ASK THE EXPERT
Jaclyn Hughes
H
ow do you inspire staff to work collectively? What is the best
way to measure their performance? How do you handle
underperforming staff? These, and many other questions, are
often asked by managers tasked to lead a team.
The answer may sound simple for the most part, but execution is another
story. Here, Pulse asks communications coach and The Ultimate Group
Managing Director Jaclyn Hughes to give clear-cut advice and team-management strategies every spa owner and managers should know to
manage, motivate and monitor their teams.
1. What are some of the most effective team-building
strategies spa leaders can implement to create a cohesive team?
Communication is the most powerful team-building strategy. Sounds simple; however, having clear communication to
every team member every day can be a challenge, as lack of
communication can result in staff becoming demotivated,
feeling left out or not involved, or unimportant to be told upto-date information. This can also affect customer service and
revenue, especially when there are external or internal promotions running for guests that staff is unaware of.
We use a tool called the “huddle pad.” This A4 sheet has
different sections of information, which can be tailored so they
are specific to each business.
Examples of information it could cover: Team updates indicating when staff are out on training, team and individual retail
targets, the product or treatment of the week/month, any internal or external promotions, team news such as birthday drinks,
positive client comments, targets achieved and congratulatory
notes to high-achieving team members.
If the manager completes this daily and then each person
arriving for shift has to read and sign at the top of the page,
staff—including part-timers, freelancers and staff on vacation—are kept involved and up-to-date. This also keeps the
manager from running around trying to make sure everyone
has all the information they need each day.
The huddle pad is a communications tool that can effectively help keep
team members in the loop on important daily work news.
TO PRINT the huddle pad and use as a communications
tool, visit digital Pulse at experienceispa.com.
72 PULSE
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August 2011