The Eight Cowboy Codes Are The Creed That Guides iOffice
By now, many of you have likely heard about my partner and my book Wide Open Workspaces: Trailblazing Solutions for Tomorrow’s Workforce; hopefully you have even downloaded the first chapter. In our book we compare today’s facilities manager to the American cowboy of the past and how they achieved success on the open range The 21st Century facilities manager is in a unique position, as they have a wide open range of opportunity to have a dramatic impact on the workplace and the organization as a whole. Theirs is a position of influence and it is their duty to explore all available options.
As the modern day cowboy, FMs must follow the same codes the cowboys lived by. With iOffice’s roots firmly planted in the FM software industry, these eight codes are what guide us daily, as we continue to develop and improve on the tools facilities managers and their organizations need to transform into leaders in their industry.
Cowboys Blaze New Trails
The only way to be a leader in your industry is to continuously strive to learn, evolve and innovate. If you are not developing new ideas for your employees, as well as your customers, someone else will. We take this code very seriously—constantly seeking to strike out in new directions that will aid our clients in their path to greatness. Through the valued opinions of our customers, iOffice’s developers are continuously improving our solutions, as well as creating new ones to fit all our customers’ needs.
Possess The Ten-Gallon Courage To Do What Needs To Be Done
Striking out on new paths is rarely easy. As the old saying goes-—“if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” While success if not always guaranteed, possessing the courage to create bold new ideas and build on current concepts is the only way to blaze new trails in today’s competitive market.
Cowboys Take Pride In Their Chores
The cowboys’ job may not have always been a glamorous one, but they took pride in everything they did. Regardless of the details of the project, we take our job very seriously. Our customers look to us for guidance, advice and support, and they receive nothing less than the best. The success of our clients is our primary focus and iOffice is unwilling to accept anything less.
Keeping An Eye Out For What Works
The cowboys’ role was a complicated one, as they often had to do more with less. Armed with few tools, yet tasked with duties that very few had the courage to try, they were forced to live very simply. Utilizing each tool for multiple tasks was critical to their very survival. With so many details to manage, the 21st Century FM would do well to live by this code. We strive daily to ensure our tools simplify rather than complicate. After all, a complicated tool is one that gets placed on a shelf, never to be used again.
The Cowboy’s Word Is Gold
A solid relationship is built on honesty and trust. Cowboys were part of a team, with each member having their own set of tasks to manage. The strength of their team was reliant on each member’s performance, often with their very survival at stake. Therefore, trust was critical. The members of the iOffice team recognize the valuable role we play in our clients’ success. The relationships we form are built on the very honesty and trust that guided the cowboys through the vast unknown.
Cowboys Get Together For The Roundup
Late night campfire stories and discussions were critical to the cowboys’ survival. These campfire talks rounded up the entire team encouraged collaborative discussion, as well as built trust. Regardless of your profession, there is no single person who has all of the answers. Collaboration breeds new ideas and is a critical component in paving the path through unexplored territories.
Cowboys Ride For The Brand
Loyalty and commitment as well as pride in their work were the driving forces behind the cowboys’ success. Our commitment to the Wide Open Workspace movement is what drives us each and every day. Our commitment to the facilities management profession is what guides us on our journey as we work to create new solutions in this technology-driven society.
Without the courage and drive of the cowboys, America would not be what it is today. While times have changed dramatically since the Wild West days, those of us who strive for success both personally and professionally stand to learn much from our ancestors. The cowboy code is what drives our mission as we fight for further success of both our customers and our FM industry.
