In every act of communication, we strive to influence others. Even when our communication is simply to inform, we seek to align someone else’s view of reality to ours. While we can influence others’ behaviors, the higher aim is often to change their minds as well. However, it’s this sense of “mind control” that burdens the term with negative connotations today.
It’s often thought that to influence someone is to hold a hypnotic power over them, usually for nefarious reasons or personal gain. Someone or something is a “bad influence.” We often ascribe the act to politicians, cult leaders, or Rock-and-Roll lyrics. Social media “influencers” are opportunistic marketers. Irresponsible folks drive “under the influence.” You get the idea.
Even though the term has gotten a bad rap recently, the premise of influencing as a part of communication isn’t nefarious at all; in fact, it’s a basic component (and outcome) of any effective communication. And savvy communicators understand how to use influencing strategies to get their message across more effectively. Here are some tips on how to communicate better by influencing your audience.
Soft Landings Approach
Influence requires an understanding that most people fear and resist change. Even when your audience knows change will be beneficial, some push back is inevitable. At these points, communication can become strained or breakdown. When possible, you can influence a successful outcome by easing folks into change rather than “ripping off the bandaid.”
“I do a lot of organisation transition and change management,” says Phoenix Lavin, a veteran FM who’s worked in the industry since 2003. “Sometimes that change is painful, and there’s a bit of grief and disruption.” Lavin suggests meeting resistance to change by taking elements of a “soft landings” approach:
“A soft landings approach incorporates taking the time to introduce people to change. Rather than leaving people feeling like change is being forced on them.”
Phoenix Lavin
“A soft landings approach incorporates taking the time to introduce people to change. Rather than leaving people feeling like change is being forced on them.”
People fear change primarily because they feel a lack of control. In these moments, fear tends to consume our focus, making it tough to communicate. Engage in active listening and let your clients vent their frustrations. Allowing your audience to express their anxiety, lets you identify and focus on the source(s) of that anxiety. You may not think their “problems” are a priority, but by refocusing and being empathetic, you make your audience more receptive to your own ideas.
Also, invite your audience to contribute to the project. It will give them a sense of control. “It’s about how they can see themselves in this new building/facilities,” Lavin explains, “and how they feel engaged and part of the build and operation process.”
By engaging your audience in the problem solving process, you also give them stock in the solution, and they come away from the conversation confident they’ve contributed. You will know your soft landing was successful, if your audience comes away not knowing they’ve even “landed.”
“I’ve got to gently move you around here so you barely realise you’re going around the corner,” Lavin explains. “Then voila! All of sudden now it’s your idea not mine. That’s the influencing component of good communication.”
Avoid Language that Creates Hierarchies
As is often said of words: they matter. The wrong words can alienate your audience by putting others at a lower level and/or yourself within a higher one. We often interpret these linguistic positions on an unconscious level, but they impact our audience’s reaction nevertheless. To level the field, choose language that communicates equality. Lavin provides a relevant example for facilities management:
“In our industry, we are often shackled with the term ‘service’ (which is linked to the term ‘servitude’). What we hear in that word is: You are here to do something for me, and, therefore, I am greater than you. When we look at communication, we’ve got to understand our audience and adjust our language so we’re not in a position of servitude, but in a position of competency and credibility.”
Instead of “customer,” Lavin suggests using terms like “stakeholder” or “end-users” to refer to the people benefiting from your input and expertise. This is especially important in relation to in-house management.
Another loaded term to avoid is “discussion.” Within it, Lavin says, lurks aggression and an imbalance of power. “It’s a one-way exercise,” she says. “It says I’m pounding something into you. I’m going to say what I have to. Instead, I tell people to use open terms like ‘dialogue’ or ‘conversation’ or ‘chat’.”
Some words and phrases may create or reflect frustration as well. As tensions rise in our conversations, our language often becomes more formal sounding or even legalistic. Try to maintain the same level of formality and tone as when you began the conversation, otherwise, your audience will immediately detect such changes, become defensive and make your influence less effective. “These are subtleties,” states Lavin, “but they’re how you change the dynamic of a conversation for the better or worse.”
