Business strategist Valerie Delforge explains why the recruitment and cost-of-living crisis has bred a new wave of micromanagers in salons across the UK, and how you can shift your mindset and work patterns to become a stronger leader.
The rise of the micromanager has never been so real. For those who remember the last recession, you may feel some similarities. Talking to many business owners in my role as a coach, it seems that some of you are thriving but are becoming the victims of your own success, and some are on the brink of giving up as financial fear takes over.
Many of us feel vulnerable right now, so managing every aspect of the business becomes familiar, necessary and a habit that is very hard to break. With the current recruitment and cost-of-living crisis taking its toll, it can sometime feel like an impossible wheel of doom affecting the industry that we are all, or were once upon a time, so passionate about.
Recruitment is tough, and with the new employee mentality to deal with, as well as the main question, which is “where are the experienced staff?”, many of us are feeling simply powerless.
We tend to feel that things used to be better. It’s all too easy to forget the good people recruited and focus on the lack of them. We find it difficult to engage the team or are scared to lose them to better job offers.
Meanwhile, part-timers seem to be taking over as everyone wants to work flexible days and earn more money. The gap between owners and employees deepens as the years go by.
Added pressures
With the upcoming minimum wage increase from April 1 set to add to many salons’ bottom line, you may be in a position where you must increase not just the wages of the most junior team members, but everyone else’s too, so that they feel fair in comparison, and that in itself can be very tough to project. Cashflow will suffer.
So, we do what we know best: stay in control of what we have built, forget ourselves in the process and create a sense of achievement that we can be proud of somehow. However, burnouts are real and we can’t see a way out but it’s a lot easier if we do it ourselves because, you know what? It’s faster and I don’t have to train someone who is going to cost me and leave anyway!
"Too often I talk to salon owners who have put MANAGERS IN PLACE but not seen much IMPACT on their own DAY-TO-DAY WORKLOAD"
To me, it becomes essential that you keep realigning yourself with your business and for that to happen you must revisit the structure that suits you, create a strategy and find your purpose again so your leadership can flourish.
Managing the managers
Making these sorts of decisions can be risky but they are necessary if you want your business to ride this wave. Too often I talk to owners who have put managers in place but not seen much impact on their own day-to-day workload. We discuss the lack of systems or communication that is more damaging than motivating, we analyse the underperformers and the unprofitable treatments that cost you more than you think. You cannot afford to let that slide any longer; it’s time to work differently. So, despite all the doom and gloom above, there is light! The industry is still thriving, you just need to take stock and consider these actions. It all starts from the top.
10 actions to take now
- Know your numbers and make financial decisions that will change the business for long-term growth.
- Shout about the shiny new stars coming into your business and the industry.
- Invest in yourself and re-centre on a regular basis.
- Create a commission structure that is a win-win for you and the employee.
- Revisit your workload and find your direction.
- Learn about the soft skills of leadership: time management, communication, delegation, flexibility and resilience.
- Start talking to yourself with kindness, it’s like magic.
- Stop thinking everyone else has it better than you, stay in your own lane.
- Keep focusing on the details of the customer and staff journey.
- Stop doing it all by yourself, even if you work alone, there’s plenty of outsourcing you can rely on.
Micromanagement is the opposite of leadership, and it will stop your growth at one stage or another. If the way you are working doesn’t feel right, then the time to change is now.
Valerie Delforge is a business strategy consultant and the author of I’d rather do it myself, from Micromanagement to Leadership.
Previously she held spa and salon management roles including head of UK spa operations for Steiner.
