Managing from the Top Down: Leading by Example

Being a great spa manager means balancing a fine line between being friendly and approachable while also maintaining authority and control.  By thinking through what your spa management style is going to be you will be able to become a successful spa manager while also establishing a professional and enjoyable working atmosphere.

The first thing to keep in mind is to lead by example.  You can’t expect your spa employees to act in a certain way if you are not acting in that way yourself.  As the spa manager, think of yourself as the archetype for all of your staff to model themselves after.  If you act appropriately, they will too.

Treat your spa staff with respect, dignity, and kindness.  No one likes to be treated as if they don’t matter, so make sure your spa employees feel appreciated.  This can be as simple as telling them daily what a great job they are doing or establishing a reward program.

Finally, a great spa manager should know how to listen.  Just as you would listen to the complaints your clients might have, you should establish an open-door-policy for your staff to come to you with ideas, problems, or complaints.

Being a successful spa manager means being able to handle the everyday pressures of working in a high-energy, fast-paced environment while still maintaining a calm, cool demeanor. 

Juggling important business issues, managing the staff, and keeping customers happy are all part of the spa manager’s daily activities.  It takes a special kind of person to successfully manage a busy spa and getting the right kind of training to handle every situation is essential.

Working with the public and managing a staff in the spa industry takes a fair amount of tact, diplomacy, and assertiveness to successfully handle the many requests, complaints, wants, and needs that the public and your employees will inevitably require. 

The spa manager’s main duty in any size spa is to make sure customers get what they want, leave happy, and ultimately return to the spa again.  This is within reason, of course, so a good spa manager also needs to know how to handle different personalities as tactfully, diplomatically, and assertively as possible.  This applies to both demanding clients and dissatisfied employees, so make sure you get the right training necessary to learn how to handle these situations properly and become a truly great spa manager.