Diverging slightly from the usually quite serious topics on our blog, an article appeared on the BBC News website which warranted a mention.
It drew attention to one particular cleaner, who in a bid to do a thorough job, had ended up making a very valuable mistake.  Whilst cleaning the Dortmund’s Ostwall Museum , the cleaner damaged a piece of modern artwork, in an attempt to make (what they thought) was the area surrounding the piece, clean and tidy.

The artwork, named “Wenn’s anfaengt durch die Decke zu tropfen”, which when translated means, ‘When It Starts Dripping From the Ceiling’, was created by late German Modern Artist Martin Kippenberger.
When looking at the piece, it’s not hard to understand how the cleaner made a mistake.  The sculpture is composed of strips of wood, nailed together to make an unsteady structure.  Beneath that is a trough-like dish, which had been hand-painted with a patina effect.  The term ‘pantina’ describes a distressed, dusty and dirty appearance, which had been applied to inside the bottom of the bucket.  This looked, as the artist had intended it, like the marks left from rain water that had collected there, and then evaporated.

It was this patina effect painted on the trough that the cleaner had mistaken for dirt.  They then proceeded to scrub this effect off the dish, in order to remove the unsightly blemish.

Unfortunately, by striving for cleanliness, the cleaner made a very costly mistake.  The piece was worth an excess of £624,000, in other words, over $1m.

Due to the death of the artist Kippenberger in 1997, the artwork cannot be restored to its original form, or appear exactly as the artist intended it.  However, the collector who had loaned the piece to the museum is willing to keep the artwork there, in its slightly altered state, until a decision can be made about the way to proceed.
This expensive error by the cleaner appears to be in breach of the instructions they were given prior to commencing work at the museum.  The daily cleaners, provided by a contractor, had been told strictly to remain 20cm away from the pieces in the showrooms.  The staff, according to the report, had been working in the Ostwall Museum since last October, so explanations for why this incident happened are still being searched for.

So as a cleaning contractor, what does this incident say to us at Newlife Cleaning Systems?

Firstly, it’s excellent that the cleaner was leaving no stone unturned, but this story shows that being thorough isn’t always the best thing…

Secondly, the incident seems to have occurred because the cleaner hadn’t followed instructions, or had missed out on an essential briefing.  So this story emphasises the importance of communication within such an organisation.

Finally, it’s a testament to artist Martin Kippenberger that his patina was so convincing that a cleaner felt the need to clean it!

For a daily cleaning service that won’t ruin any highly valuable goods, Newlife Cleaning Systems can offer all types of cleaning service, from specialist cleaning services to daily office cleaning services.  If you would like any more information about us, please contact us on 0800 018 9909.

…Cuts Wheelie Deep.

At the beginning of October 2011, the newspapers were awash with thoughts and opinions on…wheelie bins.  Although it seems difficult to comprehend why the country would be in an uproar over such a small matter (although it’s been in an uproar about a lot less) this subject has really captured people’s imaginations.

So what’s ‘bin happening?  According to the report in the North East’s Evening Chronicle, the weekly bin collection to which we-and our waste habits- have all grown accustomed, is soon to be cancelled.  The government has allocated £250 million pounds of their budget to keeping this weekly bin-emptying service going, but it appears that the people of Tyneside are going to miss out.

The local council will, at best, receive £1m from this allocated fund, if they successfully bid for it at all.  Taking this into account, and the additional £70m government cuts they’ve had to accommodate, Councillors in the North East have reached a decision; announcing at the start of October, that the weekly wheelie bin collection had to go.  In many areas now, the green wheelie bin which holds general waste are to be collected every fortnight, whilst the blue recycling bins will be emptied on alternative weeks.  Although this gives the households subject to the changes a more irregular service, it has still instigated the loss of 12 jobs, which is another concerning blow to the already precarious job situation here in the region.

