Kaizen AMS, a leading property management company, had the distinct honor of hosting a delegation from the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) at its headquarters located in Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai. The visit, which took place on Tuesday 4 April at 1 pm, aimed to provide RERA’s esteemed leadership with a comprehensive understanding of Kaizen AMS operations and discuss sustainability initiatives to propel Dubai’s real estate industry forward.

The distinguished RERA delegation, led by H.E Eng. Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita, Chief Executive Officer of RERA, along with Mr. Mohammed Khalifa Bin Hammad, Senior Director, and Mr. Abdulrazzaq Saeed Bin Mes’har, Senior Manager, was warmly received by Mr. Fadi Nwilati, CEO of Kaizen AMS, Mr Alex Voytov, COO, Mr. Tariq Arisheh, Director of Sales Development, and Mr. Ghassan Talhouk, COO of Socienta. Kaizen AMS’s leadership expressed their gratitude to RERA for the visit and emphasized the significance of collaboration between Kaizen AMS and RERA in driving growth and efficiency within the real estate sector.

During the visit, the RERA delegation was provided with insights into Kaizen AMS’s partnership with Socienta, which aims to streamline and automate building operations, as well as the service charge and rent collection processes across their 130+ managed communities. The delegation was also briefed on the range of initiatives introduced by Kaizen AMS to minimize energy consumption and carbon emissions within their communities, aligning with the UAE’s ‘Net-Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative’. Sustainability and effective utilization of technology emerged as focal points of discussion.

The RERA delegation praised Kaizen AMS’s state-of-the-art and innovative approach to property management. Notably, the Snag report, a comprehensive site monitoring tool designed to identify and address unit snags, garnered appreciation. The Snag report provides live updates to all relevant parties, ensuring a flawless handover of properties to homeowners or tenants. This emphasis on delivering snag-free properties enhances the homeowner’s experience, boosts the developer’s reputation, and contributes to the brand’s image.

Furthermore, the RERA delegation had the opportunity to witness Kaizen AMS’ advanced technology and proven practices in streamlining property operations, enhancing tenant experiences, and optimizing resource utilization. This included – automated systems for maintenance, energy management, and tenant communication. RERA’s leadership commended Kaizen AMS’s firm commitment to leveraging technology to achieve operational excellence.

The visit concluded with a mutual appreciation for the fruitful exchange of ideas and a shared commitment to ongoing collaboration. The RERA delegation expressed confidence in Kaizen AMS’s capabilities and expertise, acknowledging the company’s pivotal role in shaping the future of the industry.

Mr. Fadi Nwilati, CEO of Kaizen AMS, expressed his honor in hosting the esteemed dignitaries, HE Eng. Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita, Mr. Mohammed Khalifa Bin Hammad, and Mr. Abdulrazzaq Saeed bin Mes’har. Fadi stated, “We are honored to have had the opportunity to host such esteemed dignitaries and engage in productive discussions. This visit further solidifies our commitment to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the UAE’s real estate sector. We look forward to future collaborations and working together towards a more prosperous future.”

Author – Marie Jambalos

I am a firm believer in the statement that it is pivotal to surround yourself with people who don’t just ask how you are doing but are part of the reason you are doing so well. I exactly feel the same about Kaizen AMS where my fellow Kaizeners support, motivate, and encourage me to continuously improve in my job every day and contribute significantly in my growth story at this great firm.

Moving to this amazing city of Dubai in 2012 from my home country Philippines was not an easy decision for me. I had a lot of curiosity in my mind about whether I would be able to comprehend the foreign culture, diversity, accommodation, language, company and work culture, etc. However, special thanks to Miss Sara Nwilati – Head of Talent Management & Corporate Services for making this journey much easier for me than I expected. Sara always ensured that I do not feel isolated from my family and had regular conversations with me inside and outside the office. Along with ensuring I get the best training on my work deliverables, she also took utmost care of my well-being. Without a shadow of a doubt, I can say with confidence that at Kaizen AMS relations go beyond the professional level and an employee is always treated like a family member.

Another such example I would like to share is from which I would like to share is from February 2020. At that time I was working as Property Coordinator under the Owners Association division and was responsible for resolving the resident’s queries for a Kaizen-managed community located in International City. Within a few months of me taking that responsibility, the Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) hit the world hard. Due to social distancing norms, several positions were either automated, became virtual, or downsized as those particular roles were no longer required. Under these circumstances usually, organizations let the employee go, however thankfully Kaizen AMS is different. It is a firm which treats the employees with utmost respect and dignity and doesn’t make them go due to unfavorable market conditions. Kaizen AMS ensured none of its employees become the victim of circumstances beyond their control and in my eyes, that’s what makes Kaizen AMS an epitome of a truly employee-friendly firm. The leadership moved me to the Unit management team – another thriving department within the firm which is responsible for maintaining healthy occupancy and resident satisfaction at Kaizen-managed communities. In my new role as the UM Property Coordinator, I was responsible for resolving the queries and concerns of the new residents related to rentals and maintenance, property management related issues with their utmost satisfaction and establishing coordination between individual owners and tenants to maintain healthy occupancy at our managed communities. This role provided me with a lot of exposure to the innovative ways to serve the clients and boosted my confidence in addressing the stakeholders’ issues more confidently and effectively.
Post the completion of 2 years in the role, due to my experience in working with the property and leasing teams, I was promoted to the position of Property Marketing Associate under the Marketing Team. This team is managed by a visionary leader Mr. Jatin Babla. In this team, I am responsible for advertisement and promotion of the Kaizen-managed properties, addressing the queries and concerns of the stakeholders, attracting new residents to the property, driving the sales of the new units, taking care of the leasing division, and ensuring healthy occupancy rate. Working under the exemplary leadership of Jatin, I learnt unique ways of marketing and promoting the properties using the internet and social media. Jatin possesses vast experience in Marketing and Brand Management and working with him has enabled me in grasping those techniques to enhance my performance and boost efficiency. Jatin always makes special efforts to learn about my views and challenges and boosts my morale so that I can perform better and try unique ideas for the greater good of the organization. He is very straightforward, provides his guidance and expert views whenever I ask him and shows utmost attention to my well-being, which motivates me to give my 100% performance at work.
Undoubtedly, the Leadership support is the most distinctive aspect of Kaizen AMS’culture. The time invested in me by leaders has turned me into a full-fledged professional who has successfully managed some of the key departments and teams at the firm. This was not possible without the support I got from my leaders and co-workers.

