Have you ever wondered how to spot the signs that a team member is ready to leave your salon? This episode promises to make you adept at identifying "exit signals" that can help you maintain a thriving work environment. We dive into real-life scenarios, such as discovering business cards for a competitor in an employee's car, and discuss the critical steps salon owners can take to address these situations head-on. You'll learn how early recognition and strategic action can foster a visionary culture that benefits everyone involved.
Discover the secret to understanding and categorizing your team's engagement levels! This episode sheds light on the intricate dynamics of engaged, disengaged, and actively disengaged employees within your salon. We reveal the subtle—and sometimes not-so-subtle—signs of disengagement, from shifts in social media behavior to a growing focus on personal branding over team promotion. By mastering these insights, you'll be better equipped to preemptively address issues and maintain a motivated, cohesive team.
Balancing empathy with leadership is no small feat, especially when managing disengaged employees. We discuss effective strategies for having those tough, yet necessary, one-on-one conversations. Learn when to invest in coaching a team member back into alignment and when it's time to part ways for the greater good. Finally, we emphasize the importance of nurturing your most passionate and engaged team members, offering practical advice on enhancing your leadership approach. This episode is packed with valuable insights that are crucial for any salon owner committed to creating a positive and successful work environment. Tune in and empower yourself and your team!
Do you have a question for Blondes in Business: Luxury Beauty Business Podcast? Send a text or leave a voicemail at 855.650.3445 or send us an email to hello@thephdprogram.com. We would love to hear from you. Start growing in business and leadership with powerful tools, advice and resources in your inbox every week: Learn more about The PHD Program Events:
Have you ever wondered how to spot the signs that a team member is ready to leave your salon? This episode promises to make you adept at identifying "exit signals" that can help you maintain a thriving work environment. We dive into real-life scenarios, such as discovering business cards for a competitor in an employee's car, and discuss the critical steps salon owners can take to address these situations head-on. You'll learn how early recognition and strategic action can foster a visionary culture that benefits everyone involved.
Discover the secret to understanding and categorizing your team's engagement levels! This episode sheds light on the intricate dynamics of engaged, disengaged, and actively disengaged employees within your salon. We reveal the subtle—and sometimes not-so-subtle—signs of disengagement, from shifts in social media behavior to a growing focus on personal branding over team promotion. By mastering these insights, you'll be better equipped to preemptively address issues and maintain a motivated, cohesive team.
Balancing empathy with leadership is no small feat, especially when managing disengaged employees. We discuss effective strategies for having those tough, yet necessary, one-on-one conversations. Learn when to invest in coaching a team member back into alignment and when it's time to part ways for the greater good. Finally, we emphasize the importance of nurturing your most passionate and engaged team members, offering practical advice on enhancing your leadership approach. This episode is packed with valuable insights that are crucial for any salon owner committed to creating a positive and successful work environment. Tune in and empower yourself and your team!
Do you have a question for Blondes in Business: Luxury Beauty Business Podcast? Send a text or leave a voicemail at 855.650.3445 or send us an email to hello@thephdprogram.com. We would love to hear from you. Start growing in business and leadership with powerful tools, advice and resources in your inbox every week: Learn more about The PHD Program Events:
if you have spent more than five minutes inside of our industry as a salon owner, you are not going to want to miss today's podcast awesome.
Speaker 2:
So we're going to be giving you some exit signals, just like that red light, like identifying when team members are ready to move on. So you know, a lot of times as salon owners we see the signs, but sometimes we ignore the signs. So we're just going to give you an opportunity to look at it through the lens of hey, what are the signs someone's trying to give you and what can you do with it at the end of the day?
Speaker 1:
Yes, and you know truly what can happen is when we understand these signals, it can really help us to maintain a healthy salon environment Because, at the end of the day, as the leader, the visionary for the team, you always have to be looking towards the future and just really making sure, like, hey, we are investing our time and our energy and our efforts into the next best thing that can really drive the company forward, to be able to create an amazing life for everybody who wants to be a part of it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and I know salon owners that are listening in. You all have your stories, right. Some make you laugh, some might make you cry. You know, once upon a time there was a salon owner driving home and just close to where she lives there's another salon and she saw one of her team members moving her stuff into the new salon. So that was a big exit signal. And if you're wondering, yes, that was me.
Speaker 2:
And so you know we just share the story as we get it. At the end of the day, you're not alone. We know that sometimes, as owners, you can feel alone at the top, and so we just want to make this fun and lightful and just give you some new tools to view and some new opportunities to create.
Speaker 1:
Yes, and you know, just a fun little story that I had once upon a time was that when I was a brand new salon owner, my car actually wouldn't start. Funny how, you know, I'm sure as a brand new salon owner, we've all had some story that randomly happened to us that you're like, wow, what did I sign up for? But my car wouldn't start. I needed to go get some lightener for the salon, and so one of the girls was like, hey, no, worries, you can borrow my car. So I get in her car and I look down in the cup holder and there was a stack full of business cards with her name printed on them, that she was going to be working at another salon. So, ouch, you know it was.