The article in the Evening Chronicle reported that the Councillors did not take this decision lightly, and that the cuts made to their specific budget forced their hand in making this decision.  Thankfully, one Labour councillor mentioned in the report, many people in the region prefer this decision.  This is because, more often than not, they found their wheelie bins half empty every week and they would instead prefer for the money to be spent on education, and on caring for the young and the elderly.

In a converse opinion, the article contains a quotation from communities’ secretary Eric Pickles, who made the statement that:  “(E)very household in England has a basic right to have their rubbish collected every week.”  As one of the vital views that the article brings up, is that if the government can afford to spare £250m to save the wheelie bins, I can’t help asking the question: Why can’t they spend it on other basic rights, such as creating homes, and caring for the most vulnerable people?  This is what the article suggests the people want.

This question aside, for the households in the North East, the fortnightly bin collection draws some positives.  As the Councillors suggested, a less regular bin collection service may make households more willing to recycle, as they will need to utilize both bins to keep their waste manageable.  And also, by making the decision to reduce collections, it’s good to see the council is making cutbacks in areas they think people are happy to be sacrificed.

There will of course be others who see the loss of the weekly bin collection service as a negative. Firstly, punctuated by a lady named Sue in article, some households may generate more waste than the fortnightly bin collection can accommodate.  This therefore poses the question of where the excess refuse bags go; the waste will either have to sit in the home or in the streets.  Either way, keeping refuse in living spaces will lessen the quality of the environment the people are living in.  In addition to this, there may be some families who feel like other things take precedent over arranging for certain items to be recycled.  There is also the added aside, that there are finances being given out across the country, that the region won’t benefit from.

Of course, Government cuts and what to do with the budget they have, is something that never has an easy answer.  Cuts to wheelie bin collection is one of many government cuts, and the cleaning industry has not been spared from this.  At Newlife Cleaning Systems, we have experienced the effects of the government cuts, which have filtered down through the councils, first-hand.  In recent months, we have found ourselves providing school cleaning services to the region’s schools, when the council removed school cleaner’s from their budget, and left the responsibility to the head teacher.  In times such as these, where every penny counts in every sector, we try to do our best for by providing a service which is competitive on price, without any compromise on quality.  Let’s hope that the same thoughts go to the changes in the wheelie bin service, and that no compromises have to be made to households that suffer the change.

The original article in the Evening Chronicle can be found at:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2011/10/01/fortnightly-bin-collections-still-the-plan-despite-fund-72703-29519927/#ixzz1c1JapVUs

Nowadays Smartphones have become integral to many people’s lives.  If you’re lost, you can access digital maps through your phone’s GPS system.  If you have something you’re compelled to share, you can tweet it, or change your Facebook status by just a tap of the buttons on your phone.  Now, one UK contract cleaning company have taken the Smartphone generation to a new level; utilizing their popularity to create an iPhone app to benefit their business.

The waste disposal cleaning company is the first of its kind to use this type of technology to theirs and their clients’ advantage.  Their app, which has been designed for clients looking for a waste collection service, allows them to receive a quote in a simple, convenient and immediate way.

Once the app is on the client’s iPhone, the welcome page invites them to video the waste they would like the company to dispose of; giving the company an accurate perspective of what they would be removing.  Once the video has been taken, the app then offers the opportunity to select a time when they would like the waste to be removed.  They have a choice of ‘Anytime’, a ‘Specific Date’ or a ‘2 Hour Window.’  The client is also made aware that the more specific their collection time, the higher the cost will be.  After they have requested this, the app uses the GPS on the phone to find their location, which they are then asked to confirm.  Once this is done, a summary of their request us shown to them, which when approved sends an email to the cleaning contractor, requesting a quote.

The contractor then receives all the information, and emails an accurate quote back to the client for this particular service.
This contract cleaning company is moving with the times in a fantastic and efficient way.  Once clients have this app, it is free to use, and makes arranging a waste collection service quick and simple.  They don’t need to make phone calls or arrange a time for an estimator to visit, and they can be given a quick quotation for the job cost without leaving their home.  All they need to do is pick up their mobile phone.

