The Art of Brand Building By Phil Smith

By Phil Smith

In the fourth of a series of masterclasses, one of the biggest success stories in British hairdressing, business mastermind Phil Smith tackles the subject of keeping a team motivated

When you look up ambition in the dictionary, it’s defined as a ‘desire and determination to achieve success’. The salon where I started out had a strict, old-school dedication to discipline. How diligently you scrubbed the toilets was the manager’s benchmark for quality in your work. A commitment to small details would translate to how well you cut hair. Even today, it’s a philosophy I live by.

There’s nothing I would ask anyone to do that I don’t do myself. I sweep floors, shampoo hair and make the tea. If you ever think you’re too important or too powerful to do the little jobs, you’ve lost it. Today, I have a policy of recruiting new talent from grass roots. But rather than assessing potential team members on technical skill I always, always look for the characteristics that will breed the qualities I think are more important – commitment, motivation, and loyalty. And once they’re on board, it’s my duty to keep those qualities shining.

Studies show that when an individual’s work is valued by others, it means their job satisfaction rises and they feel a sense of achievement. Productivity increases with more likelihood to perform well in future tasks too. And while you want people around you who can self-motivate, you also have a part to play in feeding huger and ambition in your team.

These are the ways I keep my team inspired and motivated…

Create opportunity

We’re a close-knit, hardworking collective at my salon. I never rely solely on financial incentives to increase retention. Instead, I’ve created a culture of commitment and purpose, going the extra mile for my team, promoting from within, and investing in their future.

My aim is to help others achieve their goals and also grow a stronger, more successful business in the process. I keep the team motivated with opportunities for growth and development such as awards, photoshoots, celebrity work and experiences outside of the salon. Ever since my franchising days, I’ve believed, if you create an opportunity in which nobody can lose, everybody wins.

Someone to look up to

If you can see someone in your field you aspire to be like, it makes you work harder to get there. Every salon needs a hero and I believe that creating role models within your business is another way to retain and motivate a team. Remember, that’s not always you. Having stylists compete in competitions and win awards has sparked huge ambition in almost all of our other team members. They see how hard work and determination can pay off with big rewards and it make them hungry to follow.

Keep them curious

The best way to keep someone inspired is to educate. My team are most fired up when they’ve learnt something new. They’ll bring their excitement back to the salon and it feeds the whole team, not just one individual. Equally, I make sure that as a team, we travel to industry events as much as possible, such as awards, shows and seminars so that we can get inspired, network and learn new skills. Everyone comes back buzzing with ideas.

Be an open book

The more information you reveal about your business, the more invested your team will be in it. Include them in everything that’s going on and share knowledge with them – it will serve them well in the future. Schedule regular catch ups where you all get together and discuss where you are with everything. No areas off limits. It’s important to communicate the reality. Be present and available for staff concerns. Sit in the staff room, eat with them, chat with them, keep up a regular conversation and invite feedback.

Positive praise

Recognition is usually ‘invisible’ in nature – a gesture or kind word, for instance. But this kind of acknowledgment can be priceless in value and just as effective as a cash reward in increasing engagement and motivation levels. If you treat your team well and make them feel valued, that goodwill will come back to you. It can be as simple as a small thank you or by organising a team trip that everyone looks forward to. The bottom line is, telling someone they’ve done well shouldn’t just be about a pay rise, it’s about acknowledging small things every day.

If you can keep up your side of the bargain with these small measures, the motivation and ambition it inspires in your team will elevate your salon. Everyone wins!