Wednesday 25 April 2012
Do your members of staff get on well?
Just like in any team or social circle (sports, friends, societies), working together will usually achieve better results than working against each other. When is the last time you saw a job description that didn’t require “Applicants to be good team players”?
The difference between a working relationship and a social one is that the best person for the job is not always going to be the person you like the most personally or the person who is most similar to you. Similarly the person you work with will not be the person you enjoy spending most of your time with. It's a difficulty but if everyone would be the same how would new ideas come about?
Here at SalonHero, I'm happy to say I've never had to throw a binder at one of my colleagues, and fortunately I haven’t received any, which probably means we get on quite well. It doesn't however mean that there are never disagreements. Conflicts are normal as everyone has an opinion on everything, and these opinions don't always match. What's important is to solve them as soon as possible or it will get worse and you'll soon lose control of the situation.
Poor cohesion between staff members can seriously damage the salon’s atmosphere, resulting in a negative way on your business (beyond the simple unpleasant working environment).
Your customers hope to relax and don't expect to enter a hostile environment. Just imagine you walk into a shop (small open plan shop) where there is clear tensions between staff members. It makes you feel uncomfortable and you have only one idea in mind: run as far as you can from here. Now in an atmosphere where there is suppose to be pleasant conversation in the air but instead there is awkward silence or a general sense of disdain, customers will notice and it will tarnish their overall customer experience – A sure fire way to lose customers!
The worse thing is that you are not only risking client loyalties, but you also risk to lose other members of your staff. An uneasy work environment affects everyone around in terms of productivity, motivation and general satisfaction. After some time it is very likely that some of them leave to find a better job they feel will be more pleasurable. If solving the problems is a good attitude, avoiding them is even better.
Tensions are generally created because people don't know each other very well and can't therefore anticipate reaction or even humour. We are all like this. We are all sensitive on some subjects and can get offended very quickly if someone hits a nerve.
So here are a few suggestions on how to avoid and pre-empt problems:
- Team Building Activities: From a night out to a weekend away (depending on the size of the company) getting to know your colleagues, sharing out of work experiences and having a laugh is a great way to create harmony. Since joining SalonHero the team have played Crazy Golf, gone bowling, been out for dinner and frequently we go to a local bar to get a drink after work
- Hold meetings: Holding regular meetings (let's say one per week) is important because it enables you to plan and coordinate your weekly activities and tasks. If you can create an environment where people can talk about issues they are having in a “safe zone” then issues can be avoided and nipped in the bud
- Teamwork: No don’t tell 2 people to cut one persons hair (no matter how funny the result could be it may result in a lost customer). There are always odd jobs that staff do like organizing or attending trade shows. Get people to do these together. Like when you were at school and the teacher always paired you up with someone who wasn’t your best friend, forcing people to get to know each other is a good way to force people to get to know each other
Harmony is essential, so if a person can't get on with its coworkers and constantly create problems, don't be afraid to get rid off the black sheep. It may be a tough decision but it's the future of your salon at stake.
I would love to hear your opinion on the matter and some stories about team building activities in the comments section below :)
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Good post. I'm not sure about the insurance but what about creating the friendliest environment and having a party in the salon for the best customers and the staff - that way you create a really close knit atmosphere that everyone is included in.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! Just got back from a team hike up Snowdonia and we are still laughing about! Atmosphere in the salon has never been better!
ReplyDeleteThat was supposed to say Snowdon!
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