In terms of business, the cleaning contractors themselves are also saving money and time.  With a video of the waste arriving directly to them, they save money on sending a member of staff to the site to assess the cost of its removal.  It is also a very quick and immediate way to access business, and will open the company up to clients who would rather quickly use an app to receive a price, than liaise back and forth with the company.

The design of one of the first iPhone apps to benefit cleaning contractors is an exciting development for the industry.  There is only one element which makes me think the contractor should proceed with caution.  With this type of technology, there is always the danger that it will be misused, and that clients may video less waste than they actually have to remove; causing  complications later on.   Otherwise, I think this is a very positive advancement of technology in the industry, and it won’t be long until other companies follow suit.

Original article about this app, can be found at:  http://www.cleaning-matters.co.uk/stories/articles/-/newsletters/2011/july/news/waste_clearance_iphone_app_launched/.

You can see a video of the app at:  http://www.youtube.com/user/AnyJunkVideo?gl=GB&feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/VIWbrSgOMwQ

Local business is awarded with an accolade that names them ‘clean’ in every possible way…

Newlife Cleaning Systems is a nationally operating cleaning organisation, located on Beach Road in South Shields.  The company has provided a high quality, cost-effective service across the cleaning industry for over 30 years.  Taught by years of experience and intent on providing a package that is both modern and relevant, Newlife have worked hard to obtain a prestigious award, which will allow them to clean up more than just their contract work.

Newlife Cleaning Systems have been granted an ISO 14001: 2004 certificate, acknowledged worldwide for being the highest environmental award that an organisation can attain.  To obtain the award, Newlife Cleaning Systems had to operate an Environmental Management System that adhered to the strict guidelines set in place by the ISO award.

Managing Director of Newlife, Phil Dixon, explains why it was important for the company to obtain the certificate:

“We live in a time where the preservation of the environment is more important than ever, so it became essential for us to update our service to include this.  Having researched many avenues, we decided that the ISO 14001: 2004 was the most relevant and esteemed certificate we could find, and we set our sights on earning it.”

ISO is the International Organisation for Standardization and is responsible for developing and publishing standards on an extensive variety of topics.  ISO is the largest organisation of its kind in the world; affiliated with 162 countries it has a Central Secretariat based in Geneva.  The standards and regulations they set are completely inclusive; applicable to both the public and private sectors, they are without any governmental influence.  ISO ensure that both the requirements of the business and the needs of wider society are met.

To be awarded with the ISO 14001:2004, Newlife had to learn how to become environmentally friendly; reducing the waste produced in their cleaning process, learning how to recycle and to make environmentally sound decisions.  They also had to prove that they strictly followed the official environmental legislations expected of them.  The certificate was only awarded when Newlife provided evidence that their Environmental Management System’s policies, plans and actions were made using the ISO 14001:2004 certificate’s framework; including their organisation’s activities, services and choice of products.

Phil Dixon looks forward to the future of his company with this award is in place:

“We are extremely proud to be working in accordance with the award.  We are now subject to annual reviews to ensure these standards are being maintained, and we will endeavour to continually improve and update our Environmental Management Systems as time progresses.

“We can now guarantee that every process we execute, piece of equipment we operate or product we use, is in compliance with the standards set by this certificate.  As a client of this company, the ISO 14001:2004 gives you the guarantee that you are working with an environmentally conscious organisation that conforms to the legal standards and obligations expected from them.

To know more about the services Newlife Cleaning Systems provide, visit www.newlifecleaning.com or telephone 0800 018 9099 with your enquiry.

Ends: 14.06.11

Notes to editor:

• Interviews with anyone from Newlife Cleaning Systems can be made by contacting Shaun Causer on 0800 018 9099.
• Newlife Cleaning System? can be found at 7 Beach Road, South Shields, NE33 2QA.
• Information on ISO, and the ISO 14001: 2004 can be found at http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_14000_essentials.

