Respect is a Two-way Street: Salon Advice from Faye Murray

I had an interesting conversation with a client this week that I thought I would share with you. They were asking for help, because they felt they did not have the “respect of their team”.

Sadly, this is something that I hear often.

I learnt something along time ago. It is something that you think would be obvious, but is not always so.

Respect is not something you can demand, it has to be earned. You earn it by your actions and words, every moment of every day. You are always on show. The other thing that I know is that you can spend years earning that respect and it can be destroyed in one minute by getting something wrong.

Very tough for a manager, but true.

Respect is also a two way street and this can take some practice. It must also be consistent and most of all sincere. I don’t believe you can fake it. You have to genuinely manage all areas of your salon business well to gain respect. Don’t have one set of rules for your team and follow a different set of rules and values yourself. You can’t have one set of expectations one day and completely change them another day.

If you show respect to others it comes back more easily. This is also something to remember at all times.

Here are a couple of other tips to consider that I find work well.

• Take time to talk to team members one on one.
• Have an open door policy.
• Let staff know there is no such thing as a silly question.
• Start each day by greeting each team member individually with a bright “hello”.
• Acknowledge team member’s good work with cards, email or texts and personal
  messages.
• Praise team members often.
• Listen more than you talk.
• Assure them that failure won’t come back and haunt them.
• Always be there to support in good times and in bad.

Think about a good manager you have had the privilege to have worked with. Think about what they did that made you remember them in a positive way. Use them as an example.

Be the leader that you yourself would like to follow.