Another beautiful thing about Kaizen AMS culture is its Open Door Policy where every employee is encouraged to suggest ideas or concerns at any point in time. The organizations I have worked with in the past had a culture where strategies were only limited to the top management. Thus, I was always hesitant to share my ideas. However, Kaizen AMS culture is different. Here, leadership always encourages employees from every level to contribute towards the growth of the company and make employees feel they are leaders. This practice not only makes the employees more committed and passionate about the organization but also provides them with invaluable leadership experience.
Kaizen AMS’ leadership also understands the importance of right balance between work and life. Thus, from time to time the organization extended my remote work flexibility which allowed me to work from my home country and spend time with my family and friends. It is indeed one of my favorite parts about working with Kaizen AMS.

Finally, I will say that joining Kaizen AMS has been one of the best decisions I have made. My tenure has been a blend of learning, fun, work-life balance, career progression, and personality development. Here I realized that employees can do miracles if their leaders support them, guide them and offer them the flexibility to think ‘out of the box’.

KAIZEN Asset Management Services, with an asset management portfolio valued at AED18bn, announced at an event held in Dubai that it has obtained the WELL Health-Safety Rating for ninety properties in its portfolio from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). 

The WELL Health and Safety rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating and one of the most prestigious. All ninety properties in KAIZEN Asset Management’s portfolio were assessed on the basis of the following six health and safety pillars: cleaning and sanitization procedures, emergency preparedness programs, health service resources, air and water quality management, stakeholder engagement and communication, as well as innovation.

KAIZEN monitors air quality inside some of the buildings it manages using IoT sensors to ensure the highest standards of clean air and energy management of chillers. It implements environmental preservation activities through partner service providers, as well as applying standards of using eco-friendly materials for cleaning and sanitation, and pest control.

Fadi Nwilati, CEO of KAIZEN Asset Management, said: “Achieving the WELL Health Safety Rating for our projects is a milestone towards delivering our commitment to customers of having their health and wellbeing at the center of our quality service delivery. We will continue to invest in areas that improve the health and wellness of our residents, which simultaneously also improves the value of the properties for our landlords. KAIZEN continues to lead the industry in environmental, social, and governance standards and will continue to invest further to create happier communities.”

Additionally, in line with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, and KAIZEN’s ESG strategy, it has consistently invested in driving operations that place people and the planet first. Its investments have been significantly directed to greener technologies to progressively minimize energy consumption and carbon emissions across its entire portfolio of 130+ managed communities.

Mohammed bin Hammad, senior director of the Real Estate Regulatory Relations Department, Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), said: “Our objective is for management companies to commit to such initiatives. Dubai always looks to standards devised by global governing bodies; in a post Covid era we have a responsibility to focus on having health and wellness of residents to be at the highest global standards. This certificate proves our commitment towards the health and well-being of residents in Dubai through living in healthier building and in addition, upgrade the status of the buildings which also will deliver significant value in the rental and sales value of the properties. We thank Kaizen for being one of the first to achieve the WELL international certification for their portfolio, we encourage other management companies to follow this initiative as it will add value to the health and well-being to the city of Dubai. This is in line with Dubai vision to put resident happiness and wellness at the forefront.”

Delos’ Founder & CEO, Paul Scialla, said: “KAIZEN Asset Management is leading by example through its achievement of the WELL Health-Safety Rating, reinforcing its commitment to the health and wellbeing of all of its residents, employees, and guests across its portfolio of buildings. We congratulate KAIZEN Asset Management’s leadership team for ensuring that health & safety are an integral component of their development and building strategy.”

By gaining the WELL Health and Safety Rating, KAIZEN joins the first group of companies in its sector in the UAE to gain this rating and thousands of organizations around the world to advance a movement towards a healthier future, placing people and communities first, prioritizing the health and wellbeing of people across buildings, organizations, and communities.

Story of our Excellence Officer – Mr. Faisal Shaikh

Time flies!! Today marks my first proud year at Kaizen Asset Management Services. These 365 days working as an ‘Excellence Officer’ at Kaizen have been a blend of learning, fun, persistence, and progression. In my role, I get an opportunity to serve residents from hundreds of nationalities which provides me exposure to working in a truly international environment.

Kaizen is my first employer for which I am working in the Resident Experience role. Prior to this, I was not aware of how things work in the fast-paced real estate and property management sector in the UAE. However, as once said by Rita Wilson, “Be fearless in trying new things, whether they are physical, mental, or emotional since being afraid can challenge you to go to the next level.” This quote has always been my inspiration in trying new things. This is the reason I accepted the offer of joining Kaizen AMS as I wanted to ‘test the water’ and gain valuable experience working for the top property management firm in Dubai – Kaizen Asset Management Services.

Before joining Kaizen, I always had a curiosity about how things work in a multicultural environment. Prior to moving to Dubai, I didn’t have international experience. I worked in India for almost a decade. I firmly believe that joining Kaizen AMS was the most beautiful decision of my life as this great firm introduced me to the multicultural environment and now I really enjoy working with my co-workers from various parts of the globe.