National cuts in government funding for the public services, trickling down through our local councils, has left many sectors feeling the pinch.  This has resulted in vital services, once provided by the council, becoming the responsibility of the individual sector in question.  For many, outsourcing these services to specialist companies has become the best solution.

Tyneside schools are a prominent example of this; alternative arrangements for cleaners had to be found when the council gave intent to remove this service in April.  Instead of having in-house cleaners, many opted to use the services of cleaning companies.

Barry Sleightholme, Business Development Manager at Newlife Cleaning Systems, has worked closely with some of these local schools to provide them with new cleaning services.  He explains why outsourcing cleaning has become a viable option for these services.

What are the benefits of outsourcing cleaning?
The main benefit is that you are releasing your cleaning department to another company, who is professionally qualified to provide you with everything you need.  You can expect a high level of delivery, quality, and uniformity with a contractor’s service.  Alongside this, every issue surrounding this department becomes your contractor’s responsibility.  This can include any staffing issues, the standard of cleaning, the procurement of products and supplies and the organisation of the whole operation.  With someone else taking responsibility for all of these tasks, you and your staff can focus on other duties.

Won’t the quality of work decrease?
The quality is more likely to improve when you outsource your cleaning.  Contractors promise an excellent result, which they then go to great lengths to maintain.  They ensure monthly site inspections from the area manager, who makes sure that the cleaning is at the highest standard possible.

It is also this area manager’s job to respond to any concerns or feedback you have, so you have direct contact with them at all times.  When speaking to the schools we worked with, we found that they preferred this instant contact with the company, as they found that queries they had with public sector cleaners had to travel through a number of official channels before they were answered.  Through direct contact, any issues with staff or damaged equipment can be resolved immediately through a phone call, which keeps the standards at a consistent level.

Will the cleaning staff I currently employ be out of a job?
No, they will instead become employees of the cleaning contractors you outsource to.  There are laws in place to protect them from loosing their jobs, or any of their employment rights, if you choose to outsource.
TUPE Regulations, Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) are in place to protect their rights.  This law states that employees’ contracts and job titles must not be altered at all if you hire a contractor to run the department they work in.  The contractor must duplicate the employee’s contract exactly and keep every detail the same.  For example, when we worked with the schools, many of the cleaners previously worked for the council, and had benefits which were unique to the public sector.  When we became their employers, we duplicated these job benefits in full.
This included the matching of existing pension rights, by working with a national provider which possess the required GAD certificate, to facilitate LGPF comparables.
The contractors also become responsible for any CRB clearances, holiday cover, sick cover, payroll, pensions, administration and HR- including disciplinary and grievance issues; every staffing issue becomes the contractor’s responsibility.

What services will I receive if I outsource my cleaning?
Usually, you will receive two different types of cleaning from your contractor.
The first is daily cleaning, which maintains the day-to-day appearance of the building.  When working with the schools, we provided cleaners in the mornings or afternoons depending on their requirements, during term time.
The second is deep-cleaning, which is more extensive work that takes me a bit longer.  This could be anything from stripping the floor, to kitchen extraction, window cleaning or external grounds maintenance.  Working with the schools, we found it best to do this in non-term time, but cleaning contractors will always work with you to find what is best for your company.

What if there was a service I needed that my contractor couldn’t supply?
If your contractor couldn’t provide something in-house, they can usually provide a sub-contract supplier for you, who you could deal with directly.  For example, none of our window cleaners are trained abseilers, but we work with companies who have them, who could provide some if they were needed.

Can it really be cost-effective to outsource to a private company?
When you consider all that outsourcing can include, you will find that it can truly be a cost-effective option for your company.  A way we cut the overall costs for the schools, was to look at some of the extra services that they were paying for, to see if we could provide them more cheaply.

