Six reasons projects and change initiatives fail

April 15, 2013 by

arrow_crashThere is nothing more common in business than launching a new project or change initiative. That’s how companies strive to remain competitive and adapt to changing market conditions. It’s how companies tweak current systems and build new ones to improve productivity and maximize resources. New projects and change initiatives must occur for a company to remain vital and relevant. However, the other most common occurrence in business is the number of new projects and change initiatives that fail.

As a coach and consultant, my job is to help companies achieve the right outcomes in what I call “The Four Business Outcomes”: Productivity, Profitability, Employee Retention, and Customer Loyalty. To achieve different and more desirable outcomes, new projects and change initiatives must occur. If the company is in dire straights, its ability to execute change with a high sense of urgency is put to the test. Unfortunately, it is the company’s inability to execute change combined with a low sense of urgency that causes it to be in dire straights in the first place. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Information Flow, Leadership, Monday Morning Wake-Up Tagged With: , , , ,

Leading with blinders on

March 4, 2013 by

blindersLeaders have a unique ability to see what they want to see in their companies. They see their people working away yet never see the mounting frustration their approach to leadership is causing. As a result, trust erodes. Fiercely loyal employees begin to lose hope. Contamination spreads through the company’s culture. In coaching, the most difficult task of all is getting a leader to see that he or she is the root cause of what ails the company.

It’s not unusual for me to receive emails from employees reaching out for help with a leader who has run amuck. The following email typifies how quietly destructive a leader with blinders on can be to the very company they and their employees love.

“I have attended the Strategies Incubator Course and am an employee at a team-based company. I value your teachings. Have you ever encountered the issue of a team losing trust in its leader? If so, how do you fix the damage? What happens when your leader is grasping at “shiny objects” and not staying on a no-compromise course? What can the team do to help? What can the team do when it’s clear their leader doesn’t know what direction he/she is taking the company?

I know this is not “MY” business and I could just walk away. I really like the Strategies business model and I can see a very positive future ahead. Unfortunately, that positive future may be too far off for me. I work with a great team … but it’s our leader that has the final say, and he’s off the charts.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Builders, Information Flow, Leadership, Monday Morning Wake-Up, No-Compromise Leadership Tagged With: , , , ,

How to prevent hostage management

January 7, 2013 by

hostageWhen you admire a great company, you’re actually admiring the collective work of the people that made it great. Your responsibility as the leader is to establish where the company is going (vision/goals) and do everything in your power to help your people get there (coaching/training/mentoring/inspiring). Growing a company is about building something so extraordinary that it attracts the hearts and minds of like-minded individuals to join your quest. It’s about growing a company.

I am all about developing talent and helping individuals achieve their full potential. That’s what leaders do. You want the best talent and the brightest minds on your team. You want to surround yourself with individuals that are committed to pushing and driving the company forward. It’s about growing a company. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Information Flow, Leadership, Monday Morning Wake-Up, No-Compromise Leadership Tagged With: , , , ,

5 questions for salon and spa success in the New Year

December 7, 2012 by

The holiday season is in full swing. More than likely, this means that your salon or spa is busy, the appointment book is full (at least for the next few weeks) and clients are spending money. It’s a good feeling, isn’t it? Of course! Who doesn’t like to a full cash register? But in the back of your mind, there’s a small, quiet voice that’s calling out to you. And, if you’re a proactive salon or spa owner, you’ll know to listen carefully for the one simple question that little voice keeps asking:

What are you going to differently in your business next year?

It’s a simple — yet extremely sobering — question. Can your business, family and staff survive and thrive if you continue status quo? Or, are you ready to really drive the business forward?

