WHO SHOULD BE THERE: l Owners and senior leadership l Spa directors or managers l Department leads( guest services, therapists, estheticians, marketing) l Select frontline employees for culture-focused discussions
HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE: l One full day for smaller spas l Two to three days for larger organizations or multi-location groups
WHAT TO DISCUSS: l Review of mission, vision and values l Industry trends and customer preferences l Current challenges and opportunities l Aspirational goals for guest experience and workplace culture l Key operational priorities( finance, staffing, training, marketing)
WHAT SHOULD RESULT: l A short, clear vision statement l Three to five strategic priorities or pillars l An action plan with project owners, timelines and measurable outcomes
Making it actionable
SHRM notes many leaders leave a planning retreat inspired but fail to translate big ideas into daily operations. To avoid this, the HR organization recommends using frameworks such as the Balanced Scorecard to connect vision to operations. This involves linking financial outcomes to customer experience, internal processes and employee development. For spa leaders, that might look like: l Vision:“ Be the most trusted destination for holistic wellbeing in our region.” l Customer focus: Deliver 95 percent positive guest satisfaction scores. l Internal processes: Launch two new service innovations per year. l Employee culture: Provide quarterly training and spa service stipends for staff. l Financial sustainability: Increase revenue per guest visit by 10 percent annually.
Tracking progress and determining success
Strategic plans succeed only if they are monitored and adjusted. SHRM emphasizes creating measurable benchmarks, while Gartner suggests quarterly progress reviews to ensure adaptability. SPA LEADERS SHOULD: l Establish KPIs: Track guest satisfaction, staff retention, revenue per visit and training participation. l Use dashboards: Simple tools like scorecards or shared spreadsheets help maintain visibility. l Review quarterly: Celebrate wins, address challenges and adjust initiatives. l Gather feedback: Incorporate guest surveys and staff input into progress reports.
CITATIONS
l Gartner: Build an HR Strategy That Fuels Enterprise Growth | gartner. com / en / articles / hr-strategy l Gartner: How to Craft a Highly Effective Future of Work Strategy | gartner. com / en / articles / future-of-work-strategy l SHRM: The Role of Mission and Values in Strategic Human Resource Management | shrm. org l SHRM: Strategic Planning Toolkit | vlrc. shrm. org / s / article / Strategic-Planning-Toolkit
Why culture matters
Strategic planning is not just about financial metrics. Research from SHRM shows that aligning workplace culture with strategy increases employee engagement and reduces turnover while driving service excellence. For spas, where client experience depends on staff energy and morale, culture may be the most critical pillar of all. n
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