How facility management can reduce stress in the work place

By Landport Systems, Inc. | April 27, 2017 |

The challenge to find ways facility management can reduce stress on personnel is a growing concern

This article will highlight not only how facility management can reduce stress, but why its important to do so. According to The American Institute of Stress (AIS), job stress is the leading source of stress for working adults today, and the numbers continue to rise each year. Based on numerous collective reports, the main contributors of job related stress are due to the daily scheduling and communication challenges with other people while on the job, and juggling and prioritizing daily workloads.

Stress-related health concerns such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity, arthritic flairs, diabetes, memory loss, and depression are just a few that are growing in numbers on a daily basis. But, industry experts state many of these health risks can be reduced with proper stress management tools and procedures in the work place.

{TOP 10 HEALTH PROBLEMS RELATED TO EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL STRESS}

So, what can a facility manager do to help reduce stress in the workplace for themselves, their workforce, and even their clients? Landport Systems offers the following simple tips and solutions which can be easily implemented across any industry.

Allocating the Workload – Find a solution to help automate work allocation tasks and will empower your employees and field staff to easily prioritize tasks assigned for better proficiency. Work allocation that can be provided in less time and with clear instruction will reduce confusion between members of the team working on the same goal or project. Reducing confusion about allocated roles on a project will reduce stress across the workforce and free up valuable time for the Facility Manager to focus on more pressing needs without feeling pulled in multiple communication directions.
Simplify the Chain of Communication – When there is clear and consistent communication between the working parties on any project, there is less stress. Whether it’s between a Facility or Project Manager and its contractors, an end client or tenant and the office manager, an office manager and the property manager, or an endless variable of other communication chains, you need to have a consistent process in place to help everyone understand the end goal from start to finish. Knowledge is power, but finding the right person to ask and where to look for timely updates isn’t always clear. So, putting together a strategy for how requests and inquiries will be handled from start to finish, and setting expectations for work timelines and communication updates upfront will greatly reduce stress from the foundation up.
Automate your Maintenance Schedules – When project managers can create a plan of action for scheduling routine maintenance for your facilities, and have a clear way of setting those expectations for that maintenance, everyone involved understands what to expect, when to expect it, and finds a routine that allows them to make strategic operational plans themselves. This routine simplifies maintenance from top to bottom and reduces the stress of the unknown and unexpected. It also empowers your employees, field staff, vendors or contractors to better prioritize workloads and work with more proficiency as well.
Reinforce Safety Procedures and Security – Does your team routinely practice security drills either for physical location emergencies such as fire drills or severe weather drills, or what to do with their operational assets in cases of emergency; backing up valuable data routinely, managing auxiliary power or security features, etc.? From brick-and-mortar business to online superstores and digital services, there are a number of tasks that need to be routinely address; sometimes daily if not weekly or monthly. But, it’s easy to get distracted with the minutia of the day. If business managers can automate routine safety and security protocol among team members it not only reinforces consistency in procedure but also reduces the stress of that “what now?” feeling a person feels in those unexpected situations, and allows everyone to do their part more calmly and proficiently. This makes for a more secure situation all the way around; from facility management to field staff, to consumer.

The takeaway?

Making a few simple adjustments, procedurally, ensure facility management can reduce stress for other personnel and consumers.

One of the best ways to quickly implement these strategies today is by using a strong goal management software solution or app that can help you reduce implementation time and learning curves.

Landport Systems is one of the leading facility management and work-order management software solutions (otherwise known as CMMS or Computerized Maintenance Management System). Its patented technology is not only easy to setup, Landport’s team walks you through the entire process so you’re not left feeling like you have to figure it out on your own. There’s nothing worse than subscribing to a new piece of software or app advertised with all the great bells and whistles, but then you don’t know what to do with it once you have it, or the best way to use it for YOUR business. With Landport Systems you don’t have to worry about that because they will help you customize the solution to fit YOUR needs, and even provide free training on its use once you and your team are up and ready. So, make sure facility management can reduce stress through proficiency and consistency – no excuses.

To find out more about Landport System’s CMMS solutions for facility managers, project managers, and development managers, contact Jeff Langner, VP of Sales, and setup your free consultation today.