A frequent writer for the professional cleaning industry told me he had a bit of a shock the first time he encountered a unisex restroom.

No one, except perhaps Donald Trump, likes to fire people. Typically it is a stressful, scary and upsetting experience for everyone involved. So is it possible that there is actually an “art” to firing an employee? In a word, yes.

My company, Management Services Northwest, has been a member of BSCAI for more than 10 years. Each January, the BSCAI holds their annual CEO Seminar in a warm and beautiful destination. As a longtime member, I’ve had the privilege of attending many of these conferences, and I find that January is a great time of year to take a respite from the winter in the U.S. Northwest.

Sometimes it seems like the pace and demands of life increase by the day. We work longer hours, shoulder heavier burdens, multitask, and try to get more done in less time with fewer resources. While these challenges apply to almost all market sectors, in our current economic environment the facility services industry has been hit exceptionally hard.