Speaker 1:
There was definitely some other signs that I had ignored that she was going to be exiting. But I think you know, as salon owners, we can all relate to that and you know, sometimes, you know it's it's really just about, like hey, being willing and able to confront and sit with those warning signs, um, that somebody could be exiting the salon. Because, hey, at the end of the day, you know, our goal isn't to keep every single person working. You know, we would never, ever, ever recommend golden handcuffing anyone to your business or trying to keep somebody around who doesn't want to be a part of your bigger vision or company, but really just viewing like, hey, how can I serve people who want to be here to their highest good? And if somebody on the team starts taking away from the highest good, you know, it's just great to be able to view that too, so that you can make the next right move.
Speaker 2:
I love that you mentioned that word confront, and so that to me is a I have a lot of charge for a lot of people. A lot of people think confront is like a really bad thing or can be really triggering for people, and if you really truly understand that the definition of confront just means to be with, and so you know when you're able to be with something, you're not locking yourself in the office saying oh no, not today, I'm not dealing with that today, or hiding under the table when you see a commotion going on, and so just to be able to I love that you said that lens be able to have that ability to confront things gives you the happiness to really create that dream company that you desire.
Speaker 1:
Yes, and you know, really, we we could probably do a whole podcast on just the word confront and how much charge there is on that, like you mentioned, and how peaceful and wonderful having that, having this to confront, is for us. Talk about the different types of team members. So, you know, we like to categorize people in three different areas on the team, and it's just great to be able to see you know what kind of support do they need, how can I help them to just, you know, achieve the best results possible in their lives, because I, you know, we're firm believers, and when the tide rises, all ships in the sea do as well. And so, you know, there's three main categories, and the first one is engaged, you know, and so the next one is disengaged, and the third one is actively disengaged, and so, you know, each level of engagement can affect the overall salon dynamic. And so, really, we want to dive into those three different areas so that you can fully understand kind of what category someone falls into.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. And so when you think about the engaged team member and their level of engagement, you know you can tell they're fully invested in their work. They're fully invested in their work. They're fully invested in the company's mission. They're motivated, they're enthusiastic. You know they can be a high performer or a low performer, but they are willing to do whatever it takes to serve the clients, to serve the team, to serve the mission. They really have a proactive behavior instead of a reactive behavior, so like, if you're implementing something new, like they're really there to listen and see what the opportunities are, versus saying, not today, I don't want to implement that, nope, that's not going to work, that's not going to work. And so you can just tell they have that positive energy, that positive interaction with clients and team members.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and, jen, I love that you said that they can be super productive or not as productive.
Speaker 1:
I think you know, a lot of times as salon owners we think about like oh, these are our high producers or these are our low producers, when, at the end of the day, like if your commission structure is set up to support you, it actually doesn't matter what level somebody is.
Speaker 1:
You know, because there's so many different factors in that Um. You know, because there's so many different factors in that Um. But knowing you know their overall attitude and experience inside of your walls, like that can really impact those, those numbers. And so you know, I think a lot of times people will discount a newer person on the team um for what all they bring to the table. But having somebody new on the team who isn't as high of a producer but is fully engaged can really impact the company more than if somebody was actively disengaged and they were your top producer, that could tear down a company so fast. And so I love that you pointed out that those don't go hand in hand the production versus. You know, if they're an engaged team member, do they bring that positive attitude? You know what is it that they're sharing with the rest of the people on the team, because that can be more infectious than any dollar that's exchanged hands at all.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that and then. So then we're going to look at the engagement level of disengaged team members and when you think about somebody that's disengaged, some examples of that would be like you just feel like they're checked out, like they're doing enough just to get by. So like you might say, hey, try this, and they just do it at the bare minimum, bare minimum. You know their enthusiasm is just, they're just there. Minimal effort, you know they're. Actually the performance can sometimes be declining instead of climbing and you know, a lot of times they have frequent absences. So if you have somebody that's disengaged, you know they're just, they're there, they're just there. That's the way to describe them. It's not really positive or negative, it's just they're there.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and you know the the next level that we want to talk about is the actively disengaged team member. You know. So this is somebody who is, you know they've gone a step beyond being just disengaged. Now they're unhappy and they are spreading negativity. So you know, this is really where someone's potentially looking to leave.