The best part about Kaizen AMS is its people who are very supportive and motivate their fellow workers to achieve the impossible. Here I would like to mention the name of my Line Manager – Mrs. Vidyashree Cawa who has always encouraged and assisted me in overcoming my anxiety and providing me with comprehensive training so that I can perform my job responsibilities with utmost professionalism and efficiency. Being an immigrant herself, Vidyashree understands that a new joiner who moves to Dubai living alone from his/her family can fall prey to anxiety, stress, confusion, and loneliness. Thus, she always makes all possible attempts to overcome these barriers by maintaining touch with all the team members. Vidyashree always maintains transparent communication through Slack and answers the team’s doubts and queries in real-time. Vidyashree hails from Mumbai, India. She is known for her unparalleled team management skills and responsiveness. Vidyashree leads the team, helps the team members grow, and takes full ownership of driving the team’s performance. She is very adaptive to new situations and encourages others to perform at their optimum level. The best part about Vidyashree is that she makes working on complex projects really fun.  I really appreciate her efforts and feel proud to work under her leadership. I am genuinely honored to be led by such a great leader. Vidyashree’s continuous support has empowered me in performing to the best of my abilities and maintaining 100% performance and client satisfaction scores since I joined.

Along with Vidya, another leader who has influenced me a lot is Kaizen AMS’ CEO – Mr. Fadi Nwilati. His incredible leadership, positive attitude, and quality of maintaining a personal touch with all the employees have always motivated me to perform to the best of my abilities. Fadi is a very responsive and kind-hearted gentleman. Leveraging his incredible leadership and people management skills, he resolves any complex issue faced by me in my job in a few minutes. Fadi firmly believes that the ‘best care of clients starts with the best care of employees’. Thus, he lays special emphasis on the well-being of every employee. 

At last, I want to say that Kaizen AMS has empowered me in growing both professionally and personally and in nurturing new and meaningful relationships. The last one year has been a great journey with Kaizen. The benefits that come from working with Kaizen AMS are above and beyond the monetary rewards. I have received more positive feedback and recognition here from my stakeholders than anywhere else in my life. I can say with utmost confidence that Kaizen AMS is among those employers who along with ‘Creating Memorable Experiences’ f for the residents and clients also create memorable experiences for its employees and truly exemplifies its purpose of formation.

Author – Anas Gahshan, Senior FM Manager, Kaizen AMS

Sustainability is one of the major strategic goals for the built environment in the UAE. This is one of the reasons that there have been an exponential surge in investments by the real estate sector and strata management firms in sustainable and clean energy projects to align their vision with the UAEs Energy Strategy 2050. The Energy Strategy targets an energy mix that combines renewable, nuclear, and clean energy sources to meet the UAE’s environmental goals of clean energy (44%), Gas (38%), clean coal (12%), and Nuclear (6%).

With rising awareness, property buyers & investors are prioritizing the sustainability efforts of the developers over the quality and prices of the project. In the last decade, sustainability has emerged as a key factor in the property buying decision. The research conducted by Epson reveals that 94% of millennials in the Middle East prioritize environmental and social issues and over 90% of employees in the UAE think that the use of green technologies can play a pivotal role in improving the air quality and will have a great social impact on the businesses. While designing their future plans, organizations are considering sustainability as their top priority. This is allowing them in addressing the emerging challenge of climate change and also in gaining a competitive edge.

Today, sustainability has become a viable decision-making tool for corporate leaders to evaluate the impact of their decisions over the entire life cycle of the product or practice. Sustainable practices are empowering the UAE’s corporate sector in striking the right balance between mother nature, the built environment, and profitability.

An Urge for Triple Bottom line

Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is an accounting framework which considers social, environmental, and financial results as bottom lines. Businesses of all types – Corporates, NPOs, and government entities – leverage the TBL framework to evaluate their financial performance and the impact of their operations on the environment and society.  Triple Bottom Line encourages real estate leaders to nurture the mindset of prioritizing sustainability in every single process, activity, decision, and strategy. TBL is based on the principle that any action that achieves benefits in one aspect cannot be initiated without measuring its impact on the other crucial aspects of the business.

3Ps of TBL

The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept functions on the principle of 3Ps – Profit, People, and Planet. The Profit aspect evaluates the performance of an organization based on its financial performance. It focuses on key aspects like – business decisions made, strategic planning, and the methods of cost reduction.

The second P – People measures an organization’s social impact and its commitment to people (i.e. its stakeholders, employees, and people involved in the supply chain, customers, the organization’s surrounding community, and future generations.) Some of the methods used by organizations today to measure the bottom line includes – advancing human rights; volunteering; donating to the poor or hungry; promoting diversity, race, and gender equity; and improving life expectancies.

The third P – Planet measures the environmental impact of an organization. In the last decade, like any other sector, the real estate sector has also been the contributor to rising air pollution which has adversely impacted the climate at staggering rates.

The bottom-line approach aims to encourage organizations to reduce their carbon footprints to protect nature and precious human lives. Some of the prevalent methods to measure the bottom line includes – curtailing carbon footprints by cutting down on energy consumption, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, ensuring effective waste management, streamlining shipment practices, and above all using ethically sourced materials.

The 3Ps of Triple Bottom Line (TBL) should be of paramount importance for every organization as it enables them in weighing the impact of each aspect on another. This will entitle organizations in deriving the maximum benefits from all three aspects and making informed decisions which are bearable, viable, and equitable.

Challenges in Sustainable Decision-making

 Lack of standard guidelines to accurately measure TBL

• Lack of structured framework
• Achieving a global standard is a time-consuming & costly affair

 Sustainable Decisions

Many organizations wonder how they can make sustainable decisions. Well, it is not as tough as it seems. The foundation of sustainable decisions starts with drafting a sustainable strategy which supports the organization’s mission, vision, and values. Sustainable decisions must align with the services offered, business operations, nature of the business, policies & procedures.

