8 minute read
A bit about you
from Facilitate - Badge of honour
by IWFM
What do you do? Senior
workplace manager at DeepMind, focusing on soft services.
many, I fell into the FM industry, but I’m so glad I did. I started as a receptionist but my curiosity and need to be busy led me to organising the day- to-day office maintenance and when I was considering what was next, my manager at the time suggested I become their FM. 20 years later and I am so grateful to her for the opportunity she provided.
How long have you been in your
current role? Only five months.
on the day. A well-supported and well-led team makes a big impact and is integral in providing a great service, but there will always be lots to do outside that part of the role. It’s incredibly satisfying to see people grow. been involved in a fit-out there before so it was hard work but seeing how happy my colleagues were when they saw the new space was incredibly rewarding.
it is seen by those who don’t understand the value it brings.
what we do is easy. Some individual tasks may be simple, but the bigger picture of what happens to run a great workplace is complex. We need to understand the needs of the business and work to enable our colleagues to be able to be at their best. That’s not a simple thing to do.
Any interesting tales to tell? I’ll never What advice would you give to a young facilities/workplace manager starting
forget the day I learned that 3-phase power existed. We had a partial power cut and everyone was looking for me to deal with it, but I was stuck in the lift! Thankfully, I had chocolate and a mobile phone signal so ended up coordinating from there – but it’s a memory that always makes me smile.
be… Organising something, somewhere! Preferably in the sunshine with great people. To be honest,
I can’t imagine doing anything else. out? Take any opportunity to learn something new and always be open to other people’s ideas and experience. Ask questions and keep going until it makes sense. I have learned so much over the years from contractors and have been lucky to work with great colleagues who have taught me a lot. There will always be a new way of doing something, a change in technology or legislation, so to be your best you need to keep embracing change and learning.
What was the weirdest day you’ve had
in the office? Some of the strangest days have been whenever an office has been closing. The things people leave behind!
shifting to be more strategic, but to do that well it’s important to understand the details of the day-to-day operations and how/why things are how they are.
How many people are there in your
workplace team? Internally, it’s a small team, but with our vendor partners, there is a large group working hard to provide the best environment possible.
My top perk at work is… We work in an
amazing environment with lots of amenities but the people make each day a good one.
workplaces during the Covid pandemic was challenging for everyone. One of the most satisfying moments was delivering a fit-out in Madrid. We had a tight timetable, I didn’t speak the language and hadn’t
BEHIND THE JOB
Louise Griffiths
Early bird or night owl? Depends on what
is going on that day; if it’s an early start I do need my coffee.
the one I have right now, but I have always thought it would be great to run one of the iconic buildings across the globe. Maybe one day; we shall see how it goes.
And where would FM be an absolute
nightmare? Anywhere with a high number of spiders or pests, so nowhere in a jungle!
Your life outside FM mostly involves…
Spending time with friends and family. I have two years left of my part-time degree, so I’m looking forward to finishing it and starting my next challenge.
LOUISE GRIFFITHS is senior workplace manager at DeepMind in London
BEHIND THE JOB BEHINDTHEJOB Would you describe your role as predominantly operational or
strategic? It’s more operational. You can put all the planning in for long-term goals, but we need to be more on top of the day-to-day running of the office. I rely a lot on my team to ensure we achieve our short-term targets.
How many people are there in your FM team, and to whom does the FM team ultimately report? We have seven
members of the workplace team across all offices. Our head of workplace reports to the director of employee experience. If I wasn’t in facilities management,
I’d probably be… Playing up front for Tottenham Hotspur FC. I’m not very good at football, but we can all dream!
don’t just unblock toilets!
James Coulson
My top perk at work is… Access to the What advice would you give to a young facilities/workplace manager starting
What do you do? We have five offices across Europe and I am the workplace manager based in London for an office of 550 employees across three floors. sweets cupboard! No, the social events are really fun. Open up the beer fridge and have freshly cooked food. On a couple of occasions, we’ve had live music in the office. A great opportunity to unwind and connect with colleagues. out? One thing at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself with unmanageable tasks. It’s OK to say no! Invest your time in your people. If you can successfully manage your team, your worklife is going to be a lot easier.
What was the weirdest day you’ve had
What attracted you to FM, and how did you get into the industry? I What has been your biggest career challenge to
didn’t choose FM, FM chose me! I was working as a mesh printing assistant when my brother recommended me for the role of a facilities assistant at a pension company he was working for. And here I am 16 years later! date? I think I speak for everyone in FM when I say Covid-19. I did worry if we’d ever open up the office again or if there was a future for FM with the new working-from-home way of working. Evidently, there was no need to worry in the end.
in the office? The weirdest day I’ve had was when I had a python around my neck in the middle of the office on zoo day.
Early bird or night owl? Early to bed,
early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise – Benjamin Franklin.
manager in a music venue. There’d be no better way to end your working day than with live music every night.
How long have you been in your
current role? I have been at my current company for three years, but in my current role as workplace manager for almost a year.
a bit of both. As much as I love managing my team and the office, I do enjoy getting involved with the day-to-day tasks if it ensures we complete everything that is required to deliver the service expected. trip around the UK and he saved me from my dilemma. He told me his name and what he did. It wasn’t until I Googled him after that I found out he is Charles Darwin’s great-greatgrandson. I wish I’d taken a selfie!
be? Definitely people’s perception of what we do. Workplace management is a vital tool to running an organisation and there is so much we do that people don’t realise.
JAMES COULSON is workplace manager at Trainline, an international digital rail and coach technology platf orm in London Any interesting tales
to tell? Once when I was cycling to work, I got a puncture and didn’t have a kit on me. A guy came past who happened to be on a cycling And where would FM be an absolute nightmare? Probably
the Burj Khalifa. I have a terrible fear of heights.
Your life outside FM mostly
involves… I love practising The Wim Hof Method of a breathing exercise and cold exposure. I truly believe when Wim Hof says, “a cold shower a day keeps the doctor away”. I love spending time with my fiancée watching films and box sets. She also sometimes drags me to escape rooms too!
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