(GREENSBORO/WINSTON-SALEM, NC) It’s a warm summer
night. Association Management Group,
Inc. (AMG) team members and their guests are keeping one eye on the
Greensboro Grasshoppers, the class A minor league baseball affiliate of the
Florida Marlins, and the other eye on the wide-ranging conversation that covers
everything from summer vacation plans to an upcoming birthday party to a recent
road race for a worthy non-profit. Oh, and work. Maybe. The ball game
night out was just one of many events throughout the year that AMG employees
participate in outside of work. For Ashley Kearnes, CMCA, Certified
Manager of Community Associations at the Greensboro office and unofficial event
organizer, AMG is all about creating community–for clients and in
the workplace. “This is our family away from home,” Kearnes says. “We try
to do this fairly often, to support local organizations and charities, to
celebrate birthdays, to just get out and socialize together. I think it builds
a stronger team when we have quality time together.”
"Kearnes feels a connected workplace that’s engaged
both
professionally and socially is good for business."
National statistics bear out what AMG founders Paul and May
Gayle Mengert understand intuitively. A Gallup
poll showed a link between employee feelings and corporate success,
finding, not too surprisingly, that disengaged employees cost the US economy
$300 billion every year. Another Gallup study found
that employee perceptions of work affected business bottom lines: sales and
profits, up and down, could be predicted by employees’ feelings, positive and
negative, with an impact on everything from employee retention to customer
loyalty. Happy workplaces feed employee enthusiasm, creativity, loyalty
and morale.
Events the AMG team have enjoyed include a fun day at
Charlotte amusement park Carowinds, donating food and running in the PTI 5K 10K on the Runway at Piedmont Triad
International Airport to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC,
Grasshopper ball games, tubing down the river, housewarming parties, bowling
and birthdays. The employees participated in the Beach Music Blast benefitting
the Children’s Home Society in downtown
Greensboro to honor a team member who had been adopted through the
organization. “There’s a lot to celebrate about living in Greensboro and
a lot to be done to support this great community,” she explains. “We’re looking
at kicking that into higher gear.”
The networking isn’t limited to just the Greensboro office.
That team along with employees from the Charlotte and Greenville/Spartanburg
offices also participate in an annual corporate retreat that combines workplace
best practices and training with engaging team-building activities. Kearnes
believes truly getting to know colleagues she doesn’t see on a day-to-day basis
strengthens the company. “We try to keep a close connection with each
other,” she points out. “It improves the workplace with better communication, a
deeper sense of personality and a celebration of strengths. There’s a bond when
you’re able to share challenges and successes.”
Kearnes feels a connected workplace that’s engaged both
professionally and socially is good for business. And it shows at AMG in
employee retention, job satisfaction and, ultimately, in the quality of the
customer experience and company success. “When you have a happier
environment, it improves the customer experience,” she concludes. “When you
like the people you work with and can get along, everything is easier and
better. We brainstorm ideas to help customers. We fill in for each other.
If a customer issue comes up and one of us needs assistance or can’t handle it
on our own, there are 10 to 14 others in the office who have your back and will
support you. It works.”
_______________________________________
Paul K. Mengert, President
ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT GROUP,
INC.
Toll free telephone: (888)908-4AMG (extension 1102).
Direct dial number
(336)553-9188
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