There are 5 phases of executing a sustainable strategy. These are as follows –

• Analyze the goals of the sustainability strategy
• Evaluate the feasibility of initiatives and plans
• Outline a preliminary sustainability plan
• Ensure that the plan accomplishes the sustainable goals of the firm
• Nurture a culture and mindset towards sustainability which can be implemented in the existing organizational processes
• Execute the plan post management’s approval

The Direct Impact of TBL on organization

Prioritizing People, Planet, and Profit as a core of the organization often leads to extraordinary business results. Organizations must place ESG goals at the top of their value proposition to maximize their impact on the Planet and People and drive unprecedented business results –

• Create a checklist of feasible sustainable practices and ESG Governance
• Reinforce supply chain management to protect against business interruption
• Ameliorate customer relationship and satisfaction
• Evaluate the impact of ESG goals on the people and the environment to strengthen brand reputation and customer relationship
• Prioritize the people in every decision to drive employee loyalty, retention, and diversity and increase employee engagement
• Align goals with ESG standards to reflect organizations’ vision, values, and strategy which connects with both internal or external stakeholder
• Maximize the business performance by following all three aspects of ESG. This will have a profound impact on the financial performance among ethical business performance will have a higher rank than other organization performance.

To make wise and informed sustainability-driven decisions, organizations must understand the following basics –

There is no Yes/No approach to the right decision, when it comes to sustainability, it is not an option. Right decisions must consider the organization strategy, employees’ collaboration, and management’s objectives. These decisions must be backed by research and data. Before reaching a final conclusion, an organization must perform data collection, data analysis, the study of alternatives, and the impact of each decision on Triple bottom line aspects by considering the insights drawn from Life cycle analysis and their monetary & non – monetary values.

While businesses have historically been the greatest contributors to climate change, they also hold the keys to driving positive change. Many business leaders are now recognizing their responsibility to do so. This effort isn’t solely on the shoulders of the world’s largest corporations—virtually all businesses have opportunities to make changes that reduce their carbon footprint by considering TBL in their strategic decisions. Adjustments like using ethically sourced materials, cutting down on energy consumption, and streamlining shipping practices are steps in the right direction.

This article was penned by  Anas Gahshan, Senior FM Manager, Kaizen Asset Management Services. It is part of CMtoday’s Expert Talk series.

One of the most silent features of a successful organization is its ability to motivate its employees to perform better. As rightly said by Dave Ulrich, “good performance accountability is about having a positive conversation between manager and employee. A manager is a coach and communicator, not command and controller.” The triumph of an organization largely depends on how its employees perform. Employees who are fulfilled and productive always prove to be instrumental assets in steering an organization toward success. I believe that these values are embedded in the culture of Kaizen AMS. Being an industry leader, Kaizen AMS truly understands the significance of employee morale in meeting its purpose of ‘Creating Memorable Experiences and Communities’.

As they say, ‘first impression is always the last impression’. My first day at Kaizen has been one of the most memorable days of my life. Four years ago, in Aug 2018, when I joined Kaizen AMS as Property Handover Manager at its headquarters I was overwhelmed by the courtesy and respect shown to me by the Kaizeners. I got all the necessary support from my co-workers required to streamline my induction process. There felt a sense of belongingness at the workplace.  My team members and the leadership empowered me in rising over all the challenges involved in my role by offering me support and timely training to motivate me in exemplifying the term Kaizen which means ‘continuous improvement‘. 

I joined Kaizen AMS as an experienced professional with over 11 years of UAE experience. However, I can confidently say that my last 4 years with Kaizen AMS have been exceptional. The knowledge and the experience I got at Kaizen are truly exceptional. A vast amount of this goes to Kaizen’s incredible mission of ‘transforming properties into smart, sustainable & engaging communities that are impactful to one’s well-being, happiness, and returns.’ Kaizen taught me to always prioritize customer’s concerns over anything else and strive to create an unforgettable experience for them. Kaizen’s top leadership (which includes – Fadi Nwilati, Alex Voytov, Sara Nwilati, and Tariq Arisheh) spends a couple of hours every week imparting their valuable learnings to the employees which allows them to improve their leadership skills, managing their teams and work effectively and improve their overall performance. Undoubtedly, Kaizen’s most valuable investment is its people and it makes sure the Return on Investment (ROI) of this investment improves every day through continuous learning and improvement in their roles. Here I will quote an example of how Kaizen assisted me in my journey of continuous improvement. In 2020, Mr. Fadi Nwilati and I were discussing the business expansion plans. I informed Fadi about my challenges with some of the new responsibilities assigned to me to which he immediately approved a budget so that I can pursue relevant courses to overcome my shortcomings.  I was elated and overwhelmed by this gesture shown to me by the top leader in the company. Honestly, it meant a lot to me and made me a loyal ‘Kaizener’.  Care is a give-and-take relationship. When employers care about their employees, employees also make a ‘last-ditch effort’ to live up to the expectation and give their best performance.  

‘Creating passionate Kaizeners’ has always been the core philosophy of Kaizen AMS to drive performance. The leadership at Kaizen firmly emphasizes on making every job role very creative so that employees feel passionate about their work and perform at their optimum level. The triumph of an organization relies on its employee’s performance. Even after completing 4 years at Kaizen, I feel equally passionate about my work and ensure I thrive in every responsibility assigned to me. I strongly believe that an organization can achieve its goals, mission and vision easily when its employees feel passionate, empowered, motivated, and engaged. This is where Kaizen AMS has an upper edge over its rivals. Kaizen’s leadership has been instrumental in instilling these traits in its employees which is the major reason behind Kaizen’s success as the most successful Community Management firm today.

Story of our Excellence Officer – Miss. Haya Mustafa

First job always holds a special place in the heart as well as in life. The job becomes even more special if the employer is Kaizen AMS. I am very grateful to Kaizen’s leadership for making me a part of this beautiful family where each employee is treated with utmost respect, kindness, and dignity -like a family member.