For example, the schools were spending additional funds on paper products, such as toilet roll and paper towels, as well as soaps and hand creams.  We have access to these products, so we helped the schools make a saving by providing them at cost price.  We also assisted them with water management; by controlling the water tanks in the urinals, water costs can be reduced by 80%.  Finally, we helped the schools we were working with to cut down the costs of security.  The school was charged by the council each time the police were called to a break-in; I reduced the costs by using one of our security suppliers, who was available to visit the building after break-ins.

These little adjustments can be made within any public sector, and result in big savings overall, making outsourcing cleaning as cost-effective as it is high quality.

If you are interested in outsourcing your cleaning department, or would like to know more, Newlife Cleaning Systems welcome your enquiries.  You can visit www.newlifecleaning.com, telephone 0800 018 9099 or contact Barry Sleightholme in confidence on 07720 461 582.

“We want residents and visitors to the borough to be able to enjoy their food safe in the knowledge that it has been produced, stored and prepared in a hygienic manner.”

This was spoken to the Government’s News Distribution Service after Mr Chitta R. Das, owner of frozen food company Euroversal International released a statement last week which assured the public that his produce was safe to consume. This came after his factory was exposed for being unhygienic earlier this month. The Food Standards Agency discovered a mouse infestation in the factory and traces of mouse droppings were found inside food packaging, on shelves and in the food itself. The company was charged with six food hygiene offences, fined £5,730 and had their ‘Mithaighar’ yoghurt product recalled.

In areas where food is prepared, packaged and distributed to the public, the hygiene and cleanliness of the building and the staff who work in it must be impeccable.  Any dangerous bacteria must be removed from all surfaces, even if they are not in direct contact with food; harmful bacteria can cause food-related illnesses such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli.

It is the responsibility of business directors who run food factories to adhere to constantly updated rules, regulations and legislations which are monitored by a number of official bodies.  Firstly, the Food Standards Agency, an independent Government department, was set up to monitor food production in the interest of the consumer’s health.  They set guidelines for food preparation, which they monitor and enforce frequently. The BRC, British Retail Consortium also sets a standardised level of hygiene that retailers expect from their suppliers.  They modify the rules frequently and a sixth edition of their regulations is due in 2012.

With all of these pressures on owners of food production factories, it can quickly become impossible for them to keep up. With so many other aspects of running a business to think about, the easiest way to make sure it is done properly, and with minimum fuss, is to get a cleaning contractor to do it for you.

Cleaning contractors are often highly experienced when it comes to working in industry. They are subject to stringent hygiene, safety and cleanliness regulations as part of their job; making it important for them to be knowledgeable in the latest food hygiene and cleanliness laws.

They will have specially-trained teams to set to work, who will be very experienced at working in industrial units.  The contractor will be responsible for staffing issues, including ensuring that staff are up to date will all legislations. The procurement of any specialist equipment and supplies will also become the responsibility of the contractor.

Another issue for owners of food production factories is the time constraints against them; to maximise the company’s productivity they need to be open for business for long periods of time. Some specialist cleaning processes require time and potentially an emptied factory, which could clash with production times. A cleaning contractor will fit in with the company’s schedule and requirements to make it as convenient as possible.

Alongside daily cleaning, there are some special services that a contract cleaning company can offer.  Firstly, there is high level cleaning, which requires experienced staff cleaning hard-to-reach areas, making every surface spotlessly clean. They will also be trained in machinery and process parts cleaning, an essential process that removes the residue of bacteria and it keeps the machines working efficiently; dirty machines break down which makes the factory lose money. Many insurers now also want ventilation and duct cleaning and testing to be undertaken by professional contractors, which they will also be able to help with.

Hiring a cleaning contractor to do your food factory cleaning can therefore ensure that the factory maintains the highest standards, will remove the stresses from a business owner and will undertake regular daily cleaning as well as specialist tasks.

