At only 26 years of age, Sid Sheth is making a name for himself as the manager of City FM Australia’s Energy Centre. He talks to FM about his introduction to the industry, his history with City FM, and the challenges and benefits that his young age brings to his work.
Sid Sheth was born in 1992 in India’s westernmost state of Gujarat. His childhood was one filled with daily street-cricket sessions, vibrant local festivals, and fierce competition for the top rank in everything from academics to sports.
“Education has always been valued highly in my family,” says Sheth, “supported by a lineage of engineers, which often guided where my focus was placed over the early years of my life.”
He was halfway through eighth grade when his family made the decision to move to Australia to provide Sheth and his brother with greater opportunities and a better quality of life. In his first year, he was chosen to spend a week in Tasmania as part of a student exchange program. The brief experience made him realise that if he worked hard, with honesty and integrity, Australia would truly prove the land of opportunity his parents had promised.
He credits this realisation with helping him to achieve the results necessary to receive Swinburne University of Technology’s Vice-Chancellor scholarship. Here he completed a double-degree in Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Commerce, while working as a student engineer at an automotive aftermarket parts and supplies company.
As his course was coming to an end, Sheth started work at a fast-growing building services and energy efficiency consulting firm in Melbourne. It was during this time that he was introduced to facility management, and specifically to City FM, by a friend who was working there (and still does).
“I was intrigued by the team’s radically transparent and collaborative way of working, and the partnership-type model that City FM offers to its clients.
“And with City FM’s combined values and services, I thought to myself, ‘what a company to work for and truly make a direct impact on the built environment!'”
He started with the company in 2017 as an energy analyst at the company’s Energy Centre. His main responsibility was to resolve anomalies in energy profiles across around 550 retail stores in order to eliminate ‘bill shock’ and reduce energy costs and consumption for City’s partners. Two years later, the manager’s position opened up. He applied and, at only 26 years of age, was successful in his application.
“I was a bag of mixed emotions on the first day,” Sheth admits.
“I went in knowing that it was going to be a challenge, and that I was going to be tested in ways I hadn’t been before.”
One of those tests would be managing and aligning team expectations and communication. Some team members were just starting their career. Others had been in the industry for longer than Sheth had been alive. Would the younger members show him the respect they would an older manager? Would the more experienced staff follow his instructions?
“Ultimately, what I find is that regardless of the level of experience or expertise, it is my utmost priority to maintain respect and trust, and then to align a mutual purpose and identify drivers for each individual that motivates them to achieve the mutually desired outcome.”
Sheth credits extensive coaching and mentoring – including that that he still receives from his former manager – with helping him find his way, alongside City FM’s learning and development programs. He also says his team members have been extremely receptive.
“The culture and environment in our workplace is amazing, and that is because of how everyone contributes and participates.”
Of course, Sheth’s youth presents more than just challenges. There is a range of benefits that come from his unique pairing of technical acuity and inexperience in leadership roles. The first of these is a young mind’s curiosity.
“My perspective is not limited to traditional work practices or methodologies – my level of experience encourages me to continually learn, be more technologically advanced, and explore non-conventional but effective solutions.”
Another benefit comes from the way he utilises his team as a collection of individuals, and summarily provides tailored education to each in order to better their work.
“I have been able to identify areas for growth for each individual in the team to gain a more holistic understanding of both the ‘technical’ and ‘commercial’ aspects of energy.
“This allows an engineer to understand how an asset upgrade will ultimately impact the bills and, on the flip side, allows a commercial energy analyst to understand how different types of air-conditioning systems would impact the energy profile and subsequent suitability of different tariff structures. Furthermore, it helps identify and develop opportunities, such as electrical demand resets and metering upgrades, which lie at the intersection of the two disciplines.
“Overall, the aim is to create a more dynamic, versatile and high-performing multi-skilled team, that is continually improving and providing world-class energy management service to its partners.”
With this comes a flexibility that Sheth recognises will be crucial as the FM industry approaches a critical and imminent transition point. He highlights a range of technology, from smart robots to IoT (Internet of Things) devices, which he believes will lead to better productivity, building design and facility management. By remaining open and curious about this technology, he will be ready to push the boundaries to bring about better results for both City FM and its clients.
When asked to give advice to young people looking to establish a career in facility management, Sheth’s answer is direct and concise. It’s the answer of someone who, despite all the complexities his job entails, knows how to keep things simple and clear in order to get results.
“FM is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines and has a direct impact on employee productivity and a company’s bottom line. For such a broad-ranging profession, with so much to learn and achieve, my advice would be to simply stay curious and humble, work hard and grab every opportunity you get. And, ultimately, stay true to your beliefs and values, while delivering to the best of your abilities – success will naturally be a by-product of these principles.”
This article also appears in the August/September 2018 issue of FM magazine.
All images © City FM.