Here are five critical questions to determine if you’re prepared for a prosperous New Year:

  1. What’s your plan for growth? Even if this year was wildly-successful for your salon or spa, if you don’t shake things up and fine-tune your thinking, systems and/or culture, there’s a strong chance you won’t see much additional growth in the year to come. Where will growth come from in your business? Is it waiting for you right now? Are there areas in your company where you see inefficiency and potential for improvement? Get your plan in place NOW to start producing revenues from these target areas.
  2. Does your team know how to get there? It’s a simple question. Does anyone besides you, the leader, know where you plan to take the company next year? And if so, do they know how? Do YOU know? Communication is the key to success. Plan your attack, get it down on paper, and then relentlessly communicate that mission to your team. Get them involved in drawing the roadmap. The more they are involved, the more motivated they will be to reach the desired destination.
  3. Who will lead the way? Great communication starts with a great leader. You own the vision of where you want to take your company. You stand at the helm of this exciting adventure. Great companies are built around great leaders. Hold yourself and your team accountable. Cheer their successes and guide them through their shortfalls. Be the leader your company needs you to be.
  4. Where will growth come from? We touched on this point earlier but it bears repeating: Where is the untapped revenue in your business? Is it hiding behind inefficiency and poor systems? Or will it come from new opportunities that are yet to be discovered? The growth is waiting for you, the hard part is finding where it’s hidden.
  5. Are you doing what you love? It’s a powerful question, isn’t it? Do you come to work everyday with a positive attitude, or does your heart sink when you step through the front door? If it’s the later, you need to find a way to turn things around. As the leader of your company, your attitude and happiness level is infectious. Are you trapped behind the chair when you’d prefer to be working on the business? If so, then start researching ways to transition out from behind the chair (Strategies can help). Do you enjoy leading meetings, tending to the books or doing color applications? If not, it’s time to start exploring how others in your company can start taking on these responsibilities. Perhaps it’s time to hire new staff. Just make sure you it makes sense for the business and the bottom line.

I hope this little reminder to listen to that little voice in the back of your head has gotten you thinking about the importance of planning ahead for the New Year. You can do it — all you need is a plan.

 

 

Filed Under: Information Flow, Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Five reasons why some projects fly and others crash

November 26, 2012 by

New projects or initiatives are interesting little devils. I refer to them as devils because you never know when they are going to turn on you and bite you in the butt. You can plan them out until every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed and still have them blow up on you. In contrast, there are those projects that went from their entrepreneurial epiphany to their launch, and beyond, in what seemed like a nanosecond with no glitches whatsoever. There are reasons why some projects fly and others crash and burn. In the tradition of every MMWU I write, the reason has everything to do with leadership. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Builders, Information Flow, Leadership, Monday Morning Wake-Up, No-Compromise Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Simple is better

October 22, 2012 by

I was flying home from Chicago last Wednesday enjoying my first-class upgrade. Across the aisle and one row up, was a sharp looking businessman working away on a PowerPoint presentation. I’m not in the habit of watching other people’s computer screens, but this one grabbed my attention. I could not read the words, but the slide layouts are what got me. Every slide was loaded with details in boxes with arrows and callouts. There were multiple slides exploding on each level of a massive organization chart. There were complex graphs loaded with text. And as he scrolled through the slide deck, that presentation had to be at least 80 slides long. I thought to myself, “This guy is methodically preparing to bore a room full of innocent people to death.”

Today’s MMWU is not about the evils of complicated, overstuffed, PowerPoint presentations; it is about keeping things simple. If you need 80 slides to deliver your idea or concept, than it is not ready for primetime. If you create a new system or procedure for employees to follow that is overly complex, the chances of getting that new system or procedure to stick are pretty slim. If your marketing message is longwinded, potential customers will stop listening. If performance reviews are conducted from a document the thickness of War and Peace, you will never address the real issues that need attention – or give kudos to worthy accomplishments. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Builders, Information Flow, Leadership, Monday Morning Wake-Up, No-Compromise Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Social media for salons and spas Part 3

August 24, 2012 by

Five best practices to keep followers engaged

In parts one and two of this three-part series, I touched upon the importance of jumping into the social mediasphere, as well as some basic policies and procedures to protect the interests and reputation of your salon or spa’s brand. This week, I’d like to wrap up this discussion by sharing five best practices for salon/spa social media efforts. Just because someone has “liked” or “followed” your social campaign, doesn’t mean they will anxiously read every post/tweet from here to eternity. On the contrary, they will quickly tune out if your message isn’t relavant and concise.

