Partnering in FM: addressing conflict in facilities management contracts

In my experience contractors feel more comfortable in their traditional role, and therefore answerable to the purchasing company (probably through the FM).

We are relocating to new premises and during the various construction and fit-out phases just trying to get various contractors to tie-into the ethos of a common set of goals was hard. Telling them what to do, when, and who followed them was much easier!

Firstly, I would challenge Mr Pickard's statement that there is a culture of adversarial contract-based relationships" within Facilities Management. There certainly are a number of these but I think they are the exception rather than the norm and all the Facilities Managers of my acquaintance deal very professionally with suppliers and contractors. Yes, they want the best deal they can get but they are not bullies or adversarial and get the best deals they can manage by reasonable negotiation and not by more forceful means.

Secondly, partnerships are fine in theory but are actually cloud cuckoo land. No matter how fine the words used, or all the good intentions that are spoken of, the relationship always boils down to "Master/Slave" when push comes to shove. Everything can be rosy for months or even years and then when something goes seriously awry you will always (I shall say that again - ALWAYS) hear comments such as - "You're only contractors, you do as I say", or "I am fed up with you people, you don't even work for us", or "Don't you tell me what to do, you are only a contractor".
As soon as that veneer of "partnership" is scratched the most appalling statements are made which are designed to put one of the parties firmly in their place. i.e slave

No, partnerships are not the answer because I don't believe they can ever really exist - no matter what outsourcing companies and others may say. Good professional co-operation with both sides recognising that there is expertise within the other party would seem to me to be the right way to do business.

Mr Pickard's final principle is very telling - "Agreeing an exit strategy".
Maybe he should have said
"A partnership isn't only for Christmas but is fine until you decide to go your separate ways".
See, told you they never work!