Welcome to the last post in our series on Building an Asset Management (AM) culture.  In our previous posts (part 1, part 2, part 3), we explored building the culture, which is one thing, whereas keeping it alive over the long term is something else entirely.

Once you’ve launched your AM strategy, you have to avoid treating it like a project that has a natural endpoint.  To make sure it doesn’t fade into the background, you have to:

• Communicate regularly.
• Celebrate wins, even small ones.
• Recognize the people who are living the vision for the program.

Sustaining culture means reinforcing behaviours. It also means adapting as your organization changes. Asset management isn’t static, it is about continuous improvement. New priorities, leadership changes, climate impacts, or funding shifts can all change the landscape overnight.  The programs that we have seen become most successful are ingrained in every aspect of an organization.

Here are a few practical ways to sustain momentum once your program has matured past the start-up phase:

• Share AM updates during staff meetings, leadership briefings, or town halls.
• Publish success stories in internal newsletters or on your intranet.
• Recognize departments or individuals who demonstrate strong AM practices.
• Host annual events (e.g., AM Week or Facilities Day) to share learning and renew focus.

To ensure that your program and culture are not only surviving but thriving towards continuous improvement, try the following:

• Conduct annual reviews of your AM strategy.
• Measure progress using your KPIs.
• Adjust based on lessons learned and emerging needs.
• Seek feedback from users and frontline staff who interact with assets daily.

Culture doesn’t maintain itself. You have to nurture it through communication, feedback, and recognition. And you need to keep pushing the envelope and looking for opportunities to get better all the time.  

We have come to the end of this latest blog series, which we hope reflects the lessons we’ve learned at Roth IAMS through years of helping public sector and institutional clients build strong asset management foundations. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your efforts to the next level, perhaps this series can help you advance your thinking and take your AM programs to the next level.