ASK THE EXPERT
Dr. Elaine Dembe
huge drain on staff morale which affects business performance. The spa manager needs to listen to the employee to discern what the source of the complaint or unhappiness is. In a positive way, this openness may uncover larger existing problems within the spa that needs to be addressed.
Ella Stimpson— Executive Director of Spa Operations for Wynn and Encore Hotels, Las Vegas— offers this insight:“ The simple fact is that some people are just not a good match for your organization. If they are not suited to the culture of your workplace, they are not going to be happy. This doesn’ t mean they are a bad employee, simply that this is a bad fit for them. If you talk with them honestly about what they like about their work and what they dislike, you can hone it down to what is really making them unhappy.
If it’ s something that cannot be changed within your business, you point that out. You then lead the conversation to let them see that ultimately you want two things:( 1) What is best for them personally; and( 2) What is best for your business. If you need to let them go, you frame it positively by telling them you care about them and you want them to be happy at work.
Therefore, they need to find a place of employment where they can thrive and be happy.“
P: Coaching or mentoring is an important part of team management. Can you give specific tips on how to become effective work and life coaches to staff and team members? DD: Coaching is a relationship, a partnership designed to help staff / team members produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives.
The coach’ s responsibility is to discover, clarify, and align with what the staff / team member wants to achieve the following:
● Encourage self-discovery
● Allow the staff / team member to generate solutions and strategies
● Hold them responsible and accountable. To facilitate this relationship, build mutual trust and mutual respect. Ask permission to coach them. This can be as simple as saying“ May I offer a couple of suggestions or would you be open to taking a different approach to that problem?” By approaching your employees this way, you are offering to share your power and control with them.
Build self-management skills. A good coach develops in each person the capacity for self-awareness and self-knowledge that over time leads to self-correction. Well-coached staff can figure out when they are performing well and when they are not, and will make necessary adjustments independent of the coach. ■
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Key Coaching Skills
Ask open questions that do not require a yes or no answer. Why is that important to you? What do you value most about yourself? What would happen if?
Be a keen observer. Observe how your people work and interact with each other. What impact are they having on other team members or on overall goals and objectives?
Make sure you follow up. Coaching is most effective when there is a shared commitment between you and the staff member. Work together on an action plan and schedule a follow up meeting to evaluate.
32 PULSE ■ January / February 2011