André Jones discusses the new skills required for facilities leaders to succeed in the modern workplace, including using AI, sales, and marketing.
In episode 21, I’m very excited to welcome André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One. From Clark Construction to Lumen Technologies and now Capital One, Jones has a proven track record of overseeing millions of square footage across hundreds of buildings to create great workplace experiences for thousands of employees. He was recently named to Skedda’s Top 20 Facilities Leaders Shaping Hybrid Work in 2024, and that’s why he joins us as a hero of hybrid work today.
André Jones had a military background and later worked as a defense analyst. His journey into the facilities management profession began when he was tasked with whipping a facilities team into shape, eventually leading to a passion for leadership, problem-solving, and optimizing the built environment.
“Being a soldier, you’re always a learner. You’re pushing yourself to the brink, seeing where you can go, what’s the extremes. Those are practical applications when you’re in facilities as you look at the safety and welfare of every person that walks into my building.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
André Jones shared that the facilities leader role has evolved significantly over the last few years, especially post-COVID, with a shift towards creating work environments that attract employees back to the office. He mentioned that only a few years ago, facilities were lagging behind the transformations or were simply reactive to issues that came up. With this evolution, facilities leaders have become more proactive in driving workplace transformations and addressing the changing needs of organizations and employees.
“I call us the consummate problem solvers. It’s just naturally right up our alley in our course of work where we want to contribute and make sure that work environment, whether it’s home, in the office, in a coffee shop, or anywhere, that unique experience is palpable and attractive for all.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
André Jones further shared that facilities leaders are now required to have a diverse skill set that includes sales and marketing in order to effectively communicate the benefits of returning to work. Soft skills such as storytelling and salesmanship are becoming more important for facilities managers in the current work environment.
He discussed the importance of bringing the human element back to work and the challenges in doing so. He explained that everyone needs to be better at listening and understand that they’re all neighbors. For a workplace—especially a hybrid one—to work, everyone at the organization needs to identify collectively that they are a community within their organization.
“We are now at the cross section of everything from technology to HR, people relations, employee engagement, strategy, when you’re talking about asset management, to financials. We’re at the pinch point where we’re either being consulted to do such or we’re taking the lead on where we want to go for the future.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
He emphasized the need for a diplomatic and empathetic leadership style, along with being comfortable with being uncomfortable. He discussed the importance of leadership principles such as listening, empathy, and understanding in building a collaborative environment within organizations. These principles may have taken a back burner during the COVID-19 crisis but are now recognized as essential for maintaining a positive work culture.
André Jones focused on empowering facilities leaders to step up and drive change within their organizations, emphasizing the importance of building strong teams, fostering psychological safety, and leveraging diverse perspectives to make a meaningful impact.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to report up to different avenues, whether it's been operations, HR, or finance. Having those different perspectives helped me know how to target the audience to make an influence and change. I think too often in our careers as facility leaders, we’ve just been akin to one style. Just having that diversity from different lenses helps you.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
The time to get a seat at the table for facilities leaders is now. André Jones encouraged facilities leaders to capitalize on the moment by networking, taking risks, and influencing decision-making processes. By showcasing their value, expertise, and willingness to collaborate, they can earn a seat at the table in organizations.
“Too often, we take a risk averse approach. But there’s a quote I always look at that says, ‘Let them tell you no.’ Let others tell you no. Too often, we psych ourselves out and we’d say no automatically. Take a step, take a risk, take a chance. You may be surprised how something you may say may land with somebody else.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
Networking is a crucial skill for facilities leaders to learn in order to secure a seat at the table. By leveraging their network, they can exchange ideas, learn about what is working in other organizations, and find common ground with peers.
André Jones acknowledged that technology, AI, and data will play a critical role in facilities management. AI is not just a new toy. It can help shift the balance of work, improve efficiency, and reduce reactive maintenance costs.
André Jones mentioned that predictive analytics for energy consumption will be huge for facilities leaders. Traditionally, facilities looked at that situation in one way, but now with multiple ways to get data, facilities may have six different ways to look at the same thing. They also have more tools for analysis, which allows them to be more impactful and more concise with their decisions. Understanding and utilizing AI algorithms can lead to better decision-making and cost savings for facilities leaders.
“Having that data helps tell the story. You look at it from a space utilization standpoint. Having those sensors and that information help tell a narrative that will help you with your leaders engaging. So multiple data sources are fantastic.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
Additionally, data will continue to play a crucial role in facilities management as it helps in understanding and improving operational processes. André Jones used elevator wait times as an example. If it takes someone three minutes to go from point A to point B, that travel time does affect people. They may feel that’s three minutes wasted and start feeling anxious, and then are not in the right mindset for their next meeting. By utilizing multiple data sources, facilities leaders can make informed decisions to enhance the overall workplace experience.
André Jones reflected on the importance of staying positive, embracing change, and being willing to make impactful decisions in managing facilities in a hybrid work schedule. He shared the challenges and rewards of empowering facilities leaders to embrace hybrid work models, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and making changes for a more engaging work environment. One practice he emphasized was the need for providing diverse workspaces to accommodate different working styles and preferences.
“You have that variance to be able to choose how and when and where you work. Having different types of workspaces, whether it’s collaborative, team rooms, or just quiet floor spaces where it’s head down or room for one. Being that ambassador for that kind of workplace is very important.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
Some things André Jones learned from hybrid are:
André Jones discussed the importance of office design in creating a positive work environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and employee well-being. He emphasized the need to make the office an enabler of the soul of a company, highlighting the role of facilities, HR, and key decision-makers in achieving this goal.
“We have a unique opportunity to continue to make the office an enabler of the soul of the company. Do what you can do to keep promoting that. Continue to collaborate. Push your limits. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable because you will be blown away with the rewards that come with that.” - André Jones, Corporate Real Estate Portfolio and Facilities Leader at Capital One
Capital One is an American bank holding company founded in 1994 on the belief that no one should be locked out of the financial system. It specializes in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, and is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia.
Jenny is a top Go-To-Market (GTM) leader in the Greater Boston area, where she has a track record of building powerful brands and categories, generating demand (for both sales- and product-led orgs), and creating energizing mission-driven cultures of belonging in the B2B tech space.
André Jones is a dynamic and motivated facilities operations executive with a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from concept to completion, designing operational strategies, and coaching individuals to success.
Say goodbye to the chaos of space allocation and welcome a new era of workplace harmony.
Get Started Free
