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We will be making our annual Christmas visit to LeBonheur this coming Saturday. We are leaving from New Albany at 8:30 that morning. If you are interested in going please let Meredith know by Thursday afternoon.  This is a picture of just a few of the items we have bought for the children.

Have a great day!

Kim

While many people enjoy their job, most experience stress at some point during their working hours.  Stressful situations in the workplace can impact an employee’s performance, as well as, his or her physical and emotional well-being.  Fortunately, there are ways to cope with workplace stress.  Next time you are feeling “stressed out” on the job, try the following suggestions:

•  Plan and Prioritize.  Do not panic, set realistic deadlines, don’t rush into the first idea you have and always have an alternate plan.
• Focus on what you can control.  Create a list to prioritize your work; break larger tasks into smaller, more doable steps.
• Slow down.  Think things through before you act and begin each task with a result in mind.
• Take a break.  Walking away from a task for a few minutes or discussing your situation with another person may help you gain a fresh perspective.
• Think outside the box.  Search for alternatives that save time and money, approach situations from a new angle or ask a colleague for input if you are feeling stuck.
• Use all your resources.  Seek the help of co-workers, advice from your supervisor or investigate external resources for solving a problem or handling a situation.
• Keep in contact.  Consistently communicate with co-workers, supervisors and customers.  Their priorities and deadlines could change (and so can yours), so proper communication will ensure that everyone is on the same page.

If you feel you are unable to manage your stress on your own, you may consider utilizing the Employee Assistance Program offered through The Guardian.  All employees of Montgomery Enterprises, Inc. are eligible to receive counseling by professional counselors for such issues as workplace stress, conflict resolution or other personal matters you may be coping with at home.  All information discussed during your session(s) will remain confidential.  Information on the EAP program was provided to all employees in their insurance open enrollment packets in November.  You may also contact me with any questions or for additional information.

~Kandi

Stress should be a powerful driving force, not an obstacle.  ~Bill Phillips

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

~William James

To celebrate an outstanding  year and an equally outstanding boss, a contribution is being made to the First Foundation in Luke’s name.  Luke, this is just a small token of appreciation for all that you do.  On behalf of all the employees at Montgomery Enterprises, I would like to say thank you for your inspiration and encouragement.  Every successful team has someone terrific like you leading from the front.  Merry Christmas and we are all looking forward to a fabulous 2014!

Rachel

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the Christmas party tomorrow night.  Meredith has put lots of work into planning this years Christmas party to make it the most entertaining and fun party to date.  It will be a great opportunity to socialize with friends and get to know co-workers whom you don’t already know and celebrate the successes of 2013.

See you tomorrow night,

Louis

It seems hard to believe that 2013 is now less than one month away from being in the history books.  My how time flies!

I wanted to remind everyone via the blog today that, given the fact that December is our busiest month of the year, we need to make sure we are bringing our “A” Game to work each and every day in terms of customer service.  Over the next month we should see some extremely busy days within all of our respective businesses and at times it might seem stressful.  However, we must be vigilant in that during these bustling high traffic days we don’t let our guard slip in offering every single customer championship caliber service.

Over the next month all of you will see many brand new customers and also several customers who are returning after months or years once again in need of our services.  We must make sure that we treat these customers to the level of service that will cause them to be ambassadors for our given businesses.  We should strive to provide service that makes our customers want to tell co-workers, family and friends about their experience with Montgomery Enterprises.  Are you providing your customers with this experience?

Good luck to everyone this December! — Luke

“Customer satisfaction is worthless.  Customer loyalty is priceless.”  Jeffrey Gitomer

Here are some of my favorite quotes that all have a common theme. Hard work. With December being one of our busiest months keep these quotes in mind when you are feeling overwhelmed. Hard work is the key to being successful in anything. Have a great day!

Meredith

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.”  Thomas A. Edison

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” 
Babe Ruth

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”
Jimmy Johnson

“The dictionary is the only place that success comes  before work. work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.”
Vince Lombardi

“‎”You were hired because you met expectations, you will be promoted if you can exceed them.”
Saji Ijiyemi

I spent several hours traveling alone this weekend so I decided to take advantage of our library here at the Fulton office and use my time in the car to listen to a couple of audio books.  One of the authors has written a few books on his study of successful businesses and the employees that make those businesses successful.

The author has discovered that the most successful people in business identify and capitalize on their strengths.  So often our human nature directs us to focus on our weaknesses instead of our strengths.  To achieve the highest level of success, we must push this urge away and focus on capitalizing upon our strengths.  Start today by making a list of your individual strengths.  How can you use these strengths at work today?  Also, what are the strengths of your co-workers?  How can you pair your strengths with them to make your team more successful?

I believe if we focus on our strengths and think about the three questions above we can all be more successful.

Have a great Tuesday…..Louis

“Perhaps I am stronger than I think.”  Thomas Merton

Here are a few quotes on being thankful this Thanksgiving week. Have a great Monday!

Meredith

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
― Oprah Winfrey

“Rest and be thankful.”
― William Wordsworth

“We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Sometimes we focus so much on what we don’t have that we fail to see, appreciate, and use what we do have!”
― Jeff Dixon

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”
― W.T. Purkiser

Since I don’t do Facebook I was unaware that November was the Month of Gratitude until I read Rachel’s blog post a couple of days ago.  I really liked Rachel’s blog and thought I would add to it.

I am thankful to have a job in which I love coming to work each day.  I am thankful to work with a great group of caring people who make my workday fun and exciting.  I am thankful to be on this team we call Montgomery Enterprises.

I hope everyone has a very special and safe Thanksgiving Holiday next week.  — Luke

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”  Alphonse Karr

As Luke mentioned last week, Sammy Stephens was on location in Aberdeen filming our next commercial for Approved Auto Sales.  Luke and I were able to see the first rough clip yesterday of “Super Sammy” in action.  While there is still of lot of editing that must take place before the piece is ready to air,  the footage exceeded our expectations.  This commercial will be the next step in continuing to build our brand at Approved Auto Sales.  Hopefully we will have a final version to share with you in a few weeks.

-Have a great day….Louis