8 minute read
Face up to conflict
face up conflict to
here’s a wonderful quote from the late French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre: ‘Only the guy who isn’t rowing has time to rock the boat’. Doesn’t that resonate with the busy salon manager who has a difficult employee disrupting their team? But just because you might have one bad apple, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on the whole tree. Unless, of course, the issue is starting to affect the rest of the team. If so, you need to deal with it, and pronto.
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When I meet salon and spa owners and managers in my teaching capacity, it amazes me just how many bosses are utterly terrified of conducting disciplinary procedures. They go to any lngths to avoid it, sometimes hoping the person will leave rather than facing up to the fact that the correct course of action is to alert the employee to their concerns, using proper procedures. Scared sick of getting it wrong and ending up at a tribunal, they often tell me that they let things go under the radar for fear of having to confrong them, which is no T Many salon owners avoid dealing with employee underperformance or bad attitude, but facing the challenge is essential for the success of the business and the team, writes HELLEN WARD. However, if the answer is yes, you end up firmly on the ‘attitude’ side of the chart. This is far trickier but the crux of the chart arrives at another crucial question – ‘is performance rewarding?’ If it isn’t, you must make it rewarding. However, the stickier question is – ‘is non-performance rewarding?’ If so, remove the reward and make it punishing.
This is often an argument I use for instigating a performane-related pay, bonus or incentive system. Why should anybody be motivated to perform if their package is the same as somebody who doesn’t bother to go the extra mile?
Nobody needs to put up with an employee who is underperforming or casing issues for other staff. However, any employer has a duty of care to ensure they handle things in the proper manner. But their duty also means they can’t avoid the issue, otherwise everybody will suffer. PB Hellen Ward is managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London, one of the most profitable independent salons in the UK.
hellen@professionalbeauty.co.uk good for the employer or the staff members. Hope is never a strategy and anything that might spoil the team equilibrium is never good in a service industry. Means test One of my mentors, Pamela Goff, who headed up L’Oréal’s UK education for many years, had a performance analysis flow chart that I use.
At the very top of the flow chart, there are two questions: 1. Is it important and do they know? 2. Could they do it if their life depended on it? If the answer to the first question is yes, but they don’t know, you must tell them (verbally, in writing or both). Nobody can deliver what’s expected of them if they don’t know what it is, so it’s your responsibility to ensure people have proper job descriptions and detailed information, listing their performance requirements.
The second question is where it gets interesting. If no, they couldn’t do it if their life depended on it, then it takes you down the ‘training and education’ part of the flow chart.
Talking to… Val Carstens
PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY talks to Val Carstens, group chairman and CEO of Environ Skin Care, to discover why this South Africanfounded and developed brand has endured and thrived over the 29 years of its existence.
You built Environ Skin Care, which was founded by your brother, the renowned plastic surgeon and visionary, Dr Des Fernandes, from a dream to the success that it is today. What are three key qualities or practices that you think have made Environ such a successful global brand in the industry today? A result driven, scientifically proven product range containing vitamin A, antioxidants and peptides in effective dosage to honour our commitment to a beautiful skin for a lifetime. We exist to keep skin beautiful.
What are some of the challenges overcome that have shaped the brand to what it is today? In the beginning it was quite challenging to learn and meet all the regulations needed to export Environ to many countries, as there were no cosmetic companies in South Africa doing research, development
and manufacturing, as well as exporting to countries like Japan, US, UK and Europe. The fact that we have so many actives in our products made formulating challenging, as was the registration of the product in the many countries. We did not have the capital to brand our product so relied heavily on word of mouth to consumers. Eventually, I realised that we needed to start the journey of branding the product and employed a marketing manager who gave of her best with the little cash available at the time. Today I am proud to say that we have a complete brand and marketing team delivering the message to market and ensuring we keep contemporary and exciting, but always delivering the science and results we aim to achieve with each and every product developed.
Name one personal proud moment working with the Environ Brand. To take a business from nothing to where it is today has always been a very proud achievement for me, personally. It has also been a very rewarding journey with a team who have remained committed to the company. The year 1998 will always be a phenomenal year in my life as we were nominated the SME >
Exporter of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce and awarded the Marie Claire Prix D’Excellence for our just launched C-Quence Range.
Which are your three favourite Environ products and why? A difficult question to answer as I have more than three for specific reasons. Derma-Lac Lotion and Vitamin A C and E Oil because they just make skin so soft and beautiful. I apply these to my whole body. The Hydrating Oil Capsules are an absolute must as they provide instant gratification to the skin. My skin absolutely loves the C-Quence Range; this is the Rolls Royce of our products. I use Alpha Day Lotion, a sunscreen product which, when applied under make-up, gives the skin a glow that is indescribably beautiful. Then there is the Revival Masque for when I want that little lift and to look my best.
What are some notable Environ ‘firsts’? Environ was one of the first to come out with a product containing vitamin A and antioxidants in a cosmetic. Our sunscreen, RAD, was also the first
product to contain beta-carotene, antioxidants and sunscreens all in one. RAD remains a very popular sunscreen throughout the world today.
In 2019 Environ once again scooped top place at the Aesthetics Everything Awards. Please comment. Aesthetic Everything is the largest network of aesthetic and beauty professionals in the world and the awards are based on votes from over 200,000 aesthetic industry subscribers – recognising hardworking professionals and companies within the aesthetic industry.
What has led to Environ’s exceptional loyalty and track record with skin care professionals over the last 30 years? I believe therapists love Environ because our products deliver results, making a lasting difference to people’s lives. This is key to the Environ philosophy. Our unique DF machine delivering iontophoresis and sonophoresis through a probe, combined with our powerful product formulations result in beautiful, healthy-looking skin. Environ offers a complete skin care range and the vitamin step-up-system that is unique to our brand, allowing the therapist to further improve the health of the skin.
Environ has some exciting new developments in the professional skin care space – tell us about these. The unique DF and Cool Peel treatments have not changed, we did however recognise that our therapists needed an expanded Environ Facial protocol to effectively treat all skin concerns. Our team has also developed new, shorter and more intense ‘FOCUS-ON’ treatment solutions to answer the time-pressured needs of today’s busy consumers. This is supported by new education to build our therapists knowledge, ultimately making them more confident. Key to starting your skincare journey with Environ is the skin analysis that is offered by our professional therapists, identifying your unique skin needs and then recommending the ideal homecare, combined with professional facials to optimise results.
Environ has been around for 29 years – what keeps the brand relevant and sought after amongst consumers and therapists? Our philosophy, products and technology are built on science and proven results. But continuous innovation, research and development drives us forward as a thought leader in professional skin care. Being acknowledged both internationally and locally by winning both local and international awards are a testament to the brand’s innovation. Led by a brother and sister duo, combined with a formidable team, Environ truly understands skin, and what it takes to create healthy skin. PB
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