Clients look for their vendor partners to be an extension of their team. In our zealousness to find ways to help, we run the risk of missing what is on the table to discuss versus what is currently acceptable. Here are thoughts on how to identify situations to question processes/methods of others. When a process […]
“So, how do I look?” There are some questions that create instant crossroads. I want to tell the truth, I want to protect the other person’s feelings, I want to share productive thoughts. So many wants, so few ways to meet them all. All too often the answer is provided, even if it is not […]
Honoring the connection between business breakthroughs and family foundation, Loyola University Family Business Center recently recognized Resicom as a finalist for the 18th annual Illinois Family Business of the Year Award. CEO John Fairclough accepted the award on Resicom’s behalf November 29th ceremony at Chicago Four Seasons. Resicom was founded as a family venture over […]
UIC announces a special event from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The program will clarify the differences among types of intellectual property and explain how inventors, writers, artists, and businesses can use the resources of the USPTO to protect their ideas. The program is free, however advanced registration is required. Please call (312) 747-4400 to […]
The Resicom sales and solution team arrived in Texas this weekend to prepare for this week’s SPECS show (store planning, equipment, construction and facilities services). The 3 1/2 day event brings together retailers and vendors to share ideas, industry trends, develop business relationships and offer facility challenge solutions. This is the first year that Resicom […]
Work was completed at the end of January on the remodel of the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa Mesa, CA. RFMA member companies and individuals donated materials, equipment and services, as well as their own time to help us complete our first project of RFMA Gives. We are so grateful for everyone’s support. Someone […]
John Fairclough, Resicom CEO Resicom Founder and CEO John Fairclough has been inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame! Joining the ranks of entrepreneurs twice his age, Fairclough was honored with the induction on Thursday, February 24th at the Chicago Hilton. The Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies (IES) of the University of Illinois at […]
Value of a Dollar Consider this truth: Not all dollars are created equally. Some revenue gets us closer to our goals than others – it all depends on the desired outcomes. A leader’s goals include (1) protecting the company and (2) nurturing it to grow. In order to protect our company, some of our desired […]
I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way. -Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States of America
http://bit.ly/dLHrFs When John Fairclough started his facility maintenance company, The Resicom Group, he had only a few employees and enjoyed interacting with each one of them. As time went on, the company, based in Lemont, Illinois, grew and Faiclough felt more and more disconnected. So he decided to implement a mandatory mentorship program to help fill […]
Steve Wipfler you are our plow king! Mother nature hasn’t been too kind lately sending over 2 feet of snow. When the rest of us were hunkered down and staying warm, you were out not only plowing our parking lots, but driving around to help neighbors and residents. Thank you for your great community […]
“Communication is the real work of leadership.” -Nintin Nohria, 10th Dean of Harvard
Resicom will again partner with The Entrepreneurial Student Teams Program (ESTP) at University of Illinois- Chicago. The creative and dynamic teams offer fresh perspective and innovative efforts to company initiatives and strategy. Resicom, in turn provides real-world application and business experience share to compliment student instruction. Teams are comprised of two to four graduate or upper-level […]
How can bathroom partitions deter would-be graffiti artists? Summary Facility maintenance management faces the aggravation of bathroom partitions being an easy target for graffiti. Maintaining presentable, unmarred bathroom partitions was a pain point for a national client. Scope of the Work Research and source options to replace existing material. Install new partitions according to compliance […]
How can an asset capture be provided for almost 200 locations in 2 weeks? Summary With national ADA regulation changes set to become effective in March 2011, a retailer needed a comprehensive asset capture of individual stores. The retailer needed the consulting information delivered for over 170 stores in a 2 weeks time frame. Scope […]
