Team

How well do you really know your team?

How well do you really know your team?

I once heard the phrase, ‘Starbucks are growing their business one cup of coffee at a time'. That’s a great expression that easily translates to the salon world, that we are growing our businesses one client, one haircut, or one staff member at a time.

If you are serious about growing your business you have to be serious about growing your people and you can’t grow them if you don’t really know them. That’s why it’s essential that you have a formal appraisal at least once if not twice a year with everyone on your team.

Developing your own and your team’s abilities is an on-going and never ending process. So having a salon culture of ‘on-going communication’ and ‘regular appraisals’ helps everyone to understand each others motives and aspirations which then creates the most likely environment for mutual success.

So if the concept of 1-1 appraisals is not something that you are used to doing here’s 5 key points to get you started…

1. It can’t be just a chat, it needs structure.

Develop a question and answer appraisal form that gives structure to the discussion. There is no right and wrong questions but avoid questions that could get yes/no answers.

Ask open questions that stimulate thought and discussion for example, I used to ask these questions…

“What have you enjoyed most about your job over the last six months?”

“What have you enjoyed least about your job over the last six months?”

“What skills do you have that you feel aren’t being utilised?”

“What areas do you feel that you need further training in?”

“What professional goals do you have for yourself over the next 6 months?” 

“Where would you like to see yourself in 12 months time?”

Give team members a copy of the appraisal form a week prior to their appraisal and ask them to make notes in advance and to bring it along with them.

2. Give thought to the best time and place to have an appraisal.​

Allow plenty of time, I suggest you allow at least an hour minimum for each person. If you have an office then that’s where you should hold them, but if not you need a private and quiet setting.

If you have to have it in a coffee shop at least make sure that you have a quiet spot to ensure that you are free of any distractions from clients or phones etc as this destroys the flow of the discussion.

3. Appraisals should be a positive and motivating experience

All to often employees view appraisals as a negative and think it’s just about them being told off.

Avoid the tendency to focus on reviewing all the negative occurrences over the past six months, I think you are better to deal with them as they happen rather than wait for an appraisal. During appraisals you don’t ignore the negatives but concentrate on the positives, concentrate on the future and give the person you’re talking to something to work for in the coming six months.

4. Listen, I mean really listen!

This is an important opportunity to let people communicate their feelings and ambitions to you, so try not to be so preoccupied with your own agenda that you miss what they are really saying. Remember that it is easy for people to feel intimidated and vulnerable in an appraisal situation so make it easy for them to feel heard and that you really are genuinely interested.

And my fifth point is to remind you that an appraisal is a two way process, so ask them…

5. What can I do to help you achieve your goals?

What resources, what training or financial commitments do you need to make to give your team the support they need to continue growing and reach their goals?

During the appraisal make notes as you go and finish with some clear measurable objectives, and a plan that you are both in agreement with and both committed to turning into reality.

Start every appraisal with a review of the goals and objectives from the previous one and discuss what worked and maybe what didn’t and what you can both learn from it.

Thank you for watching…

Have a great week!​

How engaged are your team?

The phrase “Our team is our greatest asset” may very well win the award for the most popular business cliché. But it’s true, ‘Your people are your greatest asset.’

Salons with a skilled and committed team will not only survive but will continually grow, but it is not enough to just rely on short term strategies that just pump people up temporarily, to really succeed you need to keep your team engaged.

So, how engaged is your team?

I’m not talking about high fives or employee of the month. I’m talking about a real sense of belonging. I’m talking about ‘your people smiling on their way into work, not just on their way out.’

So, how committed, focused, in tune with, understood, bonded, listened to, valued, communicated with, trusted, consulted, worked with and respected do your team feel?

Successful salon businesses really engage…

with their team, which benefits the business both commercially and in terms of good team relations, increased loyalty and increased productivity.

I think there are 5 keys that are fundamental to having an engaged team:

At number 1 it’s the importance of…

1. Shared Vision.

Salon Owners must be clear about the vision and the objectives they have for the salon. Then they need to explain to the team what their vision for the business is and explain what needs to happen in order for it to get there, and why it is important that it does so.

If your team don’t understand and buy into the vision for the business you will never make it happen. Building a successful business is a team sport. If you are the owner or manager one of your roles is about leadership and creating a vision that inspires others to want to be part of it.

At number 2 it’s understanding that…

2. Your team need to continually grow.

Ideally each team member should have his or her own personal development plan, which is aligning their individual needs and ambitions with the needs and ambition of the business, now and looking into the future.

Salons that take this approach achieve the benefits of not only helping to further an employee’s career but are also moulding them to have the skills the salon will need in the future.

At number 3 it’s recognising that…

3. Your team need to be managed.

Successfully managing people to bring out the best in them is a much needed skill in business. It is not enough to simply be ‘the boss’. With the title comes the responsibility of nurturing and managing people to fully engage with their job and reach their full potential.

So don’t be afraid to manage people.

The 4th key to having an engaged team is understanding that …

4. Your team need to contribute.

Managers need to listen to their employees. Your team must feel that ‘their views are heard’ and that ideas move up as well as down the chain of command.

The people on your team need to feel that they can make a difference and that they have something to contribute.

And the 5th and final key as an owner or manager to getting a more engaged team is your own level of

5. Integrity, the importance of doing what you say.

It’s not enough to verbalise values of team-work, honesty, professionalism, fair play, pride, commitment etc. As a manager you have to live it in all your daily actions. As the old adage goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

One of the biggest challengers I frequently hear from salon owners everywhere is that they can’t find or keep quality staff. Having a team of individuals fully engaged in their jobs not only increases loyalty, productivity and commitment but serves as a magnet to attract like minded individuals to want to join your team.

