“The trust you want to develop is the trust
between the staff members. Encourage the team
to share ideas, support each other and eliminate
worries that actions are being taken for the
wrong intention.”
tarting a new job carries with
it a host of emotions. In fact,
the mere act of “accepting” a
new position typically ranks
as one of the biggest events of your
career. New jobs can be humbling,
exciting and pretty scary, yet they will
certainly stretch your abilities as a
person, employee and leader.
The first days on the job requires a
thoughtful and disciplined approach.
Here are five tips to get you started on
the right foot.
S
OBSERVE. It is important to watch—
and watch closely. Observe personal
interactions. Observe processes.
Observe expectations. Observe the big
things and the little things. Don’t say
much, just watch and take notes. Resist
the temptation to add your two cents
right off the bat. You will have your
chance.
TRUST. The staff’s trust in you will
take time. After all, it is human nature to
be wary of change; and you are that
“change agent.” (That being said, you
better walk in the door on the first day
completely trusting yourself.) The trust
you want to develop is the trust
between the staff members. Encourage
the team to share ideas, support each
other and eliminate any of their worries
that actions are being taken for the
wrong intention. Imagine how the
power of trust affects team productivity.
DON’T FEAR CONFLICT. As a
manager, your role is to encourage
debate. It is acceptable to push to
resolve conflict. Conflict can be
productive. If team members bury their
ideas or concerns from other colleagues
rather than deal with them in a healthy
discussion, they will never be satisfied
with the result. Debate, and possible
short-term conflict, leads to more
refined ideas and improved processes.
If you have created an environment of
trust, employees will both express their
ideas and support the results because
they have been involved and their
opinion has been respected.
EXPECT ACCOUNTABILITY AND
COMMITMENT. If you don’t, who
will? If just one staff member has
accountability issues, they are eroding
the very foundation of trust. If you, for
example, have meeting rules, such as no
cell phone or computer use during the
meeting time, staff members must be
respectful of the rules. You are doing a
disservice to others if you don’t expect
accountability. Avoidance leads to
resentment and resentment leads to a
lack of commitment.
BE RESULTS-DRIVEN. Any new
manager wants to make an impact
in the operation, whether it’s improving
guest service scores, or growing
revenues. Check results against your
goal frequently and share the results
with the team!
Even though the first days on a new
job can be a bit humbling, scary and
exciting all wrapped into one big
emotion, remember that it’s a good
thing—someone trusted you. n
KATE MEARNS is the principal consultant of 5 Spa Consulting LLC, located in Williamsburg, Virginia. 5 Spa Consulting
provides practical solutions for operational challenges. It offers services that include evaluating, prescribing, implementing and monitoring areas of your business that are underperforming, usurping valuable time, or straining the
profitability of your organization. With more than 25 years of experience in the spa and fitness industry, Mearns previously served as corporate operations director, spa division for WTS International. She helped in the launch and later
successfully managed The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg. Prior to this, she served as spa director at The Spa at Kingsmill
Resort, an Anheuser-Busch Company. To reach Mearns, call 1.757.810.2105 or email kmearns@5spaconsulting.com. To learn
more about the consulting company, visi