“If your team does not truly believe that you care about them, they will not follow you.” – John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
PRSM (Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association) will host a trade webinar on February 16, 2011 at 2 p.m. CST. Joe Reardon, Concrete Product Specialist from PROSOCO, Inc will lead the discussion. One (1) Continuing Education Unit available towards RFMP Designation Renewal will be earned by attending the webinar. “By attending this webinar you will walk […]
How can preventative maintenance structure apply to brand details? Summary A national retailer has synthetic greenery and plants strategically placed throughout each store. The placement and use of plants plays a significant role in their overall branding, and even the way fronds hang must be staged according to specific directions. The cleaning company being used […]
Many leaders struggle with work/life balance. Many times parts of our lives are sacrificed for the betterment of another. The problem is that we often do not return to build up the sacrificed areas. This exercise will help you identify where you are at and help you put in place activities that bring you your […]
We have important (at least we think so) things to say, but sometimes run into a wall for ideas of where to start. I have created a “cheat sheet” that helps me generate ideas. Since each of my posts has a specific purpose, I have organized these categories to help get me unstuck. Quick Note […]
Delegate Desired Outcomes Stifling creativity can be a devastating habit for a company. Avoid this pitfall by abstaining from micromanagement activities. As an example, consider how you can empower your people’s creativity in how you delegate. Example: Our Task Description Connect with Mr. Smith to learn of his interest in becoming a client. He is […]
Assigning Ultimate Responsibilities An employee is easily underutilized when they are assigned tasks rather than responsibilities. Consider how you can gain a more dedicated advocate for the company by charging employees with ultimate responsibilities. Example: Our Offer Letters – New Hires All employees are charged with upholding the core values and executing the strategy of […]
Explain WHY before the WHAT Being defined by what we do limits understanding and communication opportunities. We remove this constraint by focusing on WHY we do things before we explain WHAT we do. Below is an example of how Resicom has adopted this non-limiting behavior in our company. Example: Our Elevator Pitch We believe in […]
“Complacency doesn’t make sense for a guy trying to redefine normal.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #15. Focus Messages that have multiple calls to action can be confusing for our audience. We can eliminate this confusion narrowing our focus on one call to action at a time. Be mindful of those things that can remove focus from the main objective of our communication. Common Distractors: Large, prominent […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #14. Assume makes an… Most customers are turned off when we assume to know their needs and how we can fill them. We can be more effective at building a relationship if we avoid making assumptions and instead encourage a dialogue for deeper understanding. Below is an example of how our […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #13. Be Relevant Sharing irrelevant information can make your audience suspicious and/or lose trust in you. Clearly explaining why you are sharing the information helps remove the potential for confusion or mistrust. The following will help you provide this clarity to your audience. Filters: Why am I sharing this information? […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #12. Behind Door #3 Our audience can lose faith in us if we demonstrate an underdeveloped thought or behavior. One way we can avoid this situation is by eliminating pre-determined solutions from our messages. See below for some options. Best Practices: Removing the “this OR that” wording — it creates two […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #11. Think Twice, Speak Once We can avoid confusing our audience by getting to the point as quickly as possible. This less is more approach to communication is most effectively implemented when we have a clear communication objective. A phrase to keep in mind might be “think twice and speak once.” […]
The upgraded MyFacilitiesNet gives facilities professionals the chance to post online thread discussions on a variety of topics, including Fire Safety, Flooring HVAC, Lighting, and Plumbing & Restrooms.
