Posted by Gbenga Osinaike on
The atmosphere that Thursday morning in Lyold Anderson, a facility management and business logistic provider company based in Lagos, was genial. The workers moved freely within the office apartment.
The atmosphere that Thursday morning in Lyold Anderson, a facility management and business logistic provider company based in Lagos, was genial. The workers moved freely within the office apartment. There was no air around the General Manager of the company, Mr. Lekan Olashore. It was obvious that Olashore was not the type that coerced his employees.
'That is the kind of atmosphere I want. The manager of a company should not breathe down the neck of his employees," said Olashore. 'There are a few of us in the industry. It is a growing industry. People are just appreciating the need for them to have a budget for the maintenance of their buildings. That is why we are always on our toes to satisfy our clients and create new ones".
Facility management, according to him, 'is about keeping all the facilities in a building or an estate intact so that the facilities do not depreciate. What we do is to look into all the components of a building like the electrical component, the mechanical component and all other facilities like the plumbing work on the building. We try to maintain the value of a project over time"
While noting that many property owners lacked maintenance culture, he said: 'Ideally, three to five per cent of the value of a project should be set aside for maintenance because it may not be easy to release money for maintenance when the need arises. What we have found out is that it is always a problem to pay out of one's pocket as the need arises. So, it is always good to have a yearly budget to take care of the maintenance of a building. Once it is planned, it is easy to maintain."
According to him, 'every building project is a living thing and there is need to keep it alive through proper maintenance. What we tell people is that it is cheaper to deploy fixed cost to prosecute a maintenance project than to look for money when there is need for a repair work."
Commenting on the building culture in Nigeria, Olashore said 99 per cent of buildings in Nigeria were never completed before the owners moved into them. 'If you observe very well, most of the parts under the staircase of a storey building are never completed. There is a portion that is always left bare without plastering. It is until one moves to a house that one begins to see lapses in the house. And there is always the problem in the variation of cost of building materials. The prices are never fixed. We try to rectify as we go along."
One of the problems operators in the industry face is with the clients. 'Sometimes our clients make undue demands on us. There are areas that we don't have jurisdiction over but they want us to come and do something about those areas. If there is flood in an estate, for instance, some clients believe the facility manager should do something about it."
Another problem according to him has to with the artisans. 'I have a team of artisans working with me. There are some that are hired as the need arises. What I have found out is that artisans want to cut corners. If you don't supervise them very well, you may run into trouble because they will use sub-standard materials for the work you ask them to do." Beyond the facility management, Olashore's outfit also provides logistical support for businesses. 'We take over the headache of a company, whether new or old. Some companies don't like buying cars; they would rather go for lease. We provide such facilities and we provide other services the company might need".
While describing the business climate in Nigeria as challenging, Olashore notes that 'difficult clients are very interesting. They keep you on your toes and get the best out of you. Any person in business can not be successful if they don't pay attention to difficult clients."
The Lyold Anderson boss who had his secondary and tertiary education abroad described Nigeria as the best place to invest. 'Since I came back to Nigeria, some people have been wondering why I had to come back. But I tell them that Nigeria is a fertile ground. The problem we have is that many Nigerians don't think of business opportunities. What we keep doing is to point accusing fingers at people and government. Foreigners come to Nigeria with brief case and leave with lorry load of money yet those of us in the country keep complaining."He urged Nigerians to be creative and explore the opportunities in the country adding, 'No matter what you become in a foreign land, you are still a foreigner. So, the best place to invest is home."
On his management style, he says: 'I don't like oppressing people. That is why I allow my staff some level of freedom. I crack jokes with them and make them to feel at home. And that doesn't stop the work from progressing. I get the best from them by doing what I do." While stating that he had had cause to fire indolent workers, he said: 'A manager should be able to draw the line between work and play. Those who work with you should know when you are serious and they should be productive. But the bottom line is that you must have peace at work. People spend most of their time at work. So, it is important to have peace at work."
SUNDAY PUNCH, August 28, 2005