Include Yourself in the Conversation
In the spirit of equality, speakers and writers should also include themselves in their arguments and narratives. Say “we” rather than “you.” Self-inclusive language helps eliminate hierarchies and signals that you have a stake in the outcome too, that you’re acting in good faith. It also forces you to empathise. If your message is “we’re all in this together” then the implication is that everyone must appreciate one another’s perspective.
“Anyone who is an effective communicator puts themselves into the narrative,” explains Lavin, “not in an arrogant way, but in an understanding, empathetic way. We can take a lesson from Te Reo Māori. In Te Reo Māori, we could start a meeting by saying tēnā koutou which is Greetings to everybody in the room (3 or more) or we can say tēnā koutou katoa which is greetings to everybody, and I’m including myself in the statements going forward.”
“Anyone who is an effective communicator puts themselves into the narrative.”
Phoenix Lavin
Inclusive language is also a prime launching point for bolstering your own credibility and experience. Politicians often use unifying language to great effect. Most never pass up a chance to point out their “working class roots” or “humble beginnings” to connect with their constituents. There’s a simple reason for the ubiquity of this approach: it works. If you’re sincere about your connection, your audience will (and should) respond positively.
“If you’re part of the organisation,” Lavin explains, “then communicate that these decisions are affecting you too. Let’s say you’re at the top table for an expensive capital replacement, and the stakeholders say, The business can’t sustain this. Your response should be: We understand the hesitancy, and we understand the drivers of the business. As a part of the workforce, I understand this. That type of language creates an unconscious connection. So, suddenly you’re not just a person saying I want something from you. You’re saying We need to do this together.
Got an Expert? Bring them Along
Credibility is such a key part of influencing that it’s foolish to omit someone with expertise in the arguments and ideas you’re presenting. Too often, we feel overly confident or too prideful to admit our ignorance of a topic, opting instead to “fake it ‘til we make it.” It’s a dangerous gamble that can tank your influence if you’re outed by a technical question. Lavin advises that if you think your credibility may be questioned, to bring someone else into the room:
We always think we have to do difficult conversations on our own, but we don’t. There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘Oh, I’ve brought Ms. X along with me today because she’s currently working with X systems and she’s got a better overview and understanding of this.”
The need for expertise requires FMs to build and maintain professional relationships. Find people who can provide you with answers and guidance when you’re stuck. “I still need to bounce things off people,” Lavin admits. “I’ll ring people and say, I’ve got to bounce this off you. This is where I’m going, and I can see it’s not going to work but I can’t quite see my way out of it. When you’ve got a great network of people who have skillsets different from yourself, you can do that.”
Conclusion
At its most complex level, the art of influencing is about abiding by simple courtesies of communications. It doesn’t take an advanced degree in communications or being a master orator to be empathetic, inclusive and thoughtful about the words you use. There’s no “political correctness” to abide by. For most managers, these “strategies” are basic mores of professional conversation. Often the real art of influencing is not in the execution of these simple courtesies, but in the remembering to do so.
Definition: After-hours HVAC is the delivery and maintenance of a facility’s heating and air-conditioning services, outside regular operating hours, for the benefit of a tenant. Tenants pay an hourly rate (usually specified in a lease) for any costs associated with after-hours HVAC operation. After-hour times normally include evenings, weekends and holidays.
After-hours HVAC goes by different names in different markets. For example, in the U.S. it’s sometimes referred to as “overtime HVAC.” Some landlords may use the term “after-hours air conditioning” in a lease or shorten it to “after-hours air con” or “AHAC.”
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AHAC: A Response to Changing Workplaces
Social and technological forces have changed the workplace over the last decade. Millennials are now the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. AI and automation are driving increased productivity. The Internet of Things (IoT) is fueling smart building design, and the COVID lockdown kickstarted a revolution in remote working. The standard 9-to-5 work day is behind us, replaced by hybrid schedules, teleconference meetings, and a more remote workforce.
