Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008 - (Page 7)

parts of the organization; • Department only focuses on achieving their work goals even at the detriment of other work units and the organization as a whole.” These types of dysfunctional behaviors by individuals and departments can have incredibly negative results for organizations and individuals involved in the business of facilities management. It is imperative that facilities managers seek to communicate across all functional and managerial lines. Failure to do so can and will result in disaster. Of all departments in a company, organization, university, hospital, or hotel, the housekeeping and facilities department must have open channels of communications with all departments, regardless of the behaviors of other departments. Our survival and the survival of other departments depends on US! Dr. Romig provides two examples of silo behavior that negatively impacted the departments involved: • Engineers designed a new product that the marketing department couldn’t sell and the manufacturing group could not build! • One business unit of an organization discovered new work processes that would help another business unit and kept the process secret! Just in case you think that your organizations or others do not have organizational silos, it is interesting to hear what the American Management Association (AMA) has to say. The AMA conducted a survey that included nearly 500 respondents: “83 percent acknowledged the existence of silos in their organizations. Of these individuals, more than 90 percent considered them to have a negative effect. Seven percent considered them to be destructive.” Over the years, I have experienced the silo mentality in a mul- titude of ways, and I am sure that goals, also cited by AMA. you have had similar experiences, The list could go on indefinitely; sometimes with either tragic or however, the message is quite clear comical results: that organizational silos and our • Buildings are designed and creation of them, or our inability built with little input from the to break down the silos, can imend-users or the people who must pact every facet of our operation. maintain the buildings. In this day and age when we are • Equipment is installed (i.e., operating with limited resources elevators) that is inadequate for and more is being demanded of us, the users of the building. Some it is imperative that we develop a buildings have special equipment synergistic organization. In the that must be moved from floor to normal work of mathematics, one floor, often the elevator is too small plus one equals two; however, in to move the equipment. the world of organizational syn• Lights are installed to “look ergy, where two departments bring nice” with little or no consideration their thoughts and ideas together given to how the lights will be so that the sum of the whole is maintained after installation. greater than the individual parts, • Managers arbitrarily decide to synergy occurs, such that one plus rearrange shifts or work schedules one equals three, per Dr. Dennis without coordinating such changes Romig. In other words, by breaking with the people who will be im- down silos within an organization, pacted most by the decision (some synergy can occur and this will enteam members may have two jobs, (continued on next page) have child care needs, or are taking care of elderly parents). • Manufacturers design cleaning equipment that seems to have all the bells and whistles; however, when used in the field by you or I, the equipment doesn’t work - Durable, Stainless Steel Carts & Fixtures or doesn’t have - Factory Direct Prices the features - 10 Year Guarantee Against Breakage that we really need. • Turf wars between departments, cited by AMA. • Lack of commitment Request your free catalog today. to corporate www.RoyceRolls.net toll free 800-253-9638 fax 616-361-5976 Royce Rolls Ringer Company May 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 7 http://www.RoyceRolls.net http://www.RoyceRolls.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008 Contents Executive Corner From Ivory Halls to Four-Star Resorts The Ten-Dollar Test Toward Customer Satisfaction Frugal Housekeeper How Green is Your Laundry Not All Microfiber is Created Equal Feature Article - I.E.H.A. Investigates: Issues in Hotel Housekeeping 2008 Candidate Information IHW Product Information The Green Scene 2008 Convention Information Product Highlights Inside the Industry New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members CEH/REH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - May 2008

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