Here are five best practices to keep followers engaged in your salon or spa’s social media efforts:

  1. Value and Interest: When posting to your blog, Twitter or Facebook, ask yourself if your content adds value and interest to the discussion. Make sure your comment, post or tweet is a valued piece of information.
  2. Personality: In the social media realm, you are encouraged to use your own voice and bring your personality to the forefront. The web is a venue that is relaxed, open and diverse — embrace it. A voice that is over-institutionalized and rehearsed can repel your audience.
  3. Planning: Putting in place a social media calendar of sorts for the year can help to organize you on how to cross promote your material and the times of year when you know you will have big events and may want to do extra posts. Also think about who on your team would be the best person to handle your social media needs and whether that is one person or multiple people. Make sure you are consistently contributing  content. You donʼt want to let your followers down by only posting a couple times a year.
  4. Join The Conversation: Listening and responding to your fans/followers through social media sites is just as important as posting information. Make sure you are responding to posts and questions from your followers and fans. Being a part of the conversation already happening about your company shows you care and creates community. Also realize that it isnʼt just about you are saying, it is also about the connections your fans/followers are making to other fans/followers through your site.
  5. Be Brief And Link When Possible: Ideally, posts should be very brief, redirecting visitors to content that resides on another site. Whenever possible, link back to the company’s website.

I hope this three-part series has shed some light on the very sensitive subject of social media and the salon/spa workplace.

Your turn: What problems or challenges have you recently encountered with social media? How did you decide to hand it?

 

Filed Under: Business Builders, Information Flow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Social media for salons & spas Part 2

August 16, 2012 by

Five guidelines of social media use

Last week, we discussed the importance of jumping in and embracing the enormous promotional potential that the social mediasphere offers. This week, I’ve put together some bullet points to consider when crafting your social media strategy. The following policy statements and guidelines are meant to assist you in your social media efforts, while protecting the interests and reputation of your company’s brand.

Here are five guidelines for social media use:

  1. Respect Copyright And Fair Use: When posting, be mindful of the copyright and intellectual property rights of others.
  2. Terms Of Service: Social media sites have their own terms of service. Make sure you obey these terms of service or your account with the site may be suspended.
  3. Respect and Ethics: Your company should encourage different viewpoints and opinions, and as a participant in social media, you should too. Be respectful of othersʼ viewpoints. If you disagree and would like to engage in a conversation, do so cordially, logically, and ethically.
  4. Accuracy and Honesty: Double check facts and details before you post — remember, once you post, it is out there. If there is a website you used to gather facts, provide the link for your readers to show accountability. Also, always write in the first person. If you make a mistake, admit it. Your followers will be more willing to forgive and forget if you are up front and quick with your correction. Maintain a high level of quality that exhibits superior grammar, punctuation and spelling.
  5. Transparency and Disclosure: When posting to your blog, Twitter or Facebook, ask yourself if your content is a valued piece of information. There are millions of people and companies on the web. If you want to stand above the clutter, make sure you provide content that is exciting, engaging and stimulating.

Next week in part 3: Best practicies for social media

Filed Under: Information Flow, Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Social media for salons and spas – Part 1

August 10, 2012 by

Part 1: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

I can’t tell you how many times I’m asked by salon owners across the country what my stance is on social media and how to best manage team members and their activity when it comes to online social media sites. The topic doesn’t usually come up until a team member decides to leave and then communicates to their friends and followers where they are going and where to find them. Or even worse, when a former employee decides to post derogatory comments about their former boss or place of employment. These are very valid concerns for anyone running a business. While we never want to hear anything negative about our business, unfortunately, at some point it’s going to happen. And guess what — It’s legal. (Think Yelp!)

Somebody once told me that when it comes to social media, it will become a problem when you make it a problem. That hit me square between the eyes. How many times do we find ourselves doing stuff like that? We create friction in our own companies and we don’t even realize we’re doing it.