Speaker 1:
But usually they want to enroll others in this, you know, and so they want to. You know, really, they might start having conflicts with colleagues and then trying to get close with other ones. You know who they can, you know, just talk about all of their dissatisfaction with the company. You know they're not always having the best client interactions, they're actively undermining the salon goals and so, really, just looking for this, you know, if you are walking into the connection room and it's not feeling connected, it's feeling disconnected, because maybe you know somebody quits talking when you walk in and you have that feeling inside of you, this could potentially be an actively disengaged team member, and so these are the ones that you really want to look out for. These are the ones who are really displaying those exit signals and this is, you know, a really great one to be able to identify as soon as possible.
Speaker 2:
Awesome. So now that you have the levels of engagement between engage, disengage, actively disengage let's look at some some warning signs that you probably shouldn't ignore that usually your active, disengage team members are going to be displaying. So one of my favorite ones to view is a change in, like social media behavior, and so you probably all know this. I've seen. This is when they have that change in social media behavior. They promoted team before, but now they're no longer tagging the salon and post. You know, they're increasing their personal brand. They're, you know, maybe they've been working with you for many, many, many years and all of a sudden, they're putting their personal Instagram on the mirror. I mean, there's just so many different little signs that usually trust your gut. At the end of the day, if you're noticing these signs, it doesn't mean that you have to do something right then or there, but just to be aware can be such a huge opportunity for you to really know, hey, what's going on or what's to come, so that you can prepare for it.
Speaker 1:
Yes, you know, and I think the next sign that you shouldn't ignore, in addition to that social media behavior, is just if they have a decline in their work quality and attitude, you know.
Speaker 1:
So this might mean that they're, you know, making careless mistakes, or it could just be like a lack of attention to detail, or maybe it's just that they have a negative attitude. You know they might be missing some deadlines or not, you know, honoring some commitments that they made, or you know, really, at this stage, you know they're, they're not only not showing up for anything, but they're almost trying to recruit others to do the same, you know, and so the impact that this can have is it really affects guest or client satisfaction and overall team morale. You know. So it's one thing if they want to have a bad attitude, but it really does impact your culture. And so you know, when you're thinking about serving everyone to their highest good, if somebody is showing you, hey, I don't want to be here, and I'm going to show you it in my attitude, because attitude just shows our beliefs, you know, and so that's like the outward display of our inward beliefs.
Speaker 2:
You know, and so that's like the outward display of our inward beliefs, beliefs and so you know that's a really good warning sign to look for that that exit might be to look at like if there's withdrawal from team activities. And so, like all of a sudden you know they start skipping team meetings or never can make team meetings. Maybe you plan a fun day for the team. They definitely cancel on that. Or maybe they're a leader in the on the team and they're like, yeah, I just can't seem to make it to all the meetings. My book keeps getting filled in there, and so you have to always listen for the excuses as well. And so what happens is when they start withdrawing from team meetings, it really helps them take down that collaborative spirit that the team has, because when they see it in them, they're like, hmm, something's going on, just like you are. The team starts to question it themselves. And so when you think of withdrawal, like, just really, look at hey, are they really distancing themselves? Are they avoiding their growth sessions or their PDMs, which would be your one-on-one trainings? Are they late for meetings? Do they call out a lot?
Speaker 2:
In the book of the Course of Miracles there's a saying that says if you've ever heard this before. It says sickness is a defense against the truth, and so I know not everyone will understand that, but I'm sure the owners on this podcast will. And not that you would say this to a team member if they call out sick, you wouldn't say don't do this. You wouldn't say, hey, you're sick, sickness is a defense against the truth. But, truly like, it just gives you power to understand. Hey, I'm aware of what's going on and now I can have some more decision making skills on what I need to do with this.
Speaker 1:
Yes, I love that Now I can have some more decision making skills on what I need to do with this. You know, next thing to look at would be an increase in time off requests. You know, because if they are frequently requesting time for personal days, or they have unexplained absences, or they're regularly late or they need to get out of there early or they've got all of this stuff going on, you know they're just so busy that they can't even be there. That's just a really good sign, you know, because what that does is that disrupts the salon operations, you know, and it places additional burden on other team members. You know, maybe it's whoever's taking these call outs or the guests for rescheduling, whatever that might be.
Speaker 1:
You know, what we know is like we're trying to create consistency in the lives of our guests and if we are constantly having to move appointments, that creates chaos for the guests, that creates chaos for your welcome desk. You know all of these different people and so you know we, we understand, hey, occasionally stuff is going to happen. We don't mean you know the one-off times that this happens. We mean like, hey, if there's an increase in this, that's a really good sign to look out for, because that's a good sign that they've got one foot in and one foot out.
Speaker 2:
All right out All right. And so the next opportunity is to you know you can usually tell somebody's doing some visible job searching or they're starting to ask more questions or they're maybe they're updating their portfolios or their resumes or taking calls during work hours. Again, they have those unexplained absences and you know you can usually tell. There's usually a ringleader. If, especially if you're going to ever experience a walkout, there's usually a ringleader. Especially if you're going to ever experience a walkout. There's usually a ringleader that is really enrolling others to see their vision too.