These social and technological changes accelerated specific trends within facility management and building design. These include a move to more flexible workspaces, the integration of “smart” tech and the push for sustainable design. It is out of this demand for more work and building flexibility that services like after-hours HVAC emerged.
Today it’s commonplace in the FM industry to provide tenants with lighting and HVAC services outside of normal operating hours. In turn, firms use this flexibility to expand work hours, hold company meetings and host special events.
Charging for AHAC
Usually the first question a property owner asks is “How much do I charge?” Most tenants and/or their lease advisors insist that AHAC charges represent a reasonable estimate of the “actual cost” for providing after-hours service. But what is the actual cost of operating an HVAC system for one hour? Calculating a “reasonable” estimate is often difficult because HVAC systems are complex. In addition to electricity, they also require water, gas or oil to operate. Then there’s wear-and-tear of equipment, staffing, elevators, car parks and other costs to consider.
To keep things simple, some FMs determine a fixed rate based on the electricity, depreciation and a small percentage to cover “admin” costs. Other landlords avoid the hassle altogether and include the estimated cost within the monthly rent. While there are AHAC calculating best practices, the best approach is one that balances accuracy with simplicity.
Billing Strategies
Billing tenants for AHAC takes several forms. Most property managers start the billing cycle the day they execute the lease. AHAC hours are charged at the agreed rate and billed to the tenant if and when they make a request. Other FMs may allot a number of free overtime AC hours for the term of the lease (e.g., 300 hrs for 5 years). In that instance, an AHAC charge begins only when the tenant exceeds those cumulative free hours.
FMs can bill tenants for AHAC on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. After-hours HVAC charges are always billed separately from normal operating hour utility expenses to avoid double charging tenants.
Lease Stipulations
Lease stipulations are common within AHAC tenancy agreements. Some lease clauses may further define AHAC times by listing specific holidays or “dates of observation.” Other provisions set limits on tenant usage to protect the landlord against unexpected costs. For example, most property owners include a provision that allows an annual review and adjustment of AHAC rates based upon current utility costs. This is to protect the landlord against the volatility of energy prices.
To assure quality service, the majority of leases also require that tenants give a 24 or 48-hour notice. The stipulation ensures engineering staff have enough time to carry out the request. There’s also a practical reason. Every HVAC system requires a start-up time to bring the property to the standard temperature (e.g. 22°C/72°F). Notices help give the system enough lead time to ramp up. Start up times are also why landlords stipulate a minimum service time of one hour. Scheduling the HVAC system for only 30-minutes wouldn’t likely cover the actual cost of operation.
Scheduling
There are several ways to request AHAC services. Many programs have tenants create a work order or similar request via a tenant portal. Maintenance staff then program beginning and ending times along with the dates requested. The tenant then arrives at the property on the scheduled day and time.
Other properties equip each floor or tenant space with its own controls, usually a switch or button-operated interface. Occupants have control and can “order” after-hours AC or heating simply by turning the system off and on. Software then records the time and duration and charges the tenant accordingly.
Forward-looking facilities use after-hours automation software that give tenants more control of the scheduling process. Tenants make their AHAC requests through a smartphone app or web browser. The software then programs the system to operate at the desired time, date and duration. These programs cut down on staff time and increase scheduling flexibility.
Charging tenants for after-hours air conditioning (AHAC) presents many difficult questions for FMs. How do I calculate an hourly rate? How do I separate after-hours billing from normal utility OPEX? Do I have enough resources and staff? Calculating and managing after-hours HVAC is complex, and some FMs choose to forgo charging tenants to avoid the hassle. Instead, they raise “maintenance fees” or other charges to cover the extra electricity.
If this describes your situation, there’s a good chance you’re falling short of recouping the full cost of your operating expenses. Plus, you may be missing out on other “softer” benefits associated with charging for AHAC services. Here are five reasons to start an after-hours HVAC program today.
