You hear another salon/spa owner describe how she does something in her business that gets great results. But, you respond, “My employees would never go for that.”

You’re having some business challenges that keep you awake at night. You listen to a possible solution, but you respond, “My employees would never go for that.”

You attend a business course and learn some pretty powerful approaches that could take your company to that elusive next level. Yup, you guessed it...that “my employees would never go for that” thinking slams the door on what could be a breakthrough for your company.

When salon/spa owners say, “My employees would never go for that,” what exactly does it mean?

• Is it fear it may not work?


• Is it fear things could get worse?


• Is it fear employees may quit?

• Being stuck sucks for everyone: When a salon/spa is stuck, it feeds on pointless drama and frustration. Career and business growth opportunities get further out of reach. The “my employees would never go for that” thinking fits right into the funk. KEY: The moment owners flip the switch to “this is what we need to do,” momentum begins to shift in the right direction. The leader is beginning to lead again.


• Creating a great place to work and grow: Too many owners get hung up on how employees will react to change rather than on what their company needs to survive and thrive. A company cannot create growth opportunities and care for its employees if it’s cash starved and stuck. KEY: Yes, it’s important for leaders to respect its employees, but not when it compromises the wellbeing of the company that employs them. If a change initiative is good for the company and its employees, it’s worth doing.


• Not all decisions are popular: Yes, sometimes change requires tough decisions. Tough decisions almost always get some degree of resistance. KEY: The tougher the decision, the more owners and leaders need to clarify the why, what and how of the decision. The more employees understand, the more comfortable they are supporting change.


• Coach your team through: Ever wondered why your newly launched systems never stick? If yes, chances are you short-changed the coaching process. As the leader, your job is to coach, inspire, counsel and provide the skills and resources your team needs to win. KEY: When implementing a new system or procedure that requires a change in thinking and behavior, it’s time to put on your coach hat to help your team adapt and master it.


• Someone may leave: No matter how much explaining and coaching you do, the chance that one or more employees will leave is always there. This usually means losing a service provider and a chunk of the revenue he or she generates. KEY: In most situations, the departing employee was not fully onboard, or mentally checked out as a team member. Avoiding change in hopes of keeping an already disgruntled employee is nothing more than avoiding the inevitable. Wish them the best and move on.


• The heart of change: People support what they believe in. People support a leader they can trust and depend on to always have their best interest at heart. Owners don’t make change to hurt employees; they make change to make things better. KEY: Change expert, John Kotter, says that people need to see and feel change to understand and run with it. You need to speak to people’s feelings and emotions just as much as you need to deliver the why, what and how of change.