Every facilities professional has a story about the moment when things didn’t go according to plan.
In this special compilation episode of Facility Rockstars, we’re revisiting conversations with Robert “Bob” Mack, Director of Facilities and Laboratory Operations at Korro Bio; Andrew DelPrete, Senior Facility Manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance and former President of IFMA Boston; Mark Netherton, Maintenance Manager at Grower Direct Farms; Carrie Battafarano, formerly Maintenance Manager at Nouria and now Business Development Manager at A-PRIME; Jeff Chierepko, Vice President of Global Facilities Management, Construction, CRE & EHS at SIG Sauer; Derek Earp, formerly Facilities Manager at UG2; and Jeff Beaudry, Regional Facilities Director at Appleton Corporation.
Together, they share some of the toughest challenges they’ve faced throughout their careers and what it took to work through them. From a devastating facility fire and high-stakes safety incidents to troubled construction projects, vendor communication breakdowns, transitioning into management, and developing the next generation of leaders, these stories show just how much can land on the shoulders of a facilities professional.
More importantly, they reveal what happens next.
You’ll hear how preparation can make the difference when an emergency strikes, why communication and trusted relationships matter when solving problems, and why sometimes the biggest leadership challenge is resisting the urge to do everything yourself.
Takeaways:
Preparation shows its value when something goes wrong. Training, procedures, and strong safety programs give teams something to fall back on when they’re faced with an unexpected incident.
A strong team can make an enormous difference during a crisis. One facilities team went from losing power, water, technology, and major portions of its operation in a fire to restoring essential systems within days.
Direct communication can prevent small problems from becoming recurring ones. When information has to pass through multiple vendors, the original expectations can easily get lost.
Get the right people in the room. Construction, design, facilities, and project teams working in separate “pods” can create unnecessary meetings and slow down decision-making.
Not every meeting needs to be an hour. Focused conversations with the people who can actually make decisions can keep projects moving.
Doing it yourself isn’t always good leadership. Taking the time to teach, delegate, and let others take ownership is essential for developing a team that can operate without relying on one person.
Developing leaders requires continued support. Promoting talented people is only the beginning. Leaders need to stay engaged, check in, and help the people around them grow.
Challenges become experience you can use later. The lessons learned from past mistakes and difficult situations can make teams better prepared for whatever comes next.
Quote of the Show:
“It’s the best way to learn is making mistakes, and I’ve made, like, all of them.” — Jeff Chierepko
Links:
Mark Netherton
Email: manetherton@gmail.com
Derek Earp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekearp/
Carrie Battafarano
Jeff Chierepko
Bob Mack
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmack9/
Andrew DelPrete
Jeff Beaudry