1. After-Hours kWh Are Usually Peak Load Times
Most leases list “operating hours” for the work week at 8:00 am to 6:00 pm or something similar. This leaves evenings open for tenants to schedule after-hours HVAC (along with Sundays and holidays). However, peak hours for electricity also occur in the evenings, especially in the summer months. Peak hours or on-peak times are when you’re paying the highest price per kWh to run your HVAC system. So, tenants using after-hours AC in the evenings are consuming current at a premium. Even if you’re charging a general CAM fee or “admin fee” to cover the added energy costs, it may not be enough to offset these higher peak demand prices. And if you’re not charging at all, you’re certainly cutting into your profits.
2. AHAC Charges Encourage Energy Conservation
For seasoned FMs, it’s no secret that charging pro-rata rates for electricity doesn’t encourage conservation among your tenants. Absent a green lease or submetering, tenants show less incentive to save energy with pro-rata billing. Why put in the effort to save 10% per month if the savings will be split among everyone in the building? But an effectively managed after-hours HVAC program can counter this attitude. It works like a type of sub metering. Tenants are responsible for only their share of kWh used, and they are billed as such each month or quarter. This encourages them to bring down their electrical consumption to lower operating costs.
3. New Hybrid Workspaces Demand It
As the COVID pandemic begins to subside, companies are asking remote workers to return to the office. But some employees are pushing back, instead, demanding more flexible schedules. The expectation is that many employees will split their time between home and the office. These new work approaches will broaden normal operating hours and pressure FMs to adapt. Thus, the demand for “amenities” like after-hours HVAC will become necessities. By starting your after-hours program now, you’ll make the transition easier for your staff and clients.
4. It May Improve Your NABERS Rating
If you want an accurate assessment of your property to secure a NABERS Energy and Water rating, you’ll want to include any after-hours air conditioning (AHAC) requests. To rate your building’s efficiency, a NABERS assessor needs to calculate your total rated hours. First, he or she will calculate the power consumed during normal operating hours (ex. 8:00 am to 6:00 pm). Next, the assessor will add any qualifying AHAC requests to the total. However, requests must record the date, time and space. Simply handing the assessor a spreadsheet with the “total hours run” for the year won’t work. As a result, your AHAC hours data may be skewed or not counted. Inaccurate or omitted data lowers your efficiency rating, but an after-hours HVAC program will account for every kWh.
5. It’s Easy to Automate
Just the thought of adding a separate utility billing process to their weekly tasks is enough to turn many FMs off of charging for AHAC. It’s a legitimate concern. Manual scheduling and billing programs do require staff resources, time and spreadsheets to function. However, today’s after-hours HVAC apps automate the bulk of the process, leaving you with time to focus on your properties. Tenants use a mobile app or web browser to make after-hours HVAC bookings. The app then integrates with your BMS to carry out the request. Monthly billing is also automated, so recording mistakes are minimised and time management is maximised.
Scheduling after-hours AC can be an expensive and cumbersome process. It’s usually a mishmash of spreadsheets, sticky note reminders, voice mails, and impatient tenants — all trying to accomplish a task made overly complicated by a manual process. At home, we flick on the thermostat, but at work, this simple act can become a bureaucratic quagmire involving multiple team members. How can FMs and property managers cut the cost and red tape? With an after-hours automated HVAC program that puts the scheduling literally in the hands of tenants.
How Does HVAC Automation Work?
Much like customers who order on-demand movies, tenants “order” their after-hours HVAC as they need it — this could be two months prior or two hours before. Authorized tenants use an after-hours HVAC smartphone app or web browser to make their booking from anywhere at any time. The app then connects to your building’s BMS to schedule and execute the request per the specified time, date, floor and property location. The program then notifies the tenant and property manager via an email, listing the total charge based on the agreed hourly rate.
Automation Eliminates the Niggly Bits
Automation streamlines after-hours scheduling by eliminating many of the steps and hurdles of a manual process. Staff members no longer need to take and record requests via email, phone or work order. Maintenance personnel can forgo manually programming requests into the BMS. Managers can skip time consuming maintenance of spreadsheets (automated billing statements are delivered via email each month). And tenants save time filling out requests and making changes to their bookings.