“We are all on a collision course with ourselves. Inevitably, our existing habits will be counter-productive to achieving our bigger picture goals. To avoid the crash, we need to regularly review how we are doing things and make adjustments as needed.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
True value comes in the questions that are asked, not the answers that are given. More insights can be gleaned by asking questions for deeper understanding. Below are examples of how you can use questions to gain deeper insights. In what situations do I leave my team feeling that I don’t understand them? When I’m […]
My outlook on life changed radically by becoming the leader of a company. It took me a while to catch on to what was happening to me. I learned how important the path was to the destination. My answers were being sought out. Critical thinking was a strength of mine. People would ask my thoughts […]
Throughput Success Six Sigma is an approach to improving the quality of products and services that are made using a process. Almost every business can benefit from systematizing their approach (the company’s “way of doing things”) into a process. And, Six Sigma is a way to reveal improvement opportunities within that process. Yield The term […]
Cure vs Remedy Businesses struggle with balancing risk and reward. Many times, leaders or managers are drawn to installing band-aids over issues. The logic is easy to follow – the company experienced an injury because of an error, and then an additional step is placed on the workflow meant to eliminate the risk of it […]
Tension Tolerance Tension Tolerance refers to a leader’s ability to absorb tension. The source of the tension may be related to conflict amongst team members, project deadlines, or workflow processes. In each of these situations, a leader has the choice to grow stronger from the conflict or grow weaker because of it. A leader must […]
A Rose by Any Other Name… Failure – It’s a commonly accepted truism – We learn more from our failures than from our successes. But how do we benefit from these lessons learned? How can we tell that we learned anything at all? And why are failures viewed as being bad??? We have a way […]
Recovering from a Suspension Following a suspension, it is important to be clear about your desired outcomes. Almost universally, the desired outcome for this suspended employee is that he/she comes back: Confident Committed Ready to work Leaders can direct the tone of this transition period. Below are a few tips on ensuring that you create […]
So you Think you can Lead… The final step in building raving followers is showing that you care about your team. It is extremely difficult for a team member to be motivated to go above and beyond for a leader if that leader shows no care for his/her team members. Without an evidence that a […]
So you Think you can Lead… Teams need to know that they can trust their leader. This is the second test a leader must pass to build raving followers. There are simple signs that provide evidence that a person can be trusted or not trusted. A team must be confident that the person leading them […]
So you Think you can Lead… No, this is not a press release for a new reality TV series. There are, however, three tests to see if your team considers you a leader or just a manager. The first test is if your team believes that you know what you are doing. Your team will […]
High Authority and Low Influence = Mediocrity Gap The difference between high authority and low influence creates what we call the “Mediocrity Gap.” Followers disconnect from their leader when they feel obligated rather than motivated to do something. Duty vs Responsibility The obligation comes from performing out of a sense of duty to an authority. […]
At the Winter Educational Event at the Museum of Science and Industry, held February 9th, 2011, from 3 to 8:30pm guests will discover a link between science, technology and business brand consultancy. A panel of Chicago business leaders will lead the discussion. Following is an Omnimax movie presentation/ keynote address from The Discovery Channel’s Reed […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #10. They Know the Answer Asking questions can be an effective way to empower our audience. By giving them an opportunity to answer a question, we not only engage our audience but we also show them that their insights matter. Compare the results of asking questions versus giving answers. Answer: Attend […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #7. Break the Rules – Document Structure We often miss an opportunity to engage our readers by the way we structure our documents. Freeing ourselves from the traditional document structure rules helps us keep our audience interested in reading more of what we have to say. See the differences below. Traditional […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #6. Break the Rules – Paragraph Structure Abiding by the standard writing format can prove to disengage an audience. We believe that an alternative approach to communication can be more effective. Compare the standard paragraph structure to a typical Resicom communication piece. Traditional Paragraph Structure First Sentence: Declaration of Something Second […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #5. Speak their Dialect Your audience will disengage if you communicate too much or too little to them. Delivering the correct amount and type of information according to their preferences helps them engage more quickly and easily. Consider the following tips when crafting the content of your message. Deductive Reasoning respond […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #4. Speak their Language Communicating in a format that is most comfortable for your audience will help them understand you better. Converting your message into their preferred format helps remove translation error. Consider the following tips when crafting the structure of your message. Visual Learners respond well to: Written information Categorical […]
“The clearer you are about why you want to accomplish a goal, the easier it will be to figure how to accomplish it.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
“Stop me when I’m making too much sense.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
“The role of a leader is to serve his people. We absolutely must first serve the people who we want to lead. They must be able to rely on the leader as much as we hope to rely on them.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #3. Choose your Questions Wisely Asking irrelevant questions can make your audience suspicious and/or lose trust in you. Clearly explaining why you are asking a question helps remove the potential for confusion or mistrust. The following will help you provide this clarity to your audience. Filters: Why am I asking this […]
A business may start with a great idea, but not a great financial plan. The reality and expense of bringing an idea or service to market is a difficult obstacle. Expanding that same business into a repeatable process derails many business leaders. SMARTspend is a resource to help business leaders analyze costs and control spend. […]
Restaurants, retailers, hoteliers and property managers all invest time, talent and of course expense to ensure that their customer experience is just that- an experience. Consumers have a myriad of choices on where to shop, dine, spend and stay. This leads to even higher expectations, especially when customers award their loyalty to a particular brand. […]
What is SMARTfit? SMARTfit is a component of the SMARTspend program that answers the question “How can I complete a roll-out project cost effectively, with the right visibility?” It should be normal for clients and vendor partners to collaborate on the most effective way to execute a project. To accomplish this, we need to: Create […]
What is SMARTplan? SMARTplan is a component of the SMARTspend program that integrates SMARTvisit and SMARTscope. It combines the preventative, bundled approach to the on-demand component, effectively absorbing work orders into on demand visits.