Fully engaged employees are not just happier individuals but are also more efficient and effective workers and that benefits both the salons bottom line as well as the individuals income.

As a business invests the time and money in training and engaging with the team, profits will increase. Finding ways to engage employees is a win; win for everyone. So what actions will you do this week to engage with your team?

Creating a culture of success

I’m often asked “How do you create a culture of success?”

As a salon owner, your own talent, qualifications and skills will only get you so far in business. To really succeed you need to have a team that shares common goals and beliefs, that’s what I call culture. So where and how do you start and what are the main areas to focus on if you are going to develop and nurture that winning salon culture?

It starts with recruitment

If you don’t have the right people to work with, you’re beaten before you start. Your quest to developing a culture of success begins with the recruitment process. Take time to make sure that all new employees will fit into your organisation and help strengthen your salon values and vision. Don’t rely purely on a quick interview. Your business is your people, so getting the recruitment processes right, getting the right people on your team is essential.

Tough love

Once you have found the right people, it is just the beginning. Don’t think you can sit back and watch, assuming that they know what to do to transform your company into the success you envision. Some salon owners/managers avoid confrontation feeling that it is damaging to the salon culture and go to the other extreme of letting staff get away with murder. A culture is created but it is one of apathy, lack of direction and lost clients. In short it’s a culture of failure. Your team need challenging goals and guidance on how to achieve those aims. By getting your team to understand how their actions have a direct effect on the success of the business, you are ultimately providing them with a certain amount of ownership. And if you own something you are more likely to look after it.

One-to-one

Work with members of your team on a one-to-one basis; they all have different skills, needs and attitudes. Some people respond well to a direct style of management, while you will alienate others with such a confronting approach. When there is conflict within the group, sometimes it is advantageous to break the group down by engaging with individuals rather than addressing them as a whole. This will not only be less intimidating for the minority, but problems will be highlighted more quickly and give you the opportunity by one-on-one discussions to come up with solutions and let individuals save face.

Give and take

If your team are working long hours and missing breaks to accommodate client’s needs, cut them some slack when you’re able, on things like lunch break and leaving times. Let them go when they get a natural break in their work or if there are no late clients and several staff standing around waiting, consider letting them leave early. Having a give and take attitude and allowing employees to manage their own time will help motivation and usually means your team adopt a more responsible attitude to taking unnecessary time off.

Getting people to take ownership of their future

Let your team know that their ideas and opinions matter and that they can contribute to the growth of the business through their creativity and innovation. If you can create a culture of belonging and ownership, your team will feel they owe it to their colleagues to always give their best for the mutual benefit of everyone.

Summary: The pay off

The main reason for developing a strong company culture is the pay off for everyone, clients included. Word quickly gets around when you have such a company culture and as a result you attract more like minded people who share your vision and values. We all spend a lot of time in our place of work and people need a company that can be fun, fulfilling and mutually rewarding. When your team are satisfied with their job, they will not be in a hurry to move, so staff turnover will be reduced. Motivated individuals want to be involved with a business where they are surrounded by success.

COACHING CLINIC

• Develop a bullet point list of the top 7 values that are important to you and your team. For example: teamwork, professionalism, fun…
• Come up with a cultural statement [max 50 words] for each of these 7 points and what they mean to you as a team.
• Get the team to score where you would currently rate on a scale of 1-10, [10 being the highest].
• Get the team input on how collectively they can all contribute towards making everything a 10.
• Develop an action list and delegate tasks to different team members and review progress at the next team meeting.

Thank you for watching…

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Have a great week! 

You are not a star and you are not an artist.

I’m sorry but ‘You are not a star and you are not an artist!’

I’m a hairdresser and I love what I do! I’m proud to be a hairdresser, why wouldn’t I be?

Over the years I have been fortunate to win many awards including twice Australian hairdresser of the year so I must be at least okay. But I wouldn’t call myself an artist and I sure as hell wouldn’t call myself a star! I’m a hairdresser and proud of it!

Creating monsters!

I often will read about, or meet salon owners that will talk about making their staff ‘Stars’ or referring to them as ‘Artists’.

I will also frequently read or meet salon owners who have huge problems with managing their team and getting them to consistently deliver a standard of service. Is it any wonder?

They think they’re ‘stars’ and ‘artists’ and the very titles that you have bestowed upon them has given them license to behave like ‘stars and artists’. Words like precocious, entitled, ego maniacs spring to mind.

Customer service is beneath the artist, and the star is expecting people to serve them. They are not thinking about taking responsibility for their productivity, they’re not thinking about retail or rebooking or how they can give great customer service.

In fact, they no longer need you! They’re probably thinking about leaving you right now because they want more and they believe they are entitled to it and why shouldn’t they be because that’s what you have set them up to believe. 

Set people up for success

Hairdressing is a noble craft, it’s part of the service industry and there is nothing demeaning about that, do it well and do it with pride. But if you set people up to think they are ‘stars and artists’ you are setting ‘both them’ and ‘you’ up for failure.

Set them up for success, treat them professionally, train them to be great craftspeople and train them to be part of the service industry.

Thank you for watching…

If you haven’t got them already get GROW 2 Management and GROW 3 Team.

And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram @growmysalonbusiness

Have a great week! 

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