Fred Dengler talks about the Female Factor in Salon and Spa Management

Salon Owner and Managers – The Female Managing Female Factor
Our Beauty and Spa industry indisputably has the largest female work force and the greatest number of female managers and owners. This creates a business culture that is unique in business. It would seem “natural” that females managing females would be an easier, more consistant task than a mixed gender business. But any of us who have worked in the industry (more than 30 seconds) know that is not the case. Here are some ideas on how to manage the large female factor in your business – especially if you are also a female!
The latest Census Bureau statistics reveal that female owned businesses are hotter than ever. Between 1997 and 2002 females started businesses at twice the national rate. Female-owned businesses with more than $1 million in revenue went up by 18% and those with more than 100 employees went up by 10%. Many of those businesses are salons and spas. Call us for the TSA statistics as they compare to MIKAL Salon and Spa owners 513-528-5100.
One upshot of all this growth is that now there are more females in leadership positions than ever. Whether they head their department in the salon or spa, the front desk, the booking room, or head the whole company, these females are in a position to do something they may have wanted to do for a long time. Hire other females and work with other women.
Females like working with other smart, savvy females. There's often less ego involved and more willingness to collaborate. As woman leaders in the salon and spa industry, you can create a culture where success doesn't have to mean trying to become "one of the guys." But your idealistic visions of females working together do not always translate smoothly into practice. Call us at ask for our Staff Recruiting Ideas pdf at 513-528-5100 or e-mail us at sales@mikal.com . There's no guarantee that just because you hire other females, everyone will magically get along. Here are a few of the more common problem areas we can encounter with our reception staff, stylists, nail techs, and estheticians:




Are You the Boss or Buddy? Or Are You Trying to be Both?
When “Sally” (one of our salon owners and no it’s not her real name) became the owner and manager of a new salon she opened, she told her all female staff that they had a say in every decision and that her door was always open no matter how small the concern or how late the hour. "I didn't want them to see me as the big bad boss," she explained. "I wanted them to like me."
Instead, Sally created an environment in which there was too little structure. Stylists took her open door policy literally and dropped in to chat about personal problems or petty disagreements they should have been able to resolve on their own. Even worse, when Sally made management decisions her staff seemed to resent her adopting any authority. This resentment bothered her, but she had made it sound like everything would be a committee decision when she started the business!

Do You Want to Be Liked or Do You Want to Be Effective? Can you Be Both?
Just because you're in a leadership position doesn't mean you stop wanting people to like you. We have the same challenge with receptionists and salon managers/spa coordinators who want to be liked by the staff they need to manage. Many times we are frustrated by our management staff because they become friendly with the service providers and then start to take their side or show favoritism to certain staff members. When this happens the first person we should look at is ourselves! Do we handle the staff like friends but expect our management staff to act differently?
Female are raised to always be nice and nurturing to other female and, like Sally, they can be wary of coming across as too tough or power hungry. But part of your responsibility as a leader/manager is to call the shots. If employees see you as their best buddy, it can be confusing when you start telling them what to do or calling them on their mistakes. Try envisioning yourself as a leader who is respected by her employees rather than seeking unconditional love.



Guess What? You Need to Ban the Micromanager In You!
Many females embrace the beauty and spa industries over the traditional corporate world because they're sick of a macho work culture or love the artistic and customer service side of the beauty and wellness industries. Others want an environment where they don’t have to do twice as much to prove themselves while someone's always looking over their shoulder waiting for them to screw up. But once on our own, it can be difficult to relax these hyper-vigilant standards. This can be especially true with your own business, where everything that goes out the door has your name attached. But you're going to have to learn to let go!
We'll assume you've hired competent, innovative female to work under you. If you insist on supervising every last detail, you're sending the message that you don't trust them to handle anything on their own. That's a sure way to breed apathy, or even worse, resentment. Because your female staff are often more attuned to relationships and more sensitive to feedback, they can be especially prone to interpreting your micromanaging as criticism. It's worth the risk to give them some autonomy and even allow them to make the occasional mistake. They'll work harder if they feel like their input matters.

Women and Family-Work Issues
First wouldn’t it be nice if we could just hire the person that interviews with us and not get the family, boyfriend, co-dependent, sibling, etc… issues that emerge after the person is hired? Hiring right is the first step in taking care of these issues. It would also be nice if all things were equal on the work-family front -- if men took on just as many domestic responsibilities and were just as eager for maternity leave and flexible working schedules. (listen to me – don’t tell any of my guy friends I said this!) But we all know this isn't true. Females are still the primary care givers and they expect female bosses and employers to be more sensitive towards this struggle to balance work and family lives.

When You Institute Policies or an Employee Policy Manual
Before you institute policies, talk to your employees about what they need and be clear in your own head about what is possible from a financial and procedural standpoint. Be as generous and as creative as you can. Females with less personal stress make happier and more productive employees. But also be realistic about what the business can support. One of the worst things you can do in a management role is make promises you can't keep. Call us for a Salon/Spa Policy Manual on disk you can edit and use to get your policies in place. Our number at MIKAL is 513-528-5100.
Above all, female leaders owe it to their female employees to practice what they preach. A charismatic, well-adjusted woman at the top goes a long ways towards creating a healthy office atmosphere. When powerful and highly visible females are seen helping other females by implementing female-friendly policies, acting as mentors and role models, or simply honoring their word, they set a standard for everyone else to come, and I mean for both men and women!
Call MIKAL for Hiring and Staffing Ideas at 513-528-5100 or e-mail sales@mikal.com .