What are the most effective ways to ensure stakeholders are satisfied with Facility Management services?

1 Identify and prioritize stakeholders

The first step to ensure stakeholder satisfaction is to identify who are the key stakeholders of FM and what are their roles, interests, and expectations. This can be done by using tools such as stakeholder mapping, analysis, or matrices, which help to categorize stakeholders based on their power, influence, interest, and impact on the FM objectives. By identifying and prioritizing stakeholders, FM practitioners can focus their resources and efforts on the most important and influential ones, and tailor their communication and engagement strategies accordingly.

2 Communicate and engage stakeholders

The second step to ensure stakeholder satisfaction is to communicate and engage stakeholders regularly and effectively. Communication and engagement are vital for building trust, rapport, and collaboration with stakeholders, as well as for informing, educating, and consulting them on the FM goals, plans, activities, and results. Communication and engagement can be done through various channels and methods, such as meetings, surveys, newsletters, reports, feedback forms, workshops, or social media. The key is to choose the appropriate channel and method for each stakeholder group, and to ensure that the communication and engagement are clear, consistent, relevant, and timely.

4 Manage and resolve conflicts

The fourth step to ensure stakeholder satisfaction is to manage and resolve conflicts that may arise among or with the stakeholders. Conflicts are inevitable in FM, as different stakeholders may have competing or conflicting interests, expectations, or perspectives on the FM issues or solutions. Conflicts can negatively affect the stakeholder relationships, satisfaction, and performance, if not handled properly. To manage and resolve conflicts, FM practitioners need to use skills and techniques such as negotiation, mediation, facilitation, or arbitration, which help to address the root causes, interests, and emotions of the conflicting parties, and to find mutually acceptable and beneficial solutions.

6 Celebrate and appreciate

The sixth and final step to ensure stakeholder satisfaction is to celebrate and appreciate the achievements and contributions of the stakeholders. Celebrating and appreciating are important for recognizing and rewarding the stakeholder efforts and results, as well as for fostering a positive and supportive culture and climate in FM. Celebrating and appreciating can be done by using ways such as awards, recognition, incentives, or events, which help to express gratitude, respect, and recognition to the stakeholders, and to motivate and inspire them to continue their collaboration and commitment in FM.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?