What is SMARTscope? SMARTscope is a component of the SMARTspend program that answers the question “How can I gain visibility of the condition of my stores and bundle the repairs cost effectively?” It should be normal for a vendor to understand its clients needs and provide a report designed around the client’s standards. To accomplish […]
What is a SMARTvisit? The SMARTvisit is a component of the program that answers the question “How can I get more value from each on-demand work order?” It should be normal for a company to maximize value delivered on each interaction. To accomplish this, we need to: Create a specific checklist of things to be […]
Resicom believes in the bold pursuit of what normal could be. For us, it’s a mindset. Imagine a company that focuses on asking questions to understand others. Communication becomes a connection between people whether clients, employees, or vendors. When understanding is achieved, that knowledge can be used to create options to empower others. We […]
Laurie Ledonne is the epitome of Resicom. She is adaptive, smart, creative, loyal, and principled. Her approach to building our company’s personnel is inspiring. She has a knack of recruiting talented people, seeing where they could flourish, then putting them in the position to succeed. Her skills have redefined normal for me. I am so […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #2. Cut the Crud Simplifying your message increases the likelihood that your audience will understand your point. One way to do this is by removing unnecessary words and examples. Use these filters to strip wasted words from your salient points. Filters: Is the goal of the communication clear? Can my point […]
Communication Tips (SERIES) Tip #1. Connect to the Audience First The sooner you connect to your audience’s needs, the sooner they will be willing to listen to what you have to say. Organizing your communication to speak to their needs first will help you connect with your audience more effectively. The following questions to assist […]
“I’m the CEO. My job is to get out of the way. I work with smart people and trust they can accomplish their goals. So I make sure to focus on removing roadblocks for them and then resume getting out of their way.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
“My role as CEO is to protect the company AND nurture it to grow.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
Retailers are seeing a growing demand for their brands worldwide. With this tremendous opportunity comes a handful of frustrating obstacles – communication barriers, difficulty in visibility, and time zone differences. These present a new set of problems for national facility managers. It should be normal for a retailer to be serviced the same, anywhere in […]
“Don’t make your audience play Jeopardy. Giving your answer before asking the question puts your audience at a disadvantage. It will also reveal your biases. Make it clear what question you are trying to answer first. Then allow your audience to engage in answering the question too.” -John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
That’s the first question you usually ask of someone new whether at a backyard BBQ or a black tie affair. It’s a question ingrained in polite conversation. But what if when meeting someone new, that person put forth the effort to understand you, and not just what your hands do for a living. Wouldn’t […]
“When your team questions your competence, your ability to influence is shot.” – John Fairclough, CEO Resicom
A recent online article outed certain big box retailers for their elusive adherence to price match policies. A Gallup poll cites only 19% of Americans have “confidence in big business”. ABC news reported more and more employees experience what they consider to be disregarded verbal contracts on the part of their employer, but simply choose […]
No facility manager wants to be blind-sided; it’s expensive and aggravating. Preventing problems before they happen saves sanity, time, and money. Planned inspections provide consistency to protect your brand. Here is a link about how turning prevention into a repeatable process boosts visibility, efficiency and is more cost effective. Click here for our Maintenance Tips
An entertainment company owns movie theaters throughout the country, many of which were purchased from original owners. While each theater has unique characteristics and nostalgic styling, few meet today’s ADA compliance standards. The client needed a sliding tray installed in a ticket booth and the counter access retrofitted to meet current ADA height guidelines. Click here […]
