“You get the best of others when you give the best of yourself. Treat each member of your team with respect and dignity.” Jon Gonzales
As I travel the country, one of the questions I am always asked by owners is how can I earn the trust and loyalty of my team and improve staff performance and productivity.
Developing a team that shares your values, goals, and team concept can be very challenging, especially when you are trying to grow your business and prevent turnover.
The following guidelines will help bridge the gap between staff and management:
Leadership –— the first step needed to earn the trust and loyalty of your team is to look at yourself and ask the question, what have I done as an owner to earn the trust and loyalty of my team? Was I careful in my hiring decisions? Were they compatible with my other staff members? Do I have a staff development program in place including terms of employment? Have I taken any classes on leadership training? Did I create a climate of trust not fear? Am I a good mentor and leader? Do I offer praise and incentives?
These are just a few of the questions you must ask yourself if you want earn the trust and loyalty of your team.
Loyalty — you must create conditions that foster trust and loyalty. Work hard to educate and take your team to higher levels of productivity. Always keep lines of communication open with your staff.
Expectations — how can you expect your staff to perform if they do not know your expectations and how they will be measured? Clearly define your expectations. Your employee hand book will be an invaluable tool in bridging the gap between staff and management. Click here.
Incentives — maintain a positive and professional salon environment; make their jobs fun and rewarding. Work hard to keep them busy, offer praise and incentives, sometimes a little pat on the back for a job well done can be effective.
Education and Training — invest in educating your team, your job as leader is to help them reach higher levels of excellence. Give them the educational tools to help them grow. Click here. Sometimes bring in a guest speaker .
Evaluations –— periodically have a one on one evaluation of their performance. Hairdressers want to know how well their performing.
Mentoring — let them know you care, keep lines of communication open at all times. Let them know your door is always open.
Earning the trust and loyalty of your team will require strong leadership skills on your behalf; my cd audio tape A Hairdressers Guide to Excellence will be a tremendous help in your efforts to grow your salon and your team, check it out!
Until changes are made in education, it will be your responsibility to take your team to the next level.