When I joined Kaizen AMS in November last year as Excellence Officer, I had ‘butterflies in my stomach’, i.e.  I was very nervous. I was complete stranger to the corporate environment. Like any other person, I also had hundreds of questions in my mind about my manager and co-workers and the work environment, however, all my confusion and dilemmas were solved once-in-for-all when I went to the Kaizen office. My line manager, Mrs. Vidya Cawa conducted my induction and introduced me to the leadership and my co-workers. Everyone behaved with me in such a manner that they know me for years. My coworkers and my manager aligned all my mandatory trainings and made me understand all the rules, regulations, and norms of the company. 

Kaizen AMS is a highly diverse organization. On my first day, I got the opportunity to meet people from 5 continents. It was indeed an unforgettable experience. I met people from India, Russia, Africa, Lebanon,  Philippines, Pakistan, and several other nations and learned a lot about their nations, cultures, traditions, behaviours, cultural differences, etc. For me, it was like a world tour in 7 hours. I can say proudly that I have connections in every part of the world. I could have never expected the start of my professional career in such a beautiful manner.

I joined Kaizen as an Excellence Officer. In my daily job, I am responsible for serving the residents of 150+ Kaizen Managed communities which come from across the globe. It is indeed an incredible experience interacting with people from so many cultures and backgrounds. Before joining Kaizen AMS, I knew only 2 languages i.e. – Arabic & English; however in less than a year of joining Kaizen and spending time with a global workforce, I have learned 4 new languages i.e. Russian, Hindi, Spanish, and French. Although I am not an expert speaker but somehow I can comprehend well in these languages. Thanks to Kaizen for making me a multilingual personality. I wish one day I meet all my fellow Kaizeners in their respective countries and spend time with their beautiful families. 

Now let me talk about my job role and team. I am part of the Communications Excellence team. I am responsible for solving some of the pressing challenges faced by our stakeholders. It gives me immense pleasure to serve Kaizen’s stakeholders and bring smiles on their faces every day. We say in Arabic, ‘Khidmat Alnaas hi Khidmat Allah’ – which means ‘to serve people is to serve god’. I feel in my daily job I get an opportunity to serve God every day.  My job and the positive feedback I receive from the stakeholders keeps my motivation levels high.

My team members make my journey with Kaizen even more memorable. Each team member motivates me and encourages me to do something different from the previous day. My line manager Vidya – who hails from India, is a blend of Indian wisdom with Arabic modesty. She is very quick to analyze the challenges I might face and provide her expert opinion. Her support helps me in resolving the clients’ queries much faster and live up to the Kaizen AMS’ vision ‘to Create Memorable Experiences and Communities’. My manager has always been my wonder woman. She has always been by my side whenever I needed her assistance. Vidya is doing an ultimate job of imparting her valuable learning and teachings to the team and empowering them in becoming the leaders of tomorrow. 

Another unique aspect of working with Kaizen AMS is it respects the suggestions and opinions of every employee irrespective of their position in the hierarchy. I have seen many of my suggestions turning into reality in the last half-year and reaping the benefits for my team as well as for the company and its stakeholders. This provides an employee a true experience of being a leader or a CEO and makes the person feel more confident in taking up the next role. This also encourages the employees to come up with new ideas for the greater good of everyone.  

At Kaizen, every day is an opportunity for ‘Continuous Improvement’ and learning new things. After joining Kaizen, I have seen myself solving complex problems and becoming a problem solver which I was not earlier. I have started ‘deep-diving into the root cause’ and have started ‘challenging the status quo (two of the core values of Kaizen). I have started analyzing the business needs more deeply and reaching the most viable solution. I have seen myself becoming more patient and turning from a person who always used to pick a safe side to a real risk-taker. This happened because Kaizen provided me with a platform to showcase my talent and skills. I would like to thank the top leadership – Fadi Nwilati, Alex Voytov, and Sara Nwilati for nurturing a culture where employees feel empowered to learn new things improve every day, and grow in their professional careers. Kaizeners truly personifies the values that the Kaizen brand represents.

My experience with Kaizen is a long story. This is just the first chapter. Rest is still unwritten.  I hope one day I will complete this story and I am sure it will be one of the most alluring stories and will make the readers enthusiastic about working with Kaizen AMS.

Story of our Training & Quality Assurance Manager – Ms. Vidyashree Cawa

Compassion, People, Passion, and a Feeling of belongingness are the key pillars which make a place a home. Even the most expensive house or decorated workplace in the world is incomplete if it misses these elements. As rightly said by famous American Writer – Ben Stein, ‘the human spirit needs to accomplish, to achieve, to triumph to be happy.’ Kaizen strongly focuses on the factors mentioned above to boost the human spirit which is one of the key reasons behind its monumental success in a decade’s time. Kaizen always tries to create an atmosphere where every employee feels a part of the family.

Every expat understands it is not easy to leave your home country and go abroad for work. You feel nostalgic and homesick every moment. You need someone who supports you mentally and emotionally and motivates you to do something exceptional in your personal & professional career. In my case, this role was played by Kaizen Asset Management Services – a firm I am proud to call my home. It is a family I built 1500 Miles away from home in Mumbai, India. 

I am Vidya Cawa – Training & Quality Assurance Manager at Kaizen AMS.  I am responsible for ensuring that residents at Kaizen-managed communities are happy with the services and their queries & concerns get resolved within the lead time. In my role, I ensure that every team at Kaizen meets its quality parameters and the firm achieves its purpose of Creating Memorable Experiences and Communities through continuous improvement. I feel Kaizen truly understands the fact that the ‘best care of the clients starts with employees’. Kaizen always strives to achieve utmost employee delight and ensures employees always enjoy their work. This philosophy encourages everyone in my team to serve the residents & clients in the exact same manner and follow an approach where human touch, respect, and professionalism occupies at the foremost place. Each of my team members put their heart while addressing the resident’s issues to create those unforgettable experiences for every resident.