Click for ADA Sample Assessment ADA regulations impact almost every part of the way a hotel business functions – from bathroom accommodations to public accessibility. There are dozens of potential violations a hotelier faces. There are groups popping up around the country who aim to exploit violations through lawsuits. This summer, Attorney General Eric Holder signed […]
Click for ADA Sample Assessment ADA regulations impact almost every part of the way a retail business functions – from the width of its aisles to the height of its counters. There are dozens of potential violations a retailer faces. There are groups popping up around the country who aim to exploit violations through lawsuits. This […]
An entertainment company owns movie theaters throughout the country, many of which were purchased from original owners. While each theater has unique characteristics and nostalgic styling, few meet today’s ADA compliance standards. The client needed a sliding tray installed in a ticket booth and the counter access retrofitted to meet current height guidelines. Scope of the […]
ADA regulations impact almost every part of the way a retail business functions – from the width of its aisles to the height of its counters. There are dozens of potential violations a retailer faces. There are groups popping up around the country who aim to exploit violations through lawsuits. This summer, Attorney General Eric […]
Eagle Scout candidates sent Resicom letters of appreciation for assistance with their service projects. Scouts affiliated with St. Alphonsus/ St. Patrick Troop 49 in Lemont, Illinois were able to make good use of donated building materials. Paint, shelving and other supplies were provided to the troop so that appropriate supply storage rooms could be created […]
Happy employees mean satisfied clients. Tell us about your best customer service story and you could win a downtown Chicago getaway with a $100 Lettuce Entertain You Gift Certificate. Check out the Resicom Inc. FaceBook page for complete details. Become a fan and share your ideas for what normal should be for your chance to […]
“We are working hard to ensure that the ADA keeps up with technological advances that were unimaginable 20 years ago,” said Attorney General Holder. “Just as these quantum leaps can help all of us, they can also set us back – if regulations are not updated or compliance codes become too confusing to implement. […]
Revisions and more stringent adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act has recently been signed into law. Compliance must commence no later than March 15, 2011. The new standards will encompass all U.S. hotels, banks, retail stores and shopping centers, restaurants and recreational facilities. Property owners and facility management now have the task of […]
October 6, 2010 John Fairclough, CEO of Resicom, has been invited as a guest contributor for DePaul Univerisity’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center’s blog. The Coleman Center enriches second stage business owners by offering experience share, insights and practical applications within the business world. The Coleman Center Community Blog Community recently highlighted Fairclough’s “Outside of the Office”. […]
A rumor exists that the Golden Gate Bridge has a full-time paint crew that works year round. Urban legend has it that as soon as the painters are finished with the length of the bridge, they return once again to the beginning and repeat. They never cease in the application of the orange vermillion color […]
No one looks forward to confrontation. But holding employees accountable is what holds a business to its goals and purpose. In a small business environment, have a systematic process for disciplining and even releasing employees is critical. Our strategy actually includes steps before the discipline/termination process begins. I believe it should be normal for people […]
“Catastrophe” is defined as an event causing unexpected and sudden damage. Torrential rain and flash flooding destroyed hundreds of homes in a suburb of Chicago after a summer storm. For Resicom, the destruction was personal. Employees had family members living and affected in the area. Resicom took it upon itself to react quickly to the situation, […]
How do you respond with quick thinking solutions and resources when a car crashes through a storefront. Summary A client who schedules preventative maintenance and national rollouts had a critical facility emergency. A car had driven right into one of their locations, causing tremendous damage to the front of the building and structure. The facility […]
The leader needs to create clarity in why the organization exists, what its goals are, and the plan it is using to get there. This clarity needs to live in all aspects of the company. The company’s processes must be built using this clarity. I believe another key CEO responsibility is to build/recruit a […]
