Developing and sustaining organizational vision

a vision of success...

By Jay Josephs

Spa businesses can no longer rely on operational efficiency as a way to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. In almost all industries, especially the salon and spa sector, it’s the human element that is the real differentiator. Your team deliver the “experience” that your spa will be renowned for.

You will want to instill into new employees a clear understanding of the business direction. Successful companies are able to clearly articulate and live their vision, and employees understand how they can do to contribute to the company achieving their vision.

In the first instance business owners or managers need to create a clear, concise vision statement. A vision statement needs to be aspirational as this will enable the team to focus on the future, and it enables others who read it to understand how the owners of the business visualize the future. Essentially it is a dream that, with the right plan, personnel, commitment and execution, can come to fruition.

Vision statements should be reviewed regularly, refreshed when necessary and publicly displayed. The review process is to establish whether there is continued relevance, refreshment is to ensure the statement holds meaning for the work group and the public display is to keep it uppermost in the minds of all.

Vision statements can be developed by the senior management team and then workshopped by all employees to establish awareness and understanding, or alternatively the process can be undertaken by the whole team. This would mean involving all staff, from nail technicians, housekeeping attendants, front desk to therapists in developing a vision statement - determining the words that reflect or have meaning for them. Split the team into small groups and ask each team to play with the “vision” – give them all a bucket of lego, playdough, pens, paper, glitter glue, material, scissors and some time – anything to help stretch their imaginations and enable creativity. The groups then feedback the “vision statements” to the team and then agree the words that have evoked emotion or articulated exactly what it is you are aspiring to be. After you have agreed the vision statement, gain commitment by having each of your staff sign the vision document acknowledging allegiance to your vision and proudly display it in a public place.

Once the vision statement is established, developing a set of organizational and behavioral values that are aligned with the company vision is critical. Aligning values and behaviors with vision can be a very powerful tool to establish known and understood “ways we work” within the organization. Successful Spa’s are often those that have communicated organization values and then use those values to both recruit and retain staff. Good businesses aim to have people self-select themselves out of the company if they cannot abide the values of the company.

By being involved in its creation, your team will get more involved in living your company’s vision and values in their daily work.