Let me elaborate on the factors why I call Kaizen AMS my home.

Compassion is the greatest reward an employer can give to the employees which will make them feel the company is their home. Supporting the employees in their bad phase of life is the best way to drive loyalty and boost their morale. 

The year 2020 came as a pandora’s box for me like many across the world. In June 2020, my husband lost his job due to a market slowdown. Things became from bad to worse when in July 2020, I fell victim to the Covid-19 pandemic. Kaizen AMS leadership came as a blessing in disguise for me. Without me requesting they transferred my salary in advance. Like a true family member, Kaizen supported me in my difficult time. 

Another strong reason for me to call Kaizen my home is its wonderful people. I share a strong bond with everyone at Kaizen and they are always with me in my good and bad times. Kaizeners have made me believe time and time again that ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’. When I was suffering from Covid-19 every Kaizener called my husband to keep a track of my health. Here I would like to name a few special people who have always been with me like a shadow. My dear friend Jaza Naveed (Portfolio Manager) checked on my health and ensured all required medicines and equipment are available all the time. She used to send all the latest educational material to my husband on the best practices to recover from Covid-19. My beautiful coworkers – Binny Varghese (Portfolio Manager), Muhammad Hassan (Experience Manager), and Raqueeb Mohammed Abdul (Experience Manager) used to deliver delicious homemade food to me to ensure I get my meals on time and recover quickly from Covid-19.  All my fellow Kaizeners went the extra mile to support me in every possible way. The support I receive from my coworkers makes me feel an integral part of the Kaizen family. Here I remember a quote by Late. Peter Schutz (Former CEO of Porsche) ‘Hire Character Train Skills’.  I feel Kaizen AMS has done a wonderful job in hiring people with very high moral values, character, and ethics. 

Kaizen AMS emphasizes strongly in fostering passion among its employees. Like a family member, my leaders Fadi Nwilati (CEO) and Sara Nwilati (Head of Talent), and all my coworkers encouraged me to try something new every day to enhance resident happiness. Everyone at Kaizen drives me to experiment new ways to achieve utmost resident delight. I feel this is the reason Kaizen has been a consistent winner in the ‘Customer Happiness’ category at all major awards like – Smart Built Environment (SBE) Awards, and International Real Estate Community Management Summit (IRECMS) Awards.

Another reason why working at Kaizen AMS always feels like home is the feeling of belongingness. The top leadership personally invests a significant amount of time in the professional & personal development of each employee. Kaizen invests significant time & money in providing world-class management training to the employees. Fadi Nwilati and Alex Voytov (COO) organise Leadership sessions frequently to impart their learnings and ensure Kaizeners thrive in their role and emerge as leaders of tomorrow. Fadi’s valuable guidance & sessions on leadership inspires and empowers me to manage my team of 21 Customer Experience Executives in a more professional way and drive maximum productivity from them while maintaining their utmost satisfaction.

Furthermore, Kaizen’s leadership is always open to provide their valuable suggestions to resolve the personal problems faced by the employees. I recall 2 years ago, Fadi provided career guidance not only to me but also discussed career plan for my son who was in school at that point of time. This has helped my son in career planning and he now understands the clear part once he has graduated. 

This has been a small summary of my incredible experiences with Kaizen. While working at Kaizen, I never felt away from my family back home. The best thing about working at Kaizen AMS is you never feel like an employee, you always feel like a part of a family where everyone stands by you despite any odds. Knowing and working with Kaizeneres coming from 20+ nationalities was like Music. Some had high notes, some had low notes but always created a ‘beautiful song for me.’  

Story of our Portfolio Manager- Mrs. Jaza Naveed

Once rightly said by famous American Actress & TV presenter Ricki Lake ‘Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing’. It is the most beautiful feeling on earth to be a mother but certainly, this journey is full of challenges and I am sure every woman who has been through this journey understands very well what I am talking about. A mother makes ultimate sacrifices while giving birth to a baby, raising him/her, and guiding the kid towards the right path and this project continues forever. It won’t be wrong to say that being a mother is a perpetual job with no scope of time off.  I think the reason women occupy the foremost place in society is because of their ability to give birth to the children and go through all hardships in raising them. This is what makes a mother a true synonym of endurance, valor, dedication, perseverance, and benevolence. 

Ideally, every section of society must contribute to simplify this journey for women; however, the reality of the world we live in is quite daunting. The first thought which comes to the mind of every working woman across the globe when she gets pregnant is ‘Will I be fired from the job for taking maternity leaves?’  So, are women correct in their thinking? The data suggests their fear cannot be completely ruled out. 

According to the 2021 Women, Business and the Law report released by The World Bank, 38 of 190 economies do not prohibit the dismissal of pregnant workers in their laws. Surprisingly, these 38 economies include the names of the world’s largest countries where almost half of the global women workforce lives. The report also reveals that discrimination and unlawful termination of pregnant workers remain pervasive practices around the world. A lack of protections like this makes it even harder for women to escape poverty and find stability. Thankfully, that is not the case with the United Arab Emirates. A vast amount of credit goes to the visionary leadership of the UAE for building the most women-friendly laws and the environment as well as to my employer Kaizen Asset Management Services for truly living up to the expectations and always going an extra mile to support every women employee in their journey to becoming a mother.

I am summarizing the ways in which Kaizen AMS has provided its valuable support to me throughout my journey of becoming a mother and did what it always does the best – ‘Creating Memorable Experiences’. 

