Commitment phobia
May 14th, 2007 • Posted by Skip Williams • Permalink
I once had a girlfriend that I could not commit to. It seems she wanted a long term, stable relationship. Because I was not able to commit to this type of relationship she decided she had to date others. Soon I found myself competing for her affections, and difficult to get a date with. Eventually I found myself alone and looking for another girlfriend!
While relationships with employees are not intimate, the dynamics of the relationship are very similar. If we hire them and do not provide training, then force them to build their own clientèle, and do not offer them a stable form of compensation, then why are we surprised when they end up working for our competition?
It is not about money. My ex-girlfriend ended up marrying someone that made far less money than I did. It is about commitment. People, at least the good ones, will not build relationships with employers (or friends) without a commitment. While money is certainly a component of any employment relationship, commitment on the part of the employer is a much greater component. Sometimes however, there are “gold digger” girlfriends; the same is true in employment situations. In both circumstances, neither makes a good candidate for a relationship!
If you have employees that have an “it’s never enough money” attitude, there is a chance that they may be a bad fit for your employment situation, but a far greater chance that you as an employer have “a fear of commitment”.
Our industry is famous for this phobia. The other industries learned long ago that employees must be nurtured, they must be provided with a stable form of compensation, and that praise, discipline, and benefits are essential parts of any employment relationship. The Spa Industry continues to think of itself as the carefree boyfriend that can attract quality companionship without commitment.
When will it learn that it will be an unfulfilled industry with a long road of disappointments ahead until it decides to change its attitude and GROW UP?
Skip Williams, the author of “The Reluctant Spa Director and the Mission Dream”, is a recognized speaker and author in the spa arena, recently voted “Spa Person of the Year”, with over thirteen (13) years of experience in the Management, Financial Development & Operational fields, in the Spa and Hospitality Industry as Spa Director, Controller and Business project Consultant. He brings his previous years of analytical business experience in a broad variety of manufacturing, retail and service businesses to studying Resort Spas, Day Spas, Medical Spas, Wellness Centers, and Salons: their profitability, how they operate, and what makes them successful. Skip is also Vice President of Resources and Development.
Posted in Resources and Development, Spa Business Management, General • Share • Trackback
May 19th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
How true! I often felt stabbed in the back by people I thought were ungrateful staff members. Then I realized that I was so afraid that therapists would leave and take clients with them (which they did) that I never followed through on the things that would show how much I cared for them and how interested I was that they did well for their own sake. Talk about a hard and expensive lesson!
May 20th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Dear Mary Beth,
Thank you for your concurrence and support, I hope that you will work with me and others to really change the existing business model in our Spas today that work against commitment, team, fairness, and profit.
Keep up the good work and never lose sight of the misson…
Best Wishes & Healthy Profits
Skip Williams
May 24th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
When you operation has the clientele, sales and employment benefits that demonstrate a high level of commitment to our employees. We make the commitment by hiring them as EMPLOYEES, not independent contractors or booth renters. Check out our employment page on the website.
The real challenge is sourcing high-quality licensed employees! The schools tell prospective students that they are going to graduate and "make $60 per hour" doing massage, hair or other services. There seems to be little to no education on net vs. gross and how to generate a profit. Even one of your posts describing the franchising and development of the industry with Massage Envy and others resulted in a practitioner protesting that this was "bad" because they deserved a certain income.
I'll enthusiastically agree that employee development is a critical element in busines success, but as the career choice is made, an understanding of busines development and economics is just as critical. The turnover in the industry is as much about unrealistic attitudes about what it takes to perform these jobs and net income expectations than the employers.