Here’s the deal folks. In my own personal opinion, the best approach to social media as a business owner is to simply embrace it. Go for it! Encourage your team members and networks to engage with the online community through social media. You have more to gain by creating a culture of social media participation than to try and shut it off. While that may be counterintuitive to many, (especially to those control-freak entrepreneurs) at the end of the day you’re fighting an uphill battle if you don’t. Here are some reasons why:

  1. Your employees and your customers are already online. And legally, you can’t prevent them from participating in social media.
  2. Social media isn’t going anywhere. It’s here to stay. It’s time to embrace it and make it work for you and your company.
  3. Like the old saying goes, “Fight fire with fire.” As a business owner, you can participate too, encouraging a culture of connectedness with your customers and your team. If you want to build brand loyalty, then your company must represent itself in the online community.
  4. The National Labor Relations Board has stressed that all employees have certain rights under federal law that social media policies can’t compromise. (For a complete report on employer social media practices, go here.)

Next time in Part 2: Best practices for social media

Your turn: What problems or challenges have you recently encountered with social media? How did you decide to handle it?

 

Filed Under: Customer Loyalty, Information Flow Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Six ways to boost salon/spa promotions and events

August 2, 2012 by

Successful promotions and events play a pivotal role in every salon or spa’s bottom-line health. The added influx of service clients and retail/gift certificate sales — not to mention the often deeper-discounted purchasing opportunities presented by manufacturers and distributors — are simply a “no brainer” to take advantage of. The good news is, most salons and spas do offer promotions throughout the year. The bad news is, many of them are often poorly planned, and do not take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them.

But lets get back to the good news. Executing killer promotions in your salon or spa doesn’t have to be daunting. All it takes is some effective and creative planning.

Here are six ways to help you get the most out of your salon/spa promotions:

  • What’s your plan? It seems like every year, we’re hit with more and more promotional opportunities: Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Back-to-School — these are just the tip of the iceberg. In order to make sure that you and your staff are ready for each promotion, it’s imperative that you get your plan down on paper. You need to define what supplies are needed, who does what and when it needs to be completed. All that information then needs to be transferred to a main promotional calendar that the entire business lives by. Better yet, enter the dates into your computer or smart phone so you get automated reminders!
  • Make a date out of it! Promotions don’t just have to be centered around holidays and distributor/manufacture deals — make them an event! Schedule special dates throughout the year that will appeal to different demographics within your client base. Ladies night, mom’s night, guys’ night, or even a Super Bowl night — get creative and get your staff involved in the planning.
  • Don’t forget to sweat the small stuff: Remember we mentioned how critically important it is to get everything you need for a successful promotion down on paper?  Dedicate a quick meeting with your team to brainstorm each and every item needed to ensure upcoming promotions or events are a success.
  • Budget, budget, budget! That last thing you want to do it is put time and effort into a promotion or event, only to find out that it actually lost money for your business. Yes, there are times when it does make sense to chalk one up as a “marketing expense”, but at the end of the day, the name of the game is driving increased revenue. With that said, the most critically-important step for any promotion is to plug it into your cash-flow plan to see if the business can afford it — and to forecast how much return you will get on your investment.
  • Who pays for it? Although it can be sore subject, it’s one that needs to be addressed beforehand. If you are on a commission-based compensation structure, your staff needs to be made aware how they are going to be compensated if the business is promoting discounted services. Will their commission be based on the standard full-price (thus costing the business even MORE money to run the promotion) or will they be expected to invest in the promotion by taking a percentage of the lower promotional price. Luckily, if you are using a Team-Based Pay or salary/hourly model, this is a moot point.
  • Get staff involved: One of the best ways to get your team members excited about upcoming promotions is to involve them in the planning process. They’re creative — use that resource!

Want to ensure your 2013 promotional and marketing plan is down on paper before January rolls around? Don’t miss Strategies Salon/Spa Game-Planning Retreat on September 30 – October 2, 2012 at the Strategies Business Academy in Centerbrook, CT. Learn more here.

What strategies have YOU used to make your salon/spa promotions and events a success? Share them with us in the comment box below.

Filed Under: Information Flow, Profitability, Teamwork Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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