1. Leadership Support

As rightly said by – Angela Ahrendts (Former Apple Inc.’s top executive) ‘everyone talks about building a relationship with your customer. I think you build one with your employees first’. Kaizen AMS’ leadership is indeed a pioneer in this art of building a personal touch with his employees. Personalization is just not Kaizen’s approach to dealing with the clients & residents but its employees as well. When I informed the top leadership about becoming a mother, they congratulated me and my family very warmly and sent me loads of gifts for the newborn to cherish and be a part of the occasion. Being a truly women-friendly organization with 47% of a female workforce, Kaizen AMS understands the challenges faced by women employees when they become mothers. I was offered an option for a flexible remote working post completion of my maternity leaves, till the time I feel comfortable working from the office. Like a visionary leader, Kaizen AMS’ CEO – Mr. Fadi Nwilati has proven time and time again that he is always happy to lend his helping hand whenever an employee needed his support.

2. Open Dialogue

As Kaizen AMS is managing a diverse workforce from over 20 countries for the last fifteen years, it truly understands that every female employee has unique expectations from the employer during the pregnancy phase. Thus, rather than assuming my expectations, as a formal practice, Kaizen set up an open dialogue with me to find out what types of support I need throughout the pregnancy phase. This provided me with an opportunity to communicate openly about my expectations and requirements to assist Talent & Human resource leadership in better designing my maternity leave plan and a flexible work option which most closely matched my needs and expectations. 

3. Providing me the Access to the Best Medical Services

Expert advice is crucial for the women in avoiding many pitfalls during the pre & post-pregnancy phase which can lead to a grand fallacy. Timely & right doctors’ advice is one of the biggest supports women needs before, during, and post-pregnancy. Kaizen AMS’ Talent team provided me with access to world-class medical experts at the company’s expense to provide me with the best prenatal and postnatal care. Furthermore, as pregnancy affects all the health systems of the women, Kaizen provided me access to some of the leading nutritionists, dentists, and physiotherapists in Dubai to offer me the best care possible.

4. Mental & Emotional Support

A study titled ‘Pregnancy and Postpartum Disorders’ by Mental Health America reveals that over 80% of women experience mood swings often refer as ‘the baby blues’ post-pregnancy as a result of high hormonal fluctuations which occur during and immediately after childbirth. The symptoms last for a few weeks. In this situation, women experience mood swings or feelings of depression for more than two weeks after childbirth and it can be very serious if it persists for more than two weeks.  This is the time when a woman needs maximum emotional support to overcome the feeling of anxiety and depression. 

During this phase, Kaizen’s leadership and most importantly my team workers have played a decisive role and acted like my family members in providing emotional support. Some of the ways in which Kaizen offered me mental & emotional support includes – supportive interactions with coworkers before and after birth is critical, organizing online sessions & creating social opportunities to interact with the team members, and hosting online donut meetings with fellow Kaizeners to provide me with their valuable insights & tips on the best practices for the women after childbirth, hosting weekly zoom meetings to check on my health and maintain a form of connection with coworkers and supervisors so that I don’t feel left out. 

Final words

This has been the summary of my memorable experience with Kaizen AMS. I found myself very fortunate to be a part of Kaizen where employees are not just only employees but a part of the ‘Kaizen Family’. Every Kaizener makes an earnest effort to help out the fellow coworker during the challenging phases of life and try to simplify their journey. I feel there is a lot global firms can learn from this blog on the expectations of pregnant women from their employers and how to support them while they are going through a pregnancy phase. This practice will not only have a profound impact on employee morale but will also empower the employers in being a part of the prestigious list of Female-Friendly Companies.  

Author: Aditya Rawat

Once said by Mahatma Gandhi – ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’.  The first thought which comes to my mind whenever I think of this quote is of Mr. Fadi Nwilati – CEO of Kaizen Asset Management Services.  Fadi truly exemplifies the Japanese term – ‘KAIZEN’ which means “continuous improvement.” His approach to continuously improving things has encouraged him to come up with the idea of laying the foundation of Kaizen Asset Management Services in the year 2006 to overcome the pressing challenges faced by the real estate sector in managing their properties at minimal cost by leveraging innovative technologies to maintain utmost residents’ delight. It is a matter of pride for me to say that Fadi’s brainchild – Kaizen AMS, is among the top 5 property management firms in Dubai today.

Fadi Nwilati has been instrumental in driving a vast list of transformational changes not only within Kaizen AMS but across the industry. This is one of the several reasons he has been recognized as one of the “Most Trusted Real Estate Professionals of Dubai” by Property Times. Fadi’s unparalleled leadership followed by the utmost dedication of ‘Kaizeners’ has earned Kaizen AMS almost every prestigious industry award.

This exhaustive list includes – 

• the most recent – ‘Most Customer-Centric Company of the Year’ at the International Real Estate Community Management Summit (IRECMS) Awards 2021
• ‘Customer Happiness Award’ ‘and Partnership Award – Proptech’ at ‘Smart Built Environment Awards – 2021
• Gulf Real Estate Awards for ‘Best Employer in Real Estate’ and ‘Best Consultancy in Real Estate’ –2018, 
• ‘Best OAM Initiative’ & ‘Best Media and Communications’ -2019, and 
• Kaizen AMS being featured on the ‘Influential Companies of 2020 list’ by CM Today

Let’s find out the 7Ps of Fadi’s leadership which makes him a truly world-class leader and a well-known figure in the Dubai Property Management industry today –

1. Passion

People who know Fadi will agree with me that the statement he emphasizes the most is ‘Hiring passionate people and growing them’. It is just not a statement but his core ideology. Fadi always strives to drive performance by empowering employees and acting as a mentor. I firmly believe that no monetary incentive can be a substitute for passion. It only comes from within and the people around you. ‘People with great passion can make the impossible happen’. He encourages everyone to put their heart into their job role and give the best effort to drive results. In my opinion, the biggest secret behind the triumph of Kaizen AMS as the most successful property management firm today is Fadi’s approach to encouraging employees to be passionate and nurturing a culture of strategic thinking, innovation, and creativity. 

In this context – I remember a quote by famous American author, Business Coach, and CEO of Snuggwugg – Lisa Cash Hanson: “Leadership is the ability to guide others without force into a direction or decision that leaves them feeling empowered and accomplished.”  