Calculate The Savings
Depending on the complexity of your current program, the amount of time saved through after-hours HVAC automation could lower staffing costs for your portfolio. Let’s say you estimate each after-hours request currently takes thirty minutes to fulfill, and you complete twenty requests per month. That equals ten hours of labor cost. With an average staff wage of $30 per hour, you’re paying $300 a month just to manage after-hours bookings, and that doesn’t include your tenants’ time.
Billing Accuracy
Automation software is perfect for recording overtime air conditioning bookings because it’s highly accurate. Your team members, despite their best efforts, can become overwhelmed with other responsibilities. Mistakes happen. The wrong tenant is charged or a cancellation order is misplaced. Not only do mistakes like these create dissatisfied tenants, they often result in a loss of revenue for you. When a booking is forgotten or goes unrecorded, you’ll be eating the utility costs. When there’s a discrepancy in charges, getting payment takes more time sorting things with a (now upset) tenant. After-hours HVAC automation ensures billing speed and accuracy, helping you avoid these situations while keeping profits high.
Conclusion
After-hours billing should be a simple process, but it’s full of variables that complicate matters. Even if your manual ordering and billing is spot on, there are hundreds of situations that call for a more nuanced approach. Each tenant has different needs. While some may have predictable work schedules, others may be seasonal. Making things more complicated are the rise in hybrid workplaces and work-home schedules, which demand increased flexibility and access to facilities. Overall, FMs must take a more nuanced approach to utility billing in general. Automation prepares you for future workplaces by simplifying and streamlining your after-hours HVAC scheduling process.
The move to smart buildings is here, and with it the demand for “smart power.” Innovations in wireless technology, monitoring hardware and cloud-based data are all making energy management systems a must have for FMs. Energy management ensures true power digitalisation—a state where every watt is recorded, stored and used to make informed, real time decisions about a building’s power usage.
One key component to power digitalisation is the energy power management system (EPMS). An EPMS is a specialized software that works as the “brains” for your energy monitoring strategy, giving you a broad look of your overall grid along with insights into every connected electrical asset. Here are a few ways an EPMS brings value to your properties.
Lower Electrical Costs
Because an energy management system provides transparency into your power consumption, you can lower energy costs by identifying ways to optimise your electrical usage. For example, use an EPMS to locate your biggest energy consuming assets. Then switch run times to off-peak hours when electrical rates are lower. Audit your current usage in low demand areas to see if you can cut waste completely by installing motion sensitive lighting or switching to automated HVAC scheduling. All this new energy efficiency will also help raise your power factor rating, and your provider may offer a discount if your rating is above average for your area.
Useful power is the energy that actually does work. Demand power is the amount of electricity delivered to your facility. Your power factor is the ratio of your useful power to your demand power. The higher the better.
Increased Equipment Lifespans
Advanced equipment and technologies within many sectors (e.g., healthcare and IT) are becoming more sensitive to power fluctuations. Complex equipment also requires a consistent energy supply to function properly. Insufficient or inconsistent power supplies significantly impact their lifespan. Therefore, electrical supply monitoring is critical to avoiding damaged assets. Modern EPMS software warn staff to power quality issues like power sags, swells and harmonics before failure or harm occurs.
Reduced Carbon Emissions
In addition to cost savings, optimising your energy efficiency also lowers your carbon footprint and makes your more competitive. Properties with hybrid-grids can use their EPMS to identify the best times to switch to cheaper, greener energy supplies like solar, wind or battery. And because energy management systems benchmark your consumption, reporting on energy reduction and savings against targets is more accurate. That makes your efforts more sustainable over time.
Power Event Tracking
When the power does go out, it can sometimes be difficult or impossible to determine the cause. You may only have a few seconds to troubleshoot the issue before it happens. And your electrical provider may try and place the blame on your property. Flying blind to power events leaves you vulnerable to hefty fines for blown transformers and labor costs. But the accuracy of an EPMS can track your system down to the individually connected device. It records every power event with your grid, so you’ll have documented proof when the power company shows up if you’re to blame.