What is the key trait a CEO should have? Outside of the ethical/moral ones, many desired traits oppose one another. One person says passionate, the other says logical. Another says “Driven” and yet another says “Patient”. Who is right? It cannot be answered with certainty, as it is a subjective question. There are a […]
September 13, 2010 In bold pursuit of providing normalcy to the facility management industry, Resicom will continue its European expansion this week when it begins new project rollout Italy. This comes in the wake of Resicom’s expansion into the United Kingdom. International expansion remains a priority for the company, having also completed a multi-province retail refresh […]
Shouldn’t it be normal for a vendor-partner to complete projects consistently, regardless of where the projects are located? We believe it should be normal for a company to gain experience, deposit it into a central hub, then use it the next time a similar project arises. We call it the Knowledge Bank. Building and maintaining […]
What makes Resicom different? Every company has a distinct culture- the history, the creativity, the ingenuity behind what keeps the company growing and moving forward. We call these legendary stories. How do you provide full, nationwide service within a growing company located in a few select cities? Resicom hires experts in their specific field and […]
It should be normal for a company to provide a sense of security of employment for its employees. Ask a group of people to define- “What does job security mean?”. In today’s volatile economic climate, people might respond that security simply means knowing your job will be there tomorrow and the day after that. […]
What makes Resicom different? Every company has a distinct culture- the history, the creativity, the ingenuity behind what keeps the company growing and moving forward. We call these legendary stories. Thanks, in part to Resicom, my brother and I have been able to buy a beautiful home. The company is about consistency. Consistency with what […]
It should be normal for companies to help its employees fulfill their need to give back to the community. Let’s face it. We call it work because it’s time spent away from family, friends and personal interests. But what if you can find a job for which you have passion, interest and inspiration? Suddenly, […]
What makes Resicom different? Every company has a distinct culture- the history, the creativity, the ingenuity behind what keeps the company growing and moving forward. We call these legendary stories. Resicom has had countless family-oriented gatherings outside work with some of the best food you have ever eaten. I think the people of Resicom […]
For many children, one of the most exciting parts of back to school is shopping for brand new school supplies. But for families in financial crisis, the idea of the additional expense of new supplies, clothes and shoes for back to school is anything but exciting. Little Beans, an organization dedicated to providing children with […]
DePaul University’s Colemam Entrepeneur Center hosted a business symposium entitled “Breakthroughs”. Held at the Metropolitan Club in Chicago, October 28, invited speakers presented a 20-minute experience share. Resicom CEO, John Fairclough joined a group of 18 accomplished business owners and industry leaders. All speakers shared personal stories of a time when they had their back […]
What makes Resicom different? Every company has a distinct culture- the history, the creativity, the ingenuity behind what keeps the company growing and moving forward. We call these legendary stories. We asked our employees to share in their own words what makes Resicom unique. “Resicom harnesses cutting edge technology to its fullest potential. Resicom doesn’t […]
What makes Resicom different? Every company has a distinct culture- the history, the creativity, the ingenuity behind what keeps the company growing and moving forward. We call these legendary stories. We asked our employees to share in their own words what makes Resicom unique. “Resicom is a pretty big operation but at its heart, it […]
What makes Resicom different? Every company has a distinct culture- the history, the creativity, the ingenuity behind what keeps the company growing and moving forward. We call these legendary stories. We asked our employees to share in their own words what makes Resicom unique. “It is refreshing to work for a company dedicated to bringing […]
What makes Resicom different? Every company has a distinct culture- the history, the creativity, the ingenuity behind what keeps the company growing and moving forward. We call these legendary stories. We asked our employees to share in their own words what makes Resicom unique. “The Director of Operations and I had a rather heated discussion […]