2. Purpose

As rightly said by Vince Lombardi, ‘Success demands singleness of purpose’. One of the many reasons behind the ascendancy of Fadi is he does everything with a purpose attached to it. His core purpose is to serve, develop, and inspire people and perform his responsibilities to the best of his ability every day. 

Fadi always strives to consistently achieve greater results, to be able to stand strong for those who need him, to inspire young adults that they can achieve what they want by continuously advancing themselves and improving, all the while without forgetting to have fun, disconnect, and enjoy life. By continuously improving his life and the life of everyone who surrounds him, Fadi collectively elevates everyone to greater levels. His mission is to make the property management industry enjoyable and contribute to human sustainability. By fulfilling his purpose of life every day, Fadi takes Kaizen one step closer to its mission ‘To Create Memorable Experiences and Communities’.

3. Patience

We live in a world where the corporate head honchos expect faster results under rigid timelines which requires working under immense pressure. However, in this journey, corporate bosses forget that working under pressure not only limits the creativity of the employees but also puts their physical & mental health in jeopardy. I have been a part of a similar work environment which had always limited my creativity. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Kaizen AMS.  

‘Good things come to those who wait’. I can say this with utmost confidence that I am a very big admirer of Fadi Nwilati’s patience. He truly understands ‘Rome can’t be built in a day and gives sufficient time to every initiative to reap the results. Employees working with Kaizen AMS for a long say, Fadi has not always been like that. After receiving continuous feedback from the team members, he learned to grow and accept the virtue of performance. I feel the Greek Poet Solon has rightly said – ‘He who has learned how to obey will know how to command’. Fadi obeyed the feedback of his fellow Kaizeners which has made him more patient than he was before. His patience has led to several projects which started at a slow pace initially, gained significant momentum in a few months, and became a major success for the company in the later stages. The lesson I learned from Fadi is patience is indeed a cornerstone for being a successful entrepreneur.  

4. Priority

The first step to success is prioritising the priorities of your stakeholders.  I feel this is one of the many qualities of Fadi that he always ensure he lives up to the expectations of Kaizen’s stakeholders in terms of both quality and the timeline. He always continues to improve his efficiency and encourages Kaizeners to dedicate more time to understanding and analyzing the expectations of the stakeholders to stay one step ahead in the competition. Fadi leverages his decades of experience working on unconventional technologies and his passion for innovation to meet the dynamic expectations of the clients. His approach of leveraging the technology to make the company’s operations swift has empowered Kaizen in becoming ‘Your Technology-Enabled Property Management Company’.

5. Principles

Fadi’s persona is highly driven by the great value system he inherits. He encourages everyone to maintain strict compliance with the rules & regulations not only within Kaizen AMS premises and the communities we manage but in personal life as well. Fadi’s high ethics, treating every person with the utmost respect, and the attitude of keeping the promises and living up to the expectation of Kaizen AMS’ stakeholders and earning the trust vote of most notable real-estate clients in the UAE such as – Emirates REIT, Dubai South, Meydan, Meraas, Select Group, and Al Futtaim, to name a few. Once said by Raymond Thomas Dalio – “You don’t achieve happiness by getting rid of your problems – you achieve it by learning from them.” 

6. Personal Touch

One of the biggest hindrances to the success of any organization is when its leader fails to establish personal touch with his employees and customers. This discourages several employees from sharing any incredible ideas they have or speaking out their minds for the betterment of the organization. According to an article by Harvard Business Review titled – ‘Can Your Employees Really Speak Freely?’ several employees fear conveying their distinctive ideas to the management because they fear the consequences of speaking their minds. Such a type of culture not only makes the employee feel demotivated but also results in the organization missing out on unique business opportunities. 

Like every great leader, Fadi understands it. Thus, he has fostered a culture of open-door policy by maintaining a close relationship with every employee which makes them comfortable to communicate any ideas or concerns they have in mind with him. Mr. Fadi Nwilati organizes brainstorming sessions on a bi-weekly basis to listen to the ideas of team members as well as his expert opinion on how to go about it.  This makes employees feel more inclusive and privileged that their opinion really matters and also establishes the personal touch which makes it easier for them to convey any distinctive idea they have in mind which could impact Kaizen AMS’ customers & employees.

Fadi’s philosophy of building personal touch not only with employees but with everyone he meets has encouraged him and Kaizen AMS to come up with the most innovative communication tool – the Whatsapp Chat platform to provide a personal touch to the residents of our managed communities by bringing personalization to our conversation instead of apps. Kaizen AMS’ WhatsApp platform provides 24×7 personalized support to over 30,000 residents in our 100+ managed communities. Once said by Elizabeth Mccormick – “take the time for the personal touch else how will you stand out from the crowd”.  Fadi understands the meaning of this quote and truly exemplifies it.

7. Persistence

Persistence is the seventh ‘P’ of Fadi’s incredible leadership. His ‘Never Give Up’ attitude and making efforts to thrive under critical situations is what make him a true leader in my eyes. Something I have learned in my professional career spanning over 13+ years is the quality that distinguishes great leaders is that ‘FAIL’ is not a word in their dictionary but it is an abbreviation which stands for ‘First Attempt in Learning’. Great leaders possess dogged perseverance, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Fadi is among those leaders. His persistence always motivates me and every Kaizener to strive until they achieve the best results in their job roles. Fadi never loses the sense of purpose or direction and creates a reliable compass setting for those around him. His personality sets strong examples for the employees to do something different from the previous day and drives them ‘To Create Memorable Experiences and Communities’ (a vision statement of Kaizen AMS). 

Fadi’s persistence and continuous support drove me to come up with a list of unconventional initiatives which had a significant positive impact on the company’s stakeholders, business, and its most valuable asset – employees. And the ‘Employee Talks’ initiative (this blog is part of) is one of them.