New Year’s resolutions – Make 2014 the year of the team

Being part of a wider group of people with similar interests and goals can have major benefits for health and happiness. Whether you indulge in this life-affirming activity through sport – participating or spectating; volunteering for a cause that’s close to your heart; or in a more virtual capacity through social media – was anyone part of #teammurray during Wimbledon? – there is plenty of scope to get involved for the greater good.

It’s the same in business, where the benefits of teamwork can maximise efficiency to reach a common goal. It improves morale, giving employees authority and ownership; ensures greater flexibility, so there is back up if things go wrong; and increases innovation. Two (or more) heads are better than one, or so they say, and getting greater input into the design of products or the delivery of services can result in better sales and customer satisfaction.

I’ve talked about the convergence of the cleaning, FM and waste management industries in a previous column and this idea takes teamwork to an even higher level. Just last month Asset Skills, the Facilities Management Association (FMA) and the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA) announced that they are to merge – and I feel that this may be the precursor of more collaborations to come.

In many ways these partnerships make sense. By pooling resources and knowledge, messages can be more consistent and targeted, and a better service can be provided to the people and businesses they represent. So, as we start 2014, perhaps it’s time to resolve to ask the controversial question – would one single awards ceremony, exhibition, and/or association be of greater benefit to the emerging ‘built environment’ industry? It will be interesting to see if this comes to pass.

Published in Tomorrow’s Cleaning Soapbox – January 2014