In my journey as CEO of FMS, I’ve come to understand the profound impact of positive leadership on organizational success. It’s not just about making decisions or achieving targets; it’s about leading with purpose and cultivating a culture of empathy, collaboration, and growth.

In May, I received the Positive Leadership Award from the University of Louisville College of Business. I’m very proud of this award because it demonstrates our commitment to this approach. I recently sat down with Louisville Business First to share my thoughts on the key components of this concept.

Click here to watch the full interview >>

Here are a few things I’d like to reiterate from my conversation with Lisa.

#1: Have Humility & Empathy
One of the most powerful tools in a leader’s arsenal is humility. It’s about recognizing that we don’t have all the answers and being open to learning from others. Empathy is equally important – it’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and truly understanding their perspective. By approaching challenges with curiosity rather than defensiveness, we can foster a culture of trust and respect within our teams.

#2: Prioritize Relationships
At the core of effective leadership is the ability to build meaningful relationships. Whether it’s with employees, customers, or stakeholders, investing in relationships pays dividends in the long run. Research backs this up, showing that strong interpersonal connections are crucial for organizational success and employee engagement.

#3: Lead with Purpose
Purpose-driven leadership is about more than just profitability – it’s about making a positive impact on the world around us. By aligning our actions with a higher purpose, we can inspire others to join us in our mission and create lasting change. Studies have shown that purpose-driven companies tend to outperform their peers, attracting top talent and driving innovation.

#4: Create a Values-Driven Culture
Core values serve as the foundation of organizational culture. By clearly defining our values and integrating them into everything we do, we can create a culture that reflects our shared beliefs and aspirations. This not only strengthens employee morale but also enhances organizational performance.

#5: Encourage Open Communication
Effective communication is key to building trust and transparency within teams. By fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and valued, we can unlock the full potential of our organization.

#6: Embrace Growth and Adaptation
Leadership is a journey of continuous growth and adaptation. It’s about embracing change and learning from our experiences. By adopting a growth mindset and seeking feedback from others, we can continually improve our leadership effectiveness and resilience.

As leaders, we have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of those around us. By leading with purpose, empathy, and humility, we can create organizations that not only thrive but also make the world a better place.

Headquartered in Louisville, we are a proud member of Team Kentucky. As experts in facility cleaning, we are prepared to serve our communities in Kentucky and Southern Indiana safely, effectively, and efficiently. We are offering novel coronavirus (COVID-19) preventative sanitization and COVID-19 exposure cleaning, following CDC guidelines. For more details, email sales@fmspbc.com or visit fmspbc.com/covid-19.

High Touchpoint Preventative Cleaning Program

Our COVID-19 response team will:

• Wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Be trained on proper disinfecting procedures
• Be uniformed FMS employees
• Continuously disinfect high touchpoint surfaces based on a designated route

Billable rate: $26.50 per hour includes supplies and supervision, $250 minimum charge

Post Confirmed Case or Suspected COVID-19 Exposure Cleaning Program

Our team will:

• Be trained on the most up-to-date COVID-19 cleaning recommendations
• Follow CDC post-exposure cleaning guidelines
• Wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Be uniformed FMS employees

Billable rate: $60.00 per hour includes supplies and supervision. Minimum charges may apply.

Return-to-Work Clean-up Program

When the time comes, we’ll detail clean and sanitize your facility before everyone comes back to work. We’ll also provide a detailed list of work for you to share with your employees to make them feel confident they are returning to a safe and clean environment.

For more information on our coronavirus cleaning services, contact us at sales@fmspbc.com or call 502-479-3286.

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Handwashing is one of the most important ways to protect ourselves and prevent the spread of pathogens, including the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The effectiveness of this action, though, depends on thoroughness.

How to properly wash your hands:

0. Wet hands with water
1. Apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces
2. Rub hands palm to palm
3. Right palm over left dorsum (back of hand) with interlaced fingers, and vice versa
4. Palm to palm with fingers interlaced
5. Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked
6. Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm, and vice versa
7. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa
8. Rinse hands with water
9. Dry thoroughly with a single-use towel
10. Use towel to turn off faucet
11. Your hands are safe

We require all team members to follow necessary hygiene procedures, such as handwashing, for their safety as well as the safety of other team members, customers, and community. For more information on FMS COVID-19 prevention cleaning and disinfecting, contact sales@fmspbc.com or call 502-479-3286.

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Dear FMSer,

In recent weeks you have seen and/or heard increasing amounts of information regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We want you to know that the health and safety of you, our employee, is a number one priority at FMS. The nature of our business is to provide clean and healthy environments through the proper use of chemicals and cleaning techniques. At FMS, we have the unique advantage of working in healthy environments because of our role in ensuring our facilities are cleaned to a high standard.

