Across industries, companies are navigating technological disruption, regulatory pressure, labor shortages, and rising client expectations. In this environment, leadership can no longer rely solely on technical expertise or positional authority. Results depend on the ability to combine operational consistency with sound human judgment. The leaders who perform best understand both the mechanics of the business and the dynamics of people. They know how to execute plans, but also how to align teams, manage uncertainty, and sustain performance under pressure. Despite this need for leaders with both technical and nontechnical competencies, many organizations still treat hard and soft skills as separate tracks. In complex operating environments, that separation quickly becomes a weakness. A dual-wheel approach to leadership High-performance leadership rests on two interdependent dimensions: one that focuses on technical capacity and another that emphasizes behavioral capacity. Technical capability provides traction. It includes the measurable, teachable skills that allow operations to run: compliance knowledge, financial acumen, safety standards, systems management, and process execution. Without them, performance stalls. However, traction alone is not enough. Behavioral capability provides direction and balance. Communication, judgment, influence, accountability, and situational awareness determine how teams respond when plans shift or pressure rises. These skills shape culture, alignment, and the quality of decisions. When these two dimensions operate together, leadership becomes consistent rather than reactive. Strategy translates more effectively into execution. From capability to habit Clear communication, proactive problem solving, accountability, and constructive feedback are not abstract values; they are operational tools. When applied consistently, they reduce friction, improve safety, strengthen client trust, and stabilize teams. Cleaning companies seeking leadership development must focus on turning these competencies into habits. Coaching and mentoring ensure that an organization reinforces its expectations through its daily operations, not just in policy documents. This approach supports operational reliability across industries where margins, compliance, and service quality leave little room for error. Learning as a strategic lever Leadership development has often been viewed as a cost center. Increasingly, it is becoming a competitive differentiator. A 2024 survey by Deloitte found that 94% of senior executives would increase investment in leadership development if they could clearly measure its impact. The question is no longer whether to invest, but how to link development directly to performance outcomes. Organizations need to approach learning as part of their operational strategy. Leadership development should be aligned with business priorities, succession planning, and client expectations. This ensures that growth, retention, and innovation are supported by a pipeline of leaders equipped to manage complexity. Technology can be acquired. Systems can be upgraded. What ultimately determines sustained performance is leadership quality under pressure. Organizations today require leaders who can interpret data while exercising judgment, enforce standards while motivating teams, and manage risk while continuing to pursue growth. Setting a higher standard When technical mastery and behavioral discipline reinforce each other, organizations gain more than productivity—they gain resilience. While traction drives movement, direction determines results. In a business landscape defined by complexity, integrated leadership is not simply an advantage. It is the standard required to compete.
Every few years, the commercial cleaning industry adopts a new “must-have” technology. Whether it's a new app, platform, or dashboard, those familiar with the industry have likely seen the lifecycle of these tools. The initial announcement is often exciting and compelling, but interest tends to fade when the promised features don’t match the realities of daily operations. It is important to be careful about how you talk about artificial intelligence (AI) and modern technology at a commercial cleaning company. Simply adopting AI will not ensure success. The companies that thrive will be those that properly integrate technology in a way that reflects how work actually flows through their organization. This means incorporating everything from sales and onboarding to operations, billing, and quality control without adding unnecessary complexity. The mindset shift that transformed our cleaning company occurred when we stopped thinking like a cleaning business that just buys software and instead started thinking like a tech-enabled operator that happens to do cleaning. Basically, we began running our business like a Software as a Service (SaaS) company. Not because we're trying to be trendy, but because the SaaS industry has one key trait we desperately need in commercial cleaning: reliable execution through systems. A commercial cleaning company with this mindset can leverage AI in many ways. Consider the following tips to help your cleaning company adopt AI and modern technology. Make efficiency and accountability your goals Before making a purchase, honestly assess what you want technology to achieve. The goal should never be simply “Let’s use AI.” Instead, focus on reducing the administrative work needed to run a strong operation, enhance service and consistency, and create automated accountability. Commercial cleaning involves many small tasks that can jeopardize an account if overlooked. Walkthroughs, day-one expectations, scope changes, and special client preferences are all crucial tasks that you must manage. Missing a follow-up can result in an upset email from the client. In a traditional setup, most of this work relies on managers and staff to remember everything, which often fails because people eventually forget things. Once we properly integrated technology, we were able to operate with an operations management footprint half the size of our competitors'. Our system replaced tasks that managers performed manually. Our tech integration moved work forward by documenting it and making the next step clear. Build centralized onboarding If you want to maximize your time, start with