At KFC, Hands-On Expertise Redefines Facilities Management in AI Era

The leadership conversation is changing in facilities management. No longer just about caring for buildings, it's about building internal culture. As the scope of facilities management expands, success is now measured by the strength of that team culture. Here, the most effective leaders are recognized for managing assets, integrating new tech, and mentoring people.

For most leaders, there's simply no replacement for boots-on-the-ground experience. At least, that's the case for Matthew Rodriguez, Corporate Facilities Supervisor for KFC US in Texas. With a background in the demanding gym and hospitality sectors at companies like 24 Hour Fitness and Coury Hospitality, Rodriguez's expertise is honed by years in the field and a journey from technician to supervisor. While technology and data analytics continue to advance, he says human intuition remains facilities management's most critical asset.

• Leadership on a ladder: For Rodriguez, building a strong team and gaining those invaluable human insights begins with a leader's willingness to get their hands dirty. "It's not being afraid to hop on the ladder and get to the roof. My boss taught me that. That action creates team camaraderie more than anything. The team sees that we have zero issues picking up a screwdriver or a wrench and doing it right alongside them. We've all done it, so we understand the pain and are willing to dive in at any moment to help," he says.

An in-the-field mentality also shapes Rodriguez's approach to technology. Automation works best as a powerful tool that requires the guidance of human expertise, he says. But integrating tech correctly also demands a leader who understands the work on a granular level. Ideally, someone capable of spotting the details that a purely data-driven system would miss, he says. "When you've been doing it this long, you understand the equipment. We learn by doing. So when the data tells us A, we trust our knowledge that it's B. I trust my gut. I'm not always right, I promise. But I can definitely see it A, B, and C instead of just D."

• The thousand-dollar question: According to Rodriguez, the lesson is simple. Data shows you the what, but only earned intuition reveals the why. "When monitoring invoices, it's hard to gauge from an AI perspective if a part was truly needed or if it was routine R&M. Was it for a compressor, or was it just a thousand-dollar ticket?" Here, he points to a previous role, where specific HVAC locations near the highway needed more frequent coil washing due to the environment. "That's where you need true eyes on the situation, versus what's overcomplicated or overanalyzed."

But that hands-on approach doesn't mean Rodriguez gets lost in the weeds. Instead, modern leadership means scaling presence, using his physical expertise as a foundation for remote coaching and real-time support. "I have to have major balance and trust in my team, but I can coach from wherever I want. I hop on Teams if need be. If a specialist needs help, they can call me on FaceTime. We dive in together at that same point. That's how I can be in three positions at once."

• An open-book policy: Ultimately, Rodriguez's leadership model is fueled by his own experience. Treating the creation of standard operating procedures as a collaborative, bottom-up dialogue, he operates from the honest belief that the people in the field often have the best answers. The approach is rooted in a desire to create the supportive, knowledge-sharing environment he lacked early in his own career. "It wasn't easy coming up in facilities. Early in my career, it was often challenging to obtain the feedback I needed, so my learning process was largely a trial-and-error approach. Today, my boss is an open book, which has made me so much better. I want to build that same open environment for my specialists. If they tell me they want my position, I'm going to give them all the information I can to help them succeed."

Moving beyond a check-box culture is rooted in a fundamental, personal investment for Rodriguez. It's a final charge to his peers and team members, an invitation to see the profession not as a series of tasks, but as a source of genuine passion and distinction. "You have to have that pride in what you do every day. That's how you stand out. If you just check a box, how are you going to stand out? You have to have complete pride and love what you do, and I love what I do from every level. If you love what you do, it's not even really work at that point."