If you would like to know how hiring a contract cleaner can help your business, Newlife Cleaning Systems welcome your enquires on 0800 018 9099, or visit www.newlifecleaning.com.

Desperately excited, grossly indignant or quietly indifferent- everyone had their opinion on the recent Royal Wedding. The luxurious celebration was watched by two billion people, whilst tens of thousands flocked to the mile and a half procession route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, to try and catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

With the world watching the streets of London, it is important to spare a thought for the people who made them look impeccable. The clean-up of London’s streets, both prior to and after the event, was organized and executed with military precision. Here’s how it was done…

The initial clean-up began weeks before London was flooded with visitors from across the globe. The subways leading to and from Westminster tube station were scrubbed vigorously with detergent and wire brushes. This was done by criminals, convicted of minor offences, who chose to volunteer for the duty rather than receiving a prison sentence. This project was organised by Westminster Council through the Community Payback scheme.

The rest of the preparations and post-wedding clean-up were organized by Westminster Council’s waste management & cleaning contractor. They tackled the clean-up with the efficiency you can expect from a contractor; utilizing their resources and staff to get the job done, whilst causing minimal disruption to the public.

A ‘deep cleansing’ of the route was undertaken on the night before the Royal Wedding. This involved using a 15 strong team of cleaners to remove every piece of litter from the procession route. They were assisted by a small Johnston C40 sweeper to do an initial clean, which was then followed by a large Johnston 600 sweeper. After this, they gave the route one final polish with high pressure jets to make sure it was spotless. A statue cleaning team from Westminster City Council worked to rejuvenate the Royal Tank Regiment, Women at War and the Gurkha Soldier statues, which were to be passed by the procession.

On the day of the Royal Wedding, the contract cleaning staff began their work at 2.am; they prepared the procession route by giving it one final sweep. They then laid sand down in places where the horses were likely to slip, and ensured that two gritting machines were placed at strategic intervals on the route. During the royal procession, the contractor’s street cleaners waited until the procession passed by and then immediately entered the area to remove any litter and sand that was left in the wake of the procession, returning it back to it’s spotless state.

Around busy transport stations, they placed an additional 40 sweepers, to keep these densely attended areas neat and tidy. Other cleaners walked amongst the crowd throughout the day, picking up litter left by the public. After the celebrations were over, it didn’t take long for the cleaning team to return the streets of London back to normal.

Regardless of the views on the cost of the Royal Wedding to the public, Westminster Council’s cleaning contractor did an excellent job of preparing for it, and making the city look like it had never happened afterwards. Their exact planning, extra available staff, countless machines and unlimited equipment made the clean-up an unmitigated success.

If you would like to know more about how a contract cleaner can make cleaning up after your event more hassle free, Newlife Cleaning Systems can help you. To make an enquiry telephone 0800 018 9099 or visit www.newlifecleaning.com for more information.

Joe Grundy of The Archers was 88 years old this year and for as long as I’ve listened to that melodic dum,di-dum,di-dum,di-da tune, (it’s actually a Maypole dance called Barwick Green) he has moaned and groaned about his Farmers Lung usually through fits of chesty coughing.

Joe may use Farmer’s Lung for the sympathy angle with Clarrie and the rest of the folk in Borsetshire but extrinsic allergic alveolitis as the medical condition is known can strike the susceptible at home work and play.

Just look at its common names: Bird-fancier’s lung, Hot tub lung, Mushroom worker’s lung, Chemical worker’s lung and Malt worker’s lung.

It strikes the air sacks and passageways of the lungs which become inflamed when sensitised by repeatedly breathing in organic antigens (protein molecules) in a carrier such as dust or steam usually associated with a process. This is the common denominator in all those colloquial names, the process source, – dairy or grain dust, animal dander (think of it as animal dandruff) and water reservoir vapours. And it’s not just an adult disease; pigeon-fanciers lung is occasionally present in children.

