Good management at your spa or massage practice comes from the top down. It works just the opposite, too. When I walk into an office or place a call to a company and get a cool response, I can tell that the morale is low, and I trace it right to the head of the organization. While it’s unfortunate for the employees to work in an unpleasant environment, it isn’t good for business. Ultimately the deflated employee attitude spills over into productivity and the way clients are treated.
While you can’t ensure that your spa or massage practice team is happy all the time, it’s important that they are satisfied and enthusiastic about their work. If not, the low morale set in and becomes contagious, dragging everyone down. That’s why good morale starts with you and how you interact with your team. Above all, you want to:
Show Appreciation
Great pay and benefits matter a lot, but so does the occasional pat on the back. Everyone wants to know they are appreciated. It’s not difficult to point to a job particularly well done or thank someone for going the extra mile – may be giving up a vacation day at a busy time, staying late to accommodate a client, or doing a superb job handling your retail sales operation.
Communicate
Transparency is a word that is used a lot these days regarding companies and the public. It also means something to your team to know what’s going on. Morale can take a real nosedive when employees start to worry about how things are going, especially related to their job. Communicating with your team regularly to keep them up to date or in a group meeting or one-on-one sessions tells them that they matter to you.
Avoid Micromanaging
No one likes to have their manager hanging over them, pointing out how to do things. Micromanaging sends a message that you don’t have confidence in someone. Soon enough, you’ll find your team is so demotivated that they will never take the initiative to try something new, offer a suggestion, or act on their own. This means you constantly have to give the green light for them to take action, which ultimately makes your job overwhelming. From the beginning, make your expectations clear and determine what concerns your employees have about meeting them. Offer to get the training or work with them until they feel confident.
Invest in your Employees
Training isn’t just about being able to meet current responsibilities. Invest in your employees to help them pursue areas that they are interested in and help your business. Provide some funding and time away from work to attend classes to improve their professional massage or skin care skills. Many classes are offered online, making them more budget-friendly. Also, pay for their attendance at a seminar or conference to meet other professionals, pick up tips and learn what’s going on in the industry or your local market.
Have Fun
Find time for fun. Get together after work for dinner from time to time to enjoy each other’s company or plan an outing to a sporting event, the theater, or whatever activity your team wants. Include team-building activities in some of your group events. You also can participate in a local volunteer effort together, which builds a team spirit and is fun at the same time.
The higher the morale in your spa or massage practice, the stronger your business will be. You’ll also find running your business will be a lot easier, too.