Expanding Your Energy Grid
Not only does an EPMS warn you if you’re exceeding the capacity of your circuits, it forecasts if a new renovation or piece of equipment will push you past safe limits. Historical data of your electric usage and top-down views of current load capacities help managers and engineers easily determine their wattage budget for any area. This can be critical when updating to more efficient equipment or more robust units with larger amperage ratings.
Conclusion
As the old saying goes, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” But too often managers and owners still see power as a fixed expense, something measured primarily by the end-of-month cost. But today’s wireless technology and the IoT have transformed energy consumption and distribution into a flexible outlay that can (and should) be adjusted to meet an ever-changing supply and demand. Smart buildings run on smart power, and smart FMs who get ahead of the game by adopting energy management systems can increase the value of their portfolios for owners and tenants.
Few employees have more of an impact on the day-to-day operations of your business than your office manager. Whether it’s scheduling travel arrangements, ordering supplies or planning a birthday party, your office manager touches every part of your business. And while he or she genuinely appreciates the occasional meeting “shoutout” or $50 gift card, what your office manager really wants are tools to make their job easier. Office automation tools to the rescue. These apps and online services will have them getting more done with less effort.
Employee Scheduling Apps
Many companies now offer employees the option to work from home or a more flexible work schedule. That’s great for the employees, but keeping track of these hybrid schedules has made it harder on your office manager. Workforce management tools like Robin let office managers control and track which employees require office access and what resources they need. Management platforms take the burden off the office manager’s hands by automating the process, letting employees book their own desks and rooms when needed.
Project Management Software
Office managers wear many hats and manage many projects, and keeping up is a daunting task. Make it easier by getting your office manager some handy project management software. These helpful online tools not only let users track the progress of multiple projects, they also allow collaboration with project team members. PM apps like Trello or Asana are good options, but there are many more out there. Both apps have freemium pricing plans, which puts limits on features like the number of collaborators, but managers at least get to try them out at no cost..
Social Media Management
Does your office manager oversee all your social media pages? Then they need a social media management platform. Apps like Hootsuite are great for managing multiple accounts at once like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter while others like Tailwind work well for specific platforms. With most apps, you can schedule posts, create ads and run analytics on your traffic. Some even alert you when someone mentions your company online. Social management apps are low cost and well worth the time saved.
Travel Planning Software
Even travel bookings and management are a part of today’s automated office. And with lockdowns and flight cancelations a regular hurdle, it helps to have a tool to manage last minute changes. Apps like TravelPerk or TripActions simplify travel bookings, letting your employees schedule their own flights, lodging and transport from their smartphones. Your travel data is centralized and checked, so you know exactly what’s happening at all times. Plus, most travel apps integrate with your expense account software, which streamlines the approval process. Look for time-saving features like platform AI that reschedules canceled or delayed flights automatically. These apps cut down planning time while improving transparency between managers and employees.
Automated Employee Gifting
Any office manager will tell you that recognizing birthdays, new babies and working anniversaries take time to plan and execute. But you can offload that task with employee gifting services like Evabot or Gifted.co. These services make sending employee gifts as simple as a few mouse clicks, and, like most automated platforms, they help manage and centralize all your purchases into one place. So, you’re making your CFO happy too! Employee recognition helps you retain valuable employees, so it’s a critical part of your business. But saying “Thank you!” doesn’t have to include the cost of your manager’s time.
After-Hours AC Automation
When your employees need to schedule after-hours electricity or HVAC on the weekends, it’s likely your office manager’s job to record and schedule it with your landlord—just another spreadsheet they need to manage. Apps like 7NOX automate utility scheduling by letting employees book their own after-hours air conditioning via their mobile phone. The app also cuts down on billing errors by accurately recording each booking’s date, time and duration. No more misunderstandings with your facilities manager or disputed charges. Plus, your office manager can trash their spreadsheet.