onboarding. In my experience, onboarding is where good accounts are protected and bad habits are formed. It is also one of the most repetitive administrative tasks, making it perfect for automation. Use a program that can create “one button onboarding.” When we sign a new customer, we don’t want three different people re-typing the same information into three separate systems. We capture the data once, and our back-end process automatically creates the customer in all our tools. This centralized system is crucial for faster and more thorough processes. In commercial cleaning, the damage doesn’t come from taking too long to set up the account; it comes from employees thinking someone else handled onboarding. Automation mitigates that risk because your onboarding system doesn’t get distracted, overwhelmed, or forget to complete tasks. You can even create automations that read from a PDF and extract the specific information you need, so you don’t have to manually copy and paste details. This kind of tool isn’t flashy tech, but it helps reduce major mistakes and wasted money caused by admin errors. Automate handoffs Proper integration allows you to not just move data, but to also transform data into visible action. After onboarding, your system should generate specific to-do lists for your team. These tasks are not hidden in someone’s notebook or just in the manager's memory. Each task is visible, trackable, and time-bound. The system can then provide a daily overview of what’s completed, upcoming, and overdue. Many commercial cleaning companies misunderstand what “tech-enabled” means. They think it is about having software. It is not. It’s about designing your process so that work naturally progresses and the next step is always clear. Instead of hoping someone remembers to do the work, we assign it. Instead of vague expectations like “Make sure the new cleaner is trained,” we create a task with a date attached. This system establishes operational discipline. It’s a system that everyone can access to assign tasks and hold each other accountable. Embrace QR-drive feedback Anyone who has been in this industry long enough knows the traditional ways of receiving customer feedback. The client and the cleaner leave notes in a physical notebook, or the client sends a text to one member of the cleaning team. These methods often cause delays in communication between staff and the manager, allowing recurring issues to linger until the relationship with the customer is already damaged. I suggest replacing the old system with a QR code feedback method at each cleaning location. The client scans the code and submits a request, complaint, or question without needing to download an app. This request then appears on a platform where the client can track its status, and the cleaning company can document its work with photos. This technology shifts the entire tone of communication. Clients feel appreciated because they see progress, and cleaning teams gain clarity because requests are no longer scattered across multiple texts, phone calls, and pieces of paper. Most importantly, it builds a history. You can't improve what you can’t see, and you can’t train what you can’t define. However, you can analyze and learn from structured, stored communication. Use data to customize service A standard cleaning package is convenient for sales, but it rarely represents the actual behavior of accounts. Each building has its own friction points. Every decision maker has different priorities. Some clients care about streak-free glass more than anything. Others prioritize restrooms, floors, or small details that don’t show up on generic checklists. Once requests and complaints are linked to the customer relationship management (CRM) system, you can start recognizing patterns. This allows
Associated Press reported the largest parasitic infection outbreak in Michigan history and one of the nation’s largest in years is currently unfolding. In Michigan, 1,251 cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that can cause weeks of watery diarrhea, have been reported, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). As of July 9, 44 cases involved hospitalizations. Typically, Michigan only identifies around 50 cyclosporiasis cases per year, MDHHS said. As cyclosporiasis cases continue to rise, the largest increase is occurring in Southeast Michigan, MDHHS reported. As of July 4, no specific produce grower/supplier, or specific produce type has been identified as the source of the outbreak. Meanwhile, 28 other states have similar ongoing illnesses, including Ohio, where people just across the Michigan border are also becoming sick, AP reported. As of July 2, Ohio Department of Health reported 177 cyclosporiasis cases in the state in 2026, with 28 Ohioans hospitalized. Cyclosporiasis is caused by infection from the parasite Cyclospora cayatenensis, which is commonly found in developing countries and spread by food or water contaminated with feces. In recent years, outbreaks have occurred in the U.S. because of eating contaminated fresh produce, especially during the summer months. Cyclosporiasis is not known to spread from person to person. Symptoms occur two to 14 days after exposure and may include: Frequent watery diarrhea. Loss of appetite and weight. Abdominal cramps and bloating. Nausea (vomiting is less common). Low-grade fever. Individuals experiencing sudden gastrointestinal illness are encouraged to seek evaluation by a health care provider. Symptoms of cyclosporiasis can be significantly improved with antibiotic treatment. If untreated, the illness may last for a few days to a month or longer. Providers are urged to consider cyclosporiasis among patients presenting with acute gastrointestinal illness in southeast Michigan. The following foods have been specifically linked to previous Cyclospora outbreaks in the United States and Canada: Bagged salad mixes and kits (precut lettuce blends with romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, carrots) Fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) Fresh basil Raspberries Snow peas Green onions (scallions) To help avoid any illness from cyclospora or other harmful bacteria or organisms, MDARD also recommends the following: Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating. Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible.
