Follow the Leader
When you love your work as much as I do—and if you’re reading this, I’ll bet you do!—then nothing makes you happier than a cohesive team that strives for excellence each and every day. Sadly, my loves, that’s not always the case, is it? So often I hear from wonderful salon owners lamenting the fact that they can’t get their staffers to maintain the high standards necessary to run and grow a successful business. Or just as frustrating: They have a team that’s going in all different directions.
But let me be quite honest and say that leadership starts with you. Nine times out of ten, chaos occurs because you’re not clearly setting out your salon vision, objectives, and goals. After all, human beings need to know what to do and why they are doing it in order to be motivated to follow suit. Here are a few golden rules to help bring a team together…
Zero in on your employee’s learning style: Some folks learn by listening, others by watching, and yet others learn by literally putting their hands on a head of hair. One person might just need direct feedback, while another requires you to walk them through a demo step by step.
Provide plenty of rewards: A job well done deserves recognition and practically guarantees more good work in the future. It can be something as simple as a genuine thank you in front of the entire staff; or something as tangible as monetary compensation. I mean, we’re a lively, creative bunch, yeah? Who’s not going to be thrilled with tickets to a favorite concert or a gift certificate for a little mini vacation?
Embrace the differences: You want a cohesive team…but you also want a salon that’s full of personalities, each with their own set of strengths. Sure, every salon will have the pain-in-the-ass, the joker, the dreamer, the complainer, the one who’s always late…but people thrive off each other’s differences. Remember, you don’t have to be carbon copies to chase the same dream!
Kisses,
Dames
