Communication - An IFMA Based Competency Course

As a facility management professional, you are expected to possess not only solid interpersonal skills, but also to respond almost immediately to communication requests, including 100 or more emails a day.  This is in addition to preparing reports, writing procedures and performance appraisals, conducting executive briefings, responding to questions, communicating through intranet sites, participating in video conferencing, teleconferencing and online meetings.

Successful communication requires that all parties understand a common language, especially when a facility manager is called upon to translate complex technical concepts.

The communication process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing and evaluating. Use of these processes is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work and beyond.

• Part 1: Who You Are and How to Improve—The ability to establish rapport with others is fostered by understanding what to look for and identifying what others want, while determining the type of behavior most appropriate in different situations. Energy, confidence, expertise and a sincere interest in other people are acquired proficiencies that are important to every facility manager’s success.
  
• Part 2: Negotiating—Negotiation (taking someone else’s wants and needs into account along with your own and formulating new alternatives that lead to a better outcome) can be successful if obstacles are pre-identified and strategies developed to overcome them. Understanding the 5 steps of the negotiation process can significantly improve the chances of negotiating an agreement.
  
• Part 3: Meeting Etiquette—By gathering all the required people at the same time, a facility manager can get all of the needed input at once and make decisions quickly, as long as the meetings are the time-savers they were meant to be.
  
• Part 4: Writing 101—The ultimate goal in any type of written media is to communicate clearly.  By following the 8 principles of effective writing, the writing will be simple, clear and concise, regardless of the media.
  
• Part 5: Presentations—A facility manager’s ability to determine the purpose and audience of the presentation is imperative to success.  A competent facility manager must be able to use presentation technologies effectively, while remembering visual aids are meant to enhance the presentation, not detract from it.

Why Should You Attend?
Certified Facility Manager® (CFM®) Candidates - This course is designed for Facility Management professionals seeking to enhance their skills in the specialty area of project management. To earn your Certified Facility Manager (CFM) credential, project management has been identified by IFMA as a core area of skills and knowledge necessary for a successful facility manager.  If you are seeking your CFM and require additional development in this area, you'll want to take this course.  For more information on the CFM credential click here.

Instructor
Ericka Westgard Reilly, CFM 

Continuing Education
1.5 CEUs or 15 contact hours

Price
$595 Regular, $545 IFMA Member/NIU Alumni
Register up to two weeks prior to start of course to secure a seat.

Shipping fee for each course - $10.00

A special rate is available for current NIU undergraduate students and graduate students. For more information contact dmann@niu.edu or bcoulter@niu.edu.

Click here for information on our cancellation policy, required registration information, and for other detail.

Registrants paying by check should fill out and send in the Mail/Fax Registration Form.

Mail completed form to:
Northern Illinois University
Outreach Services - Registration
DeKalb, IL 60115

Additional Courses - Core Areas of Skills and Knowledge for Facility Managers

The Business of Facilities Management

Finance

Real Estate

Planning and Project Management

Operations and Maintenance

Leadership and Management

Quality Assessment and Innovation

Human and Environmental Factors

Technology

CFM Final Review

Have a question or prefer to speak to a person?
Call 800-345-9472 Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (CST) for live assistance.