As a reminder, the cleaning chemicals that we currently use in our accounts are effective against minimizing the spread of disease including the following:

1. Crew 42 (Diversey)
2. Glance NA (Diversey)
3. Virex/Virex (Diversey)
4. Biorenewables Glass Cleaner (Spartan)
5. HDQL 10 (Spartan)
6. Tribase (Spartan)

We also ask that during this time you take extra care to remember a few simple safety precautions that can help minimize exposure:

1. Cover surfaces with cleaning products thoroughly and allow dwell times of up to ten minutes before wiping surfaces dry
2. Wear proper PPE at all times, specifically gloves
3. Maintain correct coughing/sneezing etiquette by doing so in your elbow or arm, as opposed to an open hand or in the air
4. Keep your hands away from your face, eyes, nose and mouth
5. Practice proper handwashing techniques
6. Communicate with your supervisor if you are feeling ill

Should there be a potential exposure in the account where you work, please contact your supervisor immediately. Should there be a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the account where you work, please stay calm and safely vacate the area of exposure, as well as contact your supervisor immediately.

FMS is partnering with national experts to stay current as more is understood about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We will continue to communicate with you to ensure everyone is operating in a healthy and safe manner. We take pride in what we do at FMS, and this unique challenge reminds us all how important our work is every day to so many people. FMS and our customers appreciate all that you do each day. This is a true testament to our company and our core values. Thank you for always remembering FMS Core Value #1: I care about the people I work with.

With appreciation,
The FMS Leadership Team

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High-touch surfaces are surfaces or objects that numerous people touch frequently. These surfaces are more likely to become contaminated and to spread viruses. To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), it is critical to properly and regularly sanitize these high-touch surfaces, including:

• Doorknobs
• Stair rails
• Kitchen appliance handles and buttons
• Elevator buttons
• Coffeemakers
• Light switches
• Faucet handles
• Phones
• Desk tops and drawers
• Water station knobs

For more information on our coronavirus (COVID-19) cleaning services for your facility, contact sales@fmspbc.com or call 502-479-3286.

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FMS is focused on the safety of our team members, our customers, and our communities. Our tagline of Good People, Clean Buildings, Better Communities has never been more true than it is today.

Due to the ever-changing information surrounding COVID-19, we are sending additional updates to keep you informed, We are following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World health Organization (WHO), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Increase in Existing Services

FMS is offering the following service to increase sanitation and prevention:

• FMS porter trained on identifying and disinfecting high-touch surfaces
• Use of stronger disinfectants with shortened dwell time and faster kill time

If you are interested in additional sanitizing services for high-touch surfaces please contact Jennifer Corum and Jennifer Kaufman at sales@fmspbc.com or 502-479-3286.

Supplies and Chemicals

We have access to availability based products what may help you in high-touch areas including entrances, door knobs, handrails, sanitizers, common areas, restrooms, telephones, and other high-tough surfaces. Please reach out to your FMS Director of Operations for more information.

If your facility has been affected by COVID-19

If you become aware by local health officials that a person has tested positive or is being tested for COVID-19:

• Contact your FMS Director of Operations immediately
• Follow CDC guidelines
• FMS team members will be vacating the building and immediately following the CDC guidelines

Should your company close any facilities or adjust working hours

• Contact your FMS Director of Operations (email or call)
• We will work through the details and timelines regarding current FMS team members working in the building; it is our goal to maintain employment for all FMS team members

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Throughout each year, FMS works to take our social mission from paper to the real world, impacting the lives of our employees and the communities where they live. Check out what we accomplished in 2018!

FMS 2018 Impact Report

Join FMS President Scott Koloms on Real Leaders Podcast as he talks about why custodians are the unsung heroes behind the scenes of most facilities.

We are proud to be recognized as a Top 100 Impact Company by Real Leaders Magazine!  https://real-leaders.com/rl-100/

Our success has been, and always will be, based on one fundamental principle: we care.

Socially conscious business models are gaining momentum, while making measurable efforts to care for one another, our communities, and the world.  Congratulations to the 99 additional companies also being honored for 2019.

Thank you Real Leaders magazine for creating a shared space and publication for Impact Companies.  The current issue is on newsstands now.

FMS Real Leaders Press Release

Join us in celebrating our 2017 impacts in our first annual Impact Report!  We have compiled our community, team member, and environmental impacts we made in 2017.  We are proud and excited to continue our efforts as we finish 2018.  Enjoy!

FMS_ImpactReport2017_secondrun