It shows itself in many forms. In its acute state symptoms can start within hours of exposure and can be recognised by headaches, chills, flu like feelings with aches and pains. Usually the symptoms, depending on the length of exposure, diminish within the day but can lead to respiratory distress and a high fever.

Its intermittent form can be present as recurring pneumonia with repeated acute attacks (Joe Grundy’s version). With the chronic form even removing the source of the antigens by, and this is an extreme example, giving up work, there may only be partial improvement of the symptoms and permanent lung damage can occur leading to pulmonary hypertension and ultimately even a heart attack.

As always prevention is better than cure. Safety procedures are simple to adopt in themselves. The main difficulty arises in the education and raising awareness of the potential dangers with staff and clients. They simply do not realise the dangers inherent in carrying out certain apparently simple cleaning tasks such as guano removal, water tower cleaning, mill high level works, swimming pools and sites with air conditioning equipment.

Prevention techniques include:

H&S measures at work, including wearing appropriate PPE and adequate air filters and ventilation.

Choosing your hobby carefully and if you are going to keep birds and suchlike consider the use of filtered facemasks whenever handling livestock.

Proper care and maintenance programmes for swimming pools, hot tubs, humidifiers and air-conditioning equipment.

First published 5 years ago Crisis in Cleaning by Scott Young is an invaluable tool for any cleaning contractor or manager with responsibility for premises cleaning especially where hard floors are involved.

In it he willingly shares 56 years experience in the industry with a career spanning window cleaning to building cleaning contractor then on into manufacturing of cleaning equipment based and designed on his many years of practice in the field.

What this book is about is one mans quest to explain the importance of professional cleaning.

It is mandatory reading for all Newlife Cleaning Systems Area Managers which is the highest endorsement we can give.

It doesn’t matter whether you have just started your first commercial contract or you’re a facility manager with a ‘slip and trip’ problem in your client’s kitchens. The answer is in this personal journey to excellence.

A limited number of copies are available, P+P free, to the first 50 readers who register their interest.

please email sales.national@newlifecleaning.com with your postage and contact details

Columbus Dixon Aug 2010

Many people fail in life, not for their lack of natural ability, intellect or drive but simply because they don’t focus their energies like a laser, on their end goal.

In the contract cleaning industry, whether you’re a Site Manager, Supervisor, Team leader, Contracts Manager or a Surveyor it is too easy to simply become overwhelmed with normal day-to-day activities that all you can do is take one step at a time. Yes, this may help you get through the week but operating at this level will not move you any closer to achieving your BIG over riding goals. You will simply be treading water.

Here are some simple “rules” to ensure that you keep your ultimate objective in mind while at the same time achieving the incremental steps, which take you closer and closer to your goal without losing yourself in the minutiae of day-to-day working life.

First of all never forget that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! It’s seems an old corny saying but it has a heck of a lot of truth in it.

You must imagine exactly the result or objective you want to achieve. Smell it, imagine it, and touch it. How does it make you feel? What positive outcomes will it have for you and your Team in the long run?

Once you have got your objective firmly fixed in your mind and you know this is what you are aiming for 100% you should then make yourself a road map with key stages or milestones that you know you must achieve. When you have it all thought out in your head put it down in writing! As soon as you commit your thoughts to paper it is as if you have carved it in stone. This way you stop your mind playing tricks on you and allowing you to forget / downgrade the importance / allow self-doubt to creep in and erode your single mindedness.

To further ensure your goals become reality when you commit them to paper, use the SMART acronym. This is a simple tool to use when writing your goals and objectives down.

Specific – Know exactly what your goal is.

Measurable – Know whether you achieved the goal.

Achievable – Speaks for itself.

Relevant – Relates to the big picture.

Timely – When will you reach the goal?

It’s said that only 5% of people actually write down their goals.

If you truly want to see improvement and growth in whatever you do, take the time to create SMART objectives then regularly hold yourself accountable by checking progress against these written down goals. Otherwise you will continue living one day at a time, working hard but not SMART.