Important Feedback
Many times, employees feel stressed
over performance reviews and whether
they are meeting goals and expectations.
To minimize any added stress, setting
goals early and providing regular
constructive feedback are both
important.
“First of all, when an employee is
hired, setting clear expectations is
essential. In fact, setting expectations
should occur during the interview
process,” says Mearns. “Second, ongoing communication is vital. Employees
need to know how they are doing and
what their guests are saying. Employees
need to feel supported in the fact that
mistakes happen and that, together, they
will fix them, learn from them and move
on.”
Many spas and companies rely on
annual or semi-annual appraisals versus
on-going feedback, which Williams says
is a common mistake. “People are
happier when they know where they
stand and what is expected of them at
work,” he says.
Thompson says creating a culture
where regular feedback is welcomed is
necessary to help immediately resolve
issues and concerns; therefore,
preventing issues from becoming a
factor of burnout down the road.
“Employees are very resilient and
loyal. However, when there is an issue
in the spa which affects the staff and
management does nothing to
correct it, over time, employees begin
to reciprocate the apathy.”
— KATE MEARNS
“It’s part of our culture to give
feedback and provide coaching to
employees, so that their efforts stay
aligned with the goals of the company
and meet expectations. We provide
formal and informal feedback to
employees throughout the course of the
year and regularly meet one-on-one to
review the business objectives, target
goals and listen to their input as to what
incentives or operational changes can be
made to facilitate their performance,”
she says.
Overall, the best way to address
work-related burnout is prevention.
Good managers are those who are able
to anticipate potential stress factors
within one’s team, preventing such
stress-filled scenarios from happening
and overwhelming the team. More
importantly, good managers model the
behavior of recharging their energies in
order to encourage team members to
stay motivated, keep on with their
mission and find renewed joy in what
they do. n
HOW DO YOU encourage other staff members to help
identify early signs of employee burnout? Click here to read
more insights.
F E AT U R E D S O U R C E S
Bryan K. Williams
Faith Freeman
Mitchell Freeman
Jacquee Thompson
Chief Service Officer •
B.Williams Enterprise, LLC
Chief Creative Officer •
Primal Elements
BOWIE, MARYLAND
HUNTINGTON BEACH,
CALIFORNIA
Primal Elements Sales &
Marketing Director •
Primal Elements
Spa Manager • SiSpa at
the Marriott Pompano
Beach Resort & Spa
HUNTINGTON BEACH,
CALIFORNIA
POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA
Kate Mearns
Principal
• 5 Spa
Consulting
LLC
2016 ■ PULSE 47
WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA
May