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’.