Pulse May 2017 | Page 64

Implementing Changes “ They are going for their Forbes 5-star rating and there is no doubt in my mind they will achieve it ,” says Kolb . “ We implemented a , believe-it-or not , well-received pay-for-performance pay structure for therapists that focuses as much on engagement and five-star service as it does on seniority . We also completed a menu engineering analysis in preparation for a new

“ Jean has also inspired me to become more involved with ISPA and the industry overall , which I see as extremely beneficial for career growth and education .”

— Katlyn Hatcher Director of Spa and Wellness
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa Farmington , Pennsylvania menu , raised awareness and buy-in to five-star standards , and began development of a US $ 500,000 renovation , which is now completed .”
In addition , Kolb worked with the team to closely examined the entire organizational structure to see what was potentially missing for a spa with volumes exceeding 48,000 services annually . A master scheduler role was also put in place . The position is set to realize an increase of at least US $ 250,000 annually through more effective use of therapists ’ resources because one person will be accountable for the efficiency of the schedule . She also helped begin the processes of more closely analyzing cost per treatment service , pre-dispensing product for tighter inventory control , and helped reorganize the staging area to make even the busiest days run more smoothly with dedicated behind-the-house associates to ensure success .
“ Being able to have an outside perspective was extremely beneficial . We have been in operation since 1989 and have many tenured therapists , many whom have been working at the spa for 10 to 20 years ,” says Hatcher . “ While this is a huge asset to our spa , there were some processes we had just become comfortable with and the mentality of ‘ we ’ ve always done it this way ’ set in . Having a fresh set of eyes from someone extremely experienced in the industry helped us step outside of our comfort zone and find ways to improve the overall operation .”

The Nitty Gritty

It ’ s evident Kolb ’ s work with
Hatcher and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa is proven to be a successful venture by the newfound confidence in leadership and the streamlining of many processes . But what exacty did she do ? Below , Hatcher explains where Kolb was able to help and how much of a difference it has made for Nemacolin ’ s bottom line . n Organizational chart “ Jean helped us restructure some job roles and create a new position , the master scheduler , which has had a very significant financial benefit to the business . This person handles the schedule in its entirety . In the past , this fell to individual team supervisors but with a team of 90 associates and a business demand that is always fluctuating , it proved difficult to stay on top of . Now it is streamlined and we are maximizing our revenue through efficient scheduling .”
n Facility “ Jean helped us improve the overall appearance and brought a fresh perspective to our facility . She offered many great insights .”
n Payroll “ Jean helped us implement a new performance-based flat commission system . This was something we had considered in the past ; however , changes to pay can be tricky to navigate and require the team ’ s buy in . With Jean ’ s expertise , we were able to execute an organized system and successfully launch it to the team .”
n Expense control “ Jean helped us create documents to better monitor and control our expenses .”
n Leadership “ Through my leadership coaching , my big takeaways were : having the confidence to make the tough decisions for the betterment of the team and business , thinking strategically , setting clear expectations and holding my team accountable , and learning to manage my time more efficiently and to set boundaries .”
62 PULSE ■ May 2017