Holding one-to-one meetings with your salon staff
Published
28th Jul 2008
by sophieh
One-to-one meetings with team members are essential to effective management.
Karrin Lawrence, managing director of Pure Clarity, a consultancy specialising in management coaching, offers her top tips for getting optimum results from yours.
- Ensure one-to-one meetings with staff are held regularly
Far from being a luxury, one-to-one meetings are essential to running a progressive and expanding business.
The purpose for holding one-to-one meetings is to enable both you and your employee to have uninterrupted time, to be able to discuss performance, goals of the business, the employee's future within the business, and how improvements can be made to ensure the business grows while fulfilling the needs of all concerned. - Always be prepared
Between meetings, you should be watching out for improved performance and areas that need support for the individuals in your team. Knowing what areas you are going to discuss, and what the preferred outcome is going to be are all key.
Preparation will also avoid wasted chat. Too many meetings end up with participants talking about everything but work. - Learn to listen
These meetings should always feel like a two-way discussion, and they can only be effective if your employee can feel safe to convey whatever they need to express.
Being in a place that ensures you are uninterrupted like an office or even outside of the salon, such as a quiet café or bar, will bring a sense of relaxation and focused discussion, and being on neutral territory should enable the meeting to be civilised and courteous. - Have a format for each meeting
Keep the meeting in focus by breaking it into three specific areas. Here's a suggested breakdown:- Review of past performance
- Discussion of current performance/needs/goals
- Forward planning of specific and measurable tasks.
- Don't focus on the negatives
As salon life continues, you should offer praise at every available moment and not just wait for a meeting to say 'well done'. Specific performance, attitude and skills should be discussed at the review stage of the next meeting.
The one-to-ones are markers of focused feedback and goal setting, but are also a continuing process. The only way a person can feel positive about themself is if they are praised for good work on a daily basis.
More expert advice from Karrin Lawrence
