Strategic Neglect: Knowing What Not to Do
Facilities management is a constant exercise in deciding what deserves your attention. There are never enough people, hours or dollars to go around. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, something else needs fixing.
So how do you keep everything moving without running yourself and your team into the ground?
Nico Viola of Holden Gardens has a name for it: strategic neglect.
The idea started during a conversation. People kept telling him what needed to get done, what was running behind and which projects needed attention. Nico finally had a response.
“I’m not neglecting it on purpose,” he joked. “It’s strategic. I’m trying not to let things consume my focus and my energy that should not be consuming my focus and my energy.”
The phrase stuck, partly because the words seem so contradictory. Neglect usually means something has fallen through the cracks. Strategic neglect means making a conscious decision about what can wait so the things that matter most get the attention they deserve.
And in facilities management, that distinction matters.
The Trouble With Doing Everything
Anyone who works in facilities knows how quickly a day can get away from you. Your phone rings, email pings, someone stops by your office, and a simple request turns into a committee discussion with six opinions and three new assignments.
Meanwhile, the work that requires actual thought gets pushed to the side.
That constant sense of urgency spreads through an entire organization. Everything feels important. Everything seems overdue. And before long, the team is spending more time reacting to demands than deciding whether those demands deserve priority in the first place.
Nico’s approach starts with a question: Does it benefit Holden?
If a project or initiative supports the organization's mission, it gets a closer look. If it doesn't, the team can take it off the table. If it has merit but the people, time or money aren't available, it can be revisited later.
That's not an excuse to avoid difficult work. It's a way to make sure limited resources go toward the work that produces the greatest benefit.
There's a difference between ignoring a problem and deliberately deciding that another problem needs attention first.
Not Everything Is A Priority
A failing piece of equipment, a safety concern or a building system nearing the end of its useful life may demand immediate attention. Other projects might be worthwhile but can safely wait another quarter, another budget cycle or until the team has more capacity.
It helps to put work into A, B and C categories. The trick is to be honest about the consequences.
What happens if this project waits six months? Is the equipment truly at the end of its useful life, or has replacement simply become the default recommendation? Could a small repair address the underlying issue? Would delegating the work free up a manager to focus on something only that manager can handle?
Sometimes, sitting down and getting to the root cause of a problem is more valuable than immediately launching another project.
And sometimes, the most productive thing a leader can do is stop doing work someone else is perfectly capable of handling.
Regular one-on-one meetings can help. Give employees room to explain what they're working on, what's holding them up and where they need support. Let them talk first. A manager who understands the team's actual workload is better equipped to delegate, reset expectations and decide what can wait.
The goal isn't to squeeze more work out of people. It's to make the work more manageable and meaningful.
Budgeting Is a Year-Round Exercise
At Holden, prioritization isn't just about managing time. It's also about making tough financial decisions. Operating costs are climbing. Fuel oil, electricity and fuel for the organization's extensive fleet are up 16% from the previous year, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to the department's budget. Meanwhile, visitors are watching their discretionary spending, making ticket price increases a difficult answer.
As a nonprofit, Holden must balance the cost of maintaining its operations with the value it provides to the community. That means looking for ways to manage expenses, protect essential services and make thoughtful decisions about where money goes. Budgeting, in this environment, can't be something that happens only during budget season. It's a 365-day exercise.
What needs replacing now? What can be maintained a little longer without creating unacceptable risk? Which projects offer the greatest return, whether measured in dollars, reliability, safety or community benefit? Are there ways to generate revenue or offset costs without undermining the organization's mission?
These questions don't always lead to easy answers. But asking them regularly gives leaders more room to make deliberate decisions instead of scrambling when the money runs short.
Strategic neglect also means recognizing that postponing an expense isn't automatically saving money. Delaying a critical repair can create a bigger bill later. The point is to distinguish between a responsible deferral and a decision that simply transfers today's problem to tomorrow's team.
Remember Why the Work Matters
There's another side to prioritization that doesn't show up neatly on a spreadsheet: the human side.
One of the most rewarding things about working on a campus like Holden's is hearing people talk about their first visit as children. Some interns arrive with memories of visiting years earlier. Architects and landscape designers involved in major renovations have their own stories about discovering the place when they were young.
It's a reminder that the work facilities teams do has a life beyond the immediate task list. Maintaining a beautiful, safe and welcoming environment today can influence the people who will care for that place tomorrow.
Some of the kids visiting now may return decades later as architects, engineers, landscape designers or facilities professionals. They may become the people responsible for shaping the campus for the next generation.
That's a pretty good reason to be thoughtful about where time and money go.
It also puts the daily pressure into perspective. Not every request will be completed today. Not every worthwhile project will make this year's budget. But the work that supports the organization's mission, protects its people and preserves its future deserves to remain at the center of the conversation.
Strategic Neglect Doesn't Mean Doing Nothing
Nico is quick to point out that strategic neglect has its limits.
“Don't try it at home,” he laughed. “It definitely does not work on your honey-do list. I've tried. There's no neglecting that. That will not end well for you.”
Sometimes good management means getting the right things done. Sometimes it means giving a capable employee the room to do them. And sometimes it means having the confidence to say, “Not now,” without losing sight of what comes next.
As Nico's experience at Holden suggests, the trick isn't to neglect your responsibilities. It's to be strategic enough to know which ones deserve your attention first.
How does your team stay on top of everyday tasks and surprises? Use this quick guide to examine maintenance, emergency response, renovations and operations.
We’re constantly developing stories to help organizations understand that they’re not alone, that others are dealing with similar situations and that we can help.
Regularly revisit these resources for ideas and inspiration!