Our special guest today is Mike Albano, Manager of Facilities Technical Operations at EMD Serono. He’s a seasoned Facility Manager with over 20 years of experience in R&D Facility Management across multiple states for EMD Serono. Mike shares his philosophy of keeping things simple, the importance of clearly defining roles and responsibilities, and the efficacy of using group texts for communication among team members. Mike also discusses navigating challenges with contractors, the significance of appointing trustworthy 'spotters', and the benefits of regular meetings and cross-training. Throughout his career, Mike has witnessed the growth of facilities from 70,000 to over 500,000 square feet, contributing to the development of LEED Gold and WELL Platinum-certified buildings. He underscores the value of showing up, doing a good job, and maintaining a positive attitude for success in facility management. Mike also provides valuable insights into effective facility management strategies, teamwork, and continuous learning.

Takeaways:

• Avoid overcomplication in facility management. Focus on delivering clear, straightforward solutions and communications. Simplify complex processes into bullet points or steps that are easy to understand and follow. This approach is crucial, especially in meetings and presentations, to ensure that everyone involved can easily grasp the tasks and responsibilities.
• Make the best out of the resources and personnel you currently have. Not all facilities will have the luxury of a full-fledged team structure, so it’s essential to optimize the capabilities of existing contractors and staff effectively. Identifying and maximizing the strengths of your team can lead to successful facility management even with limited resources.
• Set up clear and direct communication channels and reporting lines through established contacts. This ensures that all parties, including contractors, understand their roles, responsibilities, and whom they report to, fostering accountability and streamlined operations.
• For immediate and broad communications, create a group text that includes key personnel across different departments and specialties. This facilitates quick information sharing, ensures timely responses to facility needs, and fosters a collaborative environment among diverse teams, including security, HVAC, and electrician services.
• Utilize personnel across departments as 'spotters' to observe and report on site issues. This includes leveraging security and janitorial staff who can provide critical on-the-ground insights, alerting to issues that might require immediate attention, thus enhancing the responsiveness and maintenance capacity of the facility management team.
• Encourage and facilitate cross-training among your team members to enhance versatility and response capabilities. This not only improves the skill set of your personnel but also ensures better coverage and efficiency in dealing with a range of maintenance and operational issues even in the absence of specialized staff.
• Success in facility management comes with showing up, doing a thorough job, and maintaining the right attitude. Commitment to quality work, openness to learning, and stepping out of comfort zones are critical for personal growth and the overall success of facility operations.

Quote of the Show:

• “It's not always about getting the headcount in the building, it's getting the right people in the building.” - Mike Albano

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-albano-0bb20aa 
• EMD Serono Website: https://www.emdserono.com/us-en 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0M2XB78b09i5vkWy1eHsxb 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facility-rockstars/id1729458441 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/60bbc4f3-a123-47ca-9a83-eade102c5859/facility-rockstars 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/facility-rockstars-5616662 
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/gdQY_Nnmn7U