We always learn from great leaders; everyone wants to be around them or be on their team. What many folks don’t realize is the fact that you can actually learn more from a poor leader.

Regardless of the fact that the facilities department is responsible for the total cost of ownership and ultimately holds the key to brand protection, it’s rare they are viewed as business partners. And so I asked myself, “Why is that the case?”

On everyone’s list of New Year’s Resolutions, I’d like to offer a suggestion that will help you not only in your continued career growth, but also your own personal development. Focus on this one resolution: Build and stay active in your network.

Recently at an InterFace Restaurant Facility & Construction Exchange, I met with some great industry folks who not only have an expertise in their respective fields, but equally as important, have an incredible passion and relentless dedication to their profession. It’s easy to spot this — they constantly check in on their BlackBerries, take care of business calls in between meetings, openly share their best practices at the roundtable discussions, and eagerly learn from or laugh about each other’s war stories. All the while they proudly wear their brand's colorful logo on their button-down shirts and I think to myself just how very lucky these companies are to have such dedicated associates.

Recently I visited a renowned New York City bakery & café. This was considered one of the oldest bakery establishments that claimed to wow their customers with the best pastries and cappuccinos in the city. As soon as you walked in, you could smell the sweet scent of sugar that wafted in the air. There was a long line of customers, all holding numbered tickets to purchase their dessert to go.

No matter how hard we work, how skilled we become in keeping up with the industry’s latest innovation — it becomes useless if we cannot get ahead of the curve. The “curve” is the day-to-day operations in the facilities world, which has been equated to pretty much a roll of the dice. These are the “surprises” we walk into each morning. It’s the feeling of not knowing what’s waiting for you at your desk or in your office voicemail when you are coming back from a vacation or business travels. Yes, with proactive programs, controls and planning in place we have a handle and expectancy for certain future issues. Even with natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods, to a degree, we can track the forecast and be sure to implement the proper necessary protocols. But there will always be the curve balls that come at us.

Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with colleagues at our first InterFace Restaurant Facility and Construction Exchange in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Whether you’re from retail, restaurant, corporate or hospitality, there’s always that common bond when you first meet someone in our facilities and construction industry. We learn about each other’s job roles, our companies’ expansion plans; benchmarking and sharing best practices through our banter of industry war stories.

Recently, I received an email: “Dear Grace, I enjoy your columns in Retail and Restaurant Facility Business magazines. As a business owner and service provider, what’s the best advice you can give to gain new clients? In this day and age where work has slimmed down, many people are staying with their existing service providers. That makes it hard to get your foot in the door. I’ve got great clients I work with now and I rely on them for word-of-mouth referrals but I haven’t gotten any. Thanks for your insight.”