“… I took several different workshops and classes on mindset and heart , and I stumbled across some amazing people , and then I brought that back to my team .”
— CLAUDIA WYATT , William Wesley Grand Salon & Spa
Affirmations All Around
For Claudia Wyatt , who recently took over as executive director of William Wesley Grand Salon & Spa , the process of establishing the kind of culture she wanted for her team began with self-reflection . “ I had kind of a challenging year myself , and I decided to dig deep because I had all this free time to really start focusing on myself and break patterns . And I took several different workshops and classes on mindset and heart , and I stumbled across some amazing people , and then I brought that back to my team .”
Specifically , Wyatt introduced the practice of encouraging her team through affirmation cards with motivational lines such as , “ I am a positive force in this world ,” and “ My unique talents are what make me special .” Employees
The team at William Wesley Grand Salon & Spa receive daily affirmations meant to lift their mindset and inspire self-belief . read these affirmations in turn during morning “ pep ” meetings as a way to start the day on a positive note .“ There are mirrors in the room , so they can turn around and look at themselves and really believe that ,” Wyatt says .“ Your subconscious really has a lot of power , and if you start training it to believe in yourself , it does a lot for you .” The cards have been such a success that Wyatt reached out to their creator and asked that she craft a 10-minute meditation that she and her staff can turn to in particularly stressful moments .“ If someone ’ s having a stressful day , let ’ s bring them in an office and sit them down for 10 minutes . It ’ s been great to grab them , get them in a room , have them do a meditation , [ and ] some breathing exercises . It ’ s really powerful .”
Wyatt has also set aside time to work with her team on setting and achieving personal and professional goals , which she sees as inextricably linked .“ It ’ s been awesome ,” says Wyatt ,“ because a lot of the girls have now gotten the new car that they wanted , they ’ ve gotten an apartment , they ’ re booking travel to places they ’ ve never been .” Wyatt and her team discuss progress toward these goals , as well as the results of any of the personal growth or journaling exercises — usually pulled from a book she is reading — that Wyatt has recommended to her team . These discussions take place individually at weekly oneon-one meetings , where employees are encouraged ( but not required ) to share their progress .
The intent of all this is to build trust with her team and give them the confidence to work free from the fear of making a mistake . The support and investment is paying off with existing employees , and it ’ s also making an impression on job-seekers too . After sharing stories about the affirmation cards and her passion for developing a positive mindset with a group of students on a school tour , Wyatt learned from one applicant that she had applied for a position at her spa specifically because of what she heard on that tour .“ She goes ,‘ I really like what you ’ re doing with this mindset thing ; that ’ s really important to me . That ’ s what I want .’”
AUGUST 2021 ■ PULSE 39