STRAIGHT TALKING Jul-Aug 2008 – Irish Beauty
Tune Out – Miss Out!
How well are you managing???
‘A Manager is the person responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals, monitoring the work, and taking corrective action when necessary’. Sounds simple – it isn’t always easy!!
If you want your therapists to follow you, you must be accessible, available, a great listener, act fairly, be able to make decisions quickly, know how to delegate, be able to create trust, encourage co-operation, demonstrate self-control, know your limitations, assume responsibility. You must be the hardest working member of the team, lead by example and be a powerful, positive force………
Communication is critical to keeping your talented therapists. If they feel heard, understood and valued by you, they will work harder and produce more. They will want to stay and work for you. And if they don’t – they will leave!
Talented therapists have many choices about where they work. You are not in charge of their career path, it’s not up to you to find their next exciting job, but if you really want to retain your stars, you must help them to find opportunities right here, at home, in your salon/spa.
How good are you at finding opportunities for yourself and for your staff? Only the opportunity-minded manager can truly help employees find new possibilities for themselves.
For example:
Are you at ease when considering other people’s viewpoints?
Are you effective at improving efficiency?
Do you know market trends, what are your competitors doing and why?
Do you take an active role in professional groups?
Are you flexible about adjusting plans, implementing new policies and salon practices?
Do your staff members seek your help when they need information?
Opportunity-minded managers constantly scan the horizon for new possibilities for themselves, the salon/spa and for their therapists. They ask therapists about the opportunities they might be looking for – they brainstorm with staff to find new challenges to enrich the jobs they currently hold. Be proactive about this: help your therapists see those opportunities when they are right in front of their faces. As a great manager, you can shed the right light, point out features and distinctions, turn the opportunity around or upside down to make it more visible. Best of all, you will teach your employees how to do these things for themselves.
‘You’re not listening’ or ‘you never listen’. Do you ever hear these complaints at work? Most salon managers don’t really believe that listening is a critical skill. They believe that being results-orientated and client focused is much more important to salon success than being a good listener. Are they right? No – research continually supports the belief that an unsatisfactory relationship with their manager is one of the major reasons therapists leave.
Be conscious about how you are listening to your employees. Decide to be a better listener and try to understand your talented therapists. Pay attention to your own listening skills and improve it. Your efforts will pay off. Therapists who feel heard, understood and valued will stay in your salon.
As the salon manager, you are the glue that holds your team together: you are the focal point of accountability, responsibility and authority. Your ability to manage will determine whether you are running a good salon or an outstanding salon!
Are you happy with your management skills, or would you like to be a more effective manager?
Liz McKeon is a Business Coach & Trainer, specialising within the Beauty Salon and Spa Market.
Check out www.lizmckeon.com or call us now on 00353 86 386 1243