Attention building service contractors (BSCs): Cleaning & Maintenance Management is conducting its annual BSC Benchmarking Survey, and we need your help to provide an accurate picture of this always-changing market. Your participation will provide valuable insights into contract cleaning practices, trends, challenges, and solutions. Your responses are completely confidential and will be used for statistical purposes only. Check out the 2025 BSC Survey report for statistics and opinions garnered from your colleagues last year. Then add your voice to this year’s survey, sponsored by Sofidel. You may win a prize, but, more importantly, you will assist the industry with your valuable insights and information. Check your email inbox for the survey or click the link here to participate. You can see the fruits of your participation by reading the survey results in the September/October issue of CMM magazine and on CMM’s website this fall at cmmonline.com. Take the BSC Benchmarking Survey now!
The global HVAC market is witnessing steady growth as it becomes an essential component of modern building infrastructure, supported by stable new construction, replacement demand, and renovation activities across residential and nonresidential buildings, according to a recent Arizton report. The global HVAC market size was valued at US$215 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $292.2 billion by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.25% during the forecast period. The commercial end-user segment shows the fastest-growing CAGR of 6.13% during the forecast period. The rapid expansion of real estate and infrastructure projects across major economies, including China, India, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, among others, continues to drive demand for HVAC systems. The HVAC market is also witnessing a strong shift as governments across the regions encourage building decarbonization and electrification initiatives through policies such as the European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the U.S.'s ENERGY STAR. These policies are accelerating the replacement of fossil-fuel-based heating systems with energy-efficient heat pumps and low-emission HVAC technologies, thereby significantly supporting the demand for advanced residential and commercial climate-control systems. In 2025, the air conditioning segment accounted for the largest share of equipment at around 45%. The central air conditioning segment accounted for the largest global HVAC market share. In heating, the heat pumps segment accounted for the largest revenue share of around 40% in the global HVAC market. Regarding ventilation, the air-handling units segment accounted for a significant share of over 38% in 2025. In 2025, Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the global HVAC market, accounting for more than 44% of market share. The North America region was the second-largest market, and the U.S. dominated the region and accounted for a significant revenue share in 2025, characterized by a strong mix of replacement-driven residential demand and cyclical new construction activity. This is further supported by efficiency programs such as ENERGY STAR and incentive frameworks under the Inflation Reduction Act, which are accelerating the adoption of high-performance HVAC systems. Still, Europe remains one of the strongest regional markets for HVAC systems, supported by government-backed renovation programs, stricter energy-efficiency regulations, and growing investments in commercial and residential construction. The region's transition toward low-carbon buildings and renewable heating technologies continues to create significant opportunities for HVAC manufacturers and solution providers. Moreover, the European HVAC market is steadily rising due to stable public investment initiatives such as the Affordable Homes Plans and the Net Zero Strategy 2050, which are driving large-scale retrofit and refurbishment activities across the existing building stock. Germany is the largest contributor expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period, and Spain is the fastest-growing market owing to rising large-scale infrastructure investments such as Aena, which announced plans to invest approximately $15.2 billion in airport upgrades between 2027 and 2031.
U.S. employers spend roughly $1.7 billion a year on union avoidance consultants and law firms to keep their workers from organizing and bargaining for better pay and working conditions, according to a recent Economic Policy Institute and LaborLab report. Union avoidance consultants often work to prevent a union election from taking place—and if that fails, to ensure that workers vote against the union and then stall negotiations over a first collective bargaining agreement. During the past several decades, large law firms—such as Littler Mendelson, Morgan Lewis, and Jackson Lewis—have developed substantial business specializing in union avoidance services. Through analyzing Law.com and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) case data, the report calculates the revenue law firms generate from employers who try to avoid unions and collective bargaining with their workers. The report also updates previous EPI research on spending on union avoidance consultants. After accounting for overlap between these two totals, the report estimates that spending on attorneys (whether for representation, consultation, or both) and non-attorney consultants is roughly $1.7 billion a year.