Speaker 2:
And so that's why we want to share these today is because, honestly, if you can have the goats, the gift of awareness today to be aware of these things and trust your instincts and be confident in who you are as a salon owner, it really can help protect your culture at the end of the day, because I think that's one of the greatest assets you have is culture. You know they say culture eats strategy for breakfast, and so you know, when you're really looking at it through the lens of really having the people that wanna be on your team, there can really help impact guest experience, team experience, team morale, and so it's really just a beautiful thing to view all these things.
Speaker 1:
Yes, I love that. And so you might be thinking well, great, I know all of this and Jen just gave me some ideas on why this is important. But let's just even maybe view different times where you've had to release somebody, or you or somebody ended up leaving the team and and just you know how, how much better it was when that person who didn't want to be there was gone. You know, of course, sometimes when that happens, there can be a little bit of rockiness for a short amount of time. You know, I know, I've experienced it. Probably, if you're listening to this and you've been a salon owner for longer than a year, or five minutes even sometimes you know you've experienced it before where, when you finally get on the other side, like when you've seen all of these signs and you've just questioned, hey, what's the right thing to do? Because you, because we know if you're listening to this, you're probably an empathetic salon leader.
Speaker 1:
You love people and that's why you got in this industry. If you hate people, there's some other podcasts in our industry that I'm sure you could listen to. I don't know the names of them, sorry, but you're not looking for that anyway. But we know that you love people, and that can kind of be a tricky situation as a leader, because, you know, you think about, like, sure, they might be trying to take this place down, but, gosh, they have a child or they have, you know this going on. You think of all these things, you know, and so the opportunity is like, hey, you get the opportunity to coach them and then they get to choose how they continue to show up, you know. And so you know, having those one-on-one conversations, when you notice like, hey, I've noticed that you're pulling back from team meetings, or I noticed that you've been calling in more, or I've noticed whatever, you know, I'd love to talk with you about it. See, you know, if I can help in any way, come up with a strategy so that we can get back on the same mission or back on the same page, you know.
Speaker 1:
And so so, really just knowing, hey, I'm going to give them the opportunity, but then at the end of the day, it's up to them, because if they can't see that bigger picture or they can't see themselves there, like, you would never want to force that, you know, and so you would just want to allow that opportunity for them to to check back in, you know, and if they can't take it, then that just gives you the power to know, like, hey, what's the next right move?
Speaker 1:
Because a lot of times you know we've got a great podcast on releasing people you know, a lot of times, like when you do get to that stage where you might decide hey, you know, they've shown all these signs like, I know that that's the next best thing to do. It can still feel hard, but it truly is a gift for both individuals on the other side, because if somebody doesn't want to be there like that, you're giving them a gift to be able to find where it is that they want to be, do what it is that they want to do, and you both win on the other side. And and truly, at the end of the day, you, as the leader, you need to care about everyone inside of those walls and sometimes that's, you know, removing somebody from that situation so that you can all continue to grow and thrive and they can find whatever it is that they're looking for.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that. You know there's a lot of pitter patter that goes in our along, in our industry, where people like, do I let people stay? Do I release people when I find that someone's leaving to go do something else? And this is just my personal opinion too is like if you have somebody that's disengaged, actively disengaged, and you keep them on your team, it's going to do more harm than good. And so at the end of the day remember there's two sides to every story. If they bash you on social media or say things about you, the truth always usually prevails in the end. But just to know that, like holding on to someone in your company that's actively disengaged, is going to cost you more in the long run than you even realize.
Speaker 1:
Yes, and that impacts every single person on the team, you know. And so I think that there's just amazing opportunities when you are able to just be with the current situation of where everybody kind of falls on your team. If you ever feel like hey is something off in my company, you know, you could just perform a quick little audit and say like hey, I'm going to put people in these different categories like who's engaged, who's disengaged and who's actively disengaged, you know, and if you view that actively disengaged, you know those are going to be the red lights, the alarms, the ones that you want to pay attention to. But also please note this as a salon owner if you're spending all of your time on those alarm people and you're not spending time on the people who are engaged and want to be there, oh, that can be detrimental to a company, and so so, just being aware of that, like if you're where are you spending your time? Because you should be spending the most time on those engaged people, making them better, because they already love being there, they want to be there, they want to create a bigger vision, they want a better future and they not only care about themselves but they care about everybody around them.
Speaker 1:
You know, and when somebody's in that opposite category like they, they like, don't like themselves, they don't like people around them you know they've really hit that space where the gift can be released, you know, if you decide that that's what's best. And so you know, we hope you got some amazing new tools for your tool belt as a salon owner on today's message, today's podcast, and if you enjoyed it and you know another salon owner that would also get some new tools for their tool belt, please feel free to share this podcast with them today.
