as a PR advisor and working on the inside of the old Alfred McAlpine business. You can change a brand name, alter logos, tweak budgets and services – but if you haven’t got the right people in place then whatever business you’re in you might have a tough time delivering on your promises and meeting your targets. read the interview and watch out for Julie Kortens and when she is speaking at FM events – she is worth listening to.
Tags: facilities management, FMX, peopl power, people, policies