Managing problem staff in the salon

One of the biggest challenges that faces any salon owner or manager is keeping a healthy, productive and motivated team.

And the last thing that you need is to have to deal with is  mood swings in the salon, staff coming in with a hangover, or a stressed team.

Unfortunately, human nature dictates that obstacles such as these are all part of working life, so they must  be dealt with swiftly and efficiently.

Professional troubleshooter and personal development specialist John Whiteman of River Management addresses some common queries from salon owners.

One of my team members is constantly coming to work in a bad mood. I suspect they are having problems at home. What can I do?

I suggest you initially have a one-to-one discussion to find out what the problems are. Home and work issues are always interlinked and a positive change, however slight, in one area can have a beneficial impact in the other.

Unless you tackle the situation head on, you risk it becoming prolonged. Being an over-caring owner can also have a negative impact, as some moods are created by people to gain attention. If this is the case, then a team will not be able to function properly.

Unless improvement can be made then you should look at removing this person from your team through a typical human resources procedure. 

I suspect one of my team is taking drugs to block out their problems. I have no evidence, but how can I address the issue?

The most important issue here is whether the business is being affected. If it is not, then as a business owner it is really best not to get involved with someone's personal life.

If you have a personal relationship outside work with this person, or it is impacting their performance and the team, then it is always better to get it out in the open.

With any substance abuse there is always a negative impact to the person. It might not be seen by them at first, but over a course of time it always damages their health. Whether it is drugs or alcohol, it often goes hand in hand with negative emotions such as depression and anxiety.

If your team member is taking drugs to block out a problem then the simple route is to try to sort out the underlying problem. A person taking drugs to achieve a high can sometimes be re-focused so they can achieve a rush or a high in another way. A natural way is in adrenaline sports. The benefits of exercise and nutrition are also important.

My manager works full time and juggles this with three children and a dog. How can I help her get a balance in her life?

The importance of separating a work and home life is always underestimated. If a person and work are being affected by having an imbalance then something has got to give or the person given the skills to manage their time better.

A person who is experiencing this imbalance quite often has lost some direction and will find themself rushing around all the time. They need to stop or slow down before their health suffers.

The first area we would work with is to create some personal space. How much time do they take each day to think about themselves? Do they have any quiet time without work, children or dogs? Just taking 10 minutes a day can be a start.

The first five can be in the morning, and the second five after work before going home each day. If they can do this, then the next stage would be to incorporate more time to do activities that reduce stress.

A balanced manager is likely to be calmer, more productive and less likely to get ill and need time off work. There are always improvements that can be made and a balance can always be created.

I run a small salon with four full-time members of staff. They don't get on particularly well and there has been an atmosphere in the salon. What can I do?

If the salon has a bad atmosphere then it needs to be sorted straight away. Establish who is the main cause of the disruption and then see each member of staff individually so the problems can be aired.

The next stage is to get your team together and tell them what you are and are not going to accept. It is time to get them working as a team and for you to lift them as a leader.

Create more stimulation and business - if your team is busy then they will not have time to annoy each other. If one person continues to upset the team then let them go. There is no time to mess about with people who affect a business through poor attitude.

My team seems a little low recently. How can I motivate them to achieve a positive vibe in the salon?

Lift the atmosphere and ambience of the salon. This can be done with music, smiling more, incentives, or by creating fun challenges to increase competition.

Another good way is to have a social gathering.

Alternatively, one-to-one staff reviews help to make sure everyone knows where they are and where they are going.

Every Saturday morning at least one member of my team will phone in sick. I suspect it's because I have a young team who all like to have a few drinks on a Friday night. It's having a major impact on my business, but what can I do?

This is definitely a case for a disciplinary. You are running the salon and if one of your team is not able to turn up on a busy day then a business cannot function properly. Mention openly that as from today absence from work in this fashion will not be tolerated any further.

Don't be a weak manager. Run your salon with confidence and be direct on how it should be run. If you don't, then they will continue to take advantage of you.