As salons and clinics enter their busiest season, it’s the ideal opportunity to highlight the importance of employee empowerment. Liz McKeon, a salon business expert and founder of the International Business School, shares insights on why this concept is crucial and how to empower your team for immediate and long-term success.

Empowerment refers to the degree of autonomy and self-determination afforded to individuals within communities and businesses. It allows people to represent their interests responsibly and act with authority, fostering a sense of strength and confidence.

Examples of staff empowerment include giving team members the autonomy and responsibility to manage their own work, objectives, and deadlines. Instead of micromanaging them, you provide the tools and support necessary for success and trust them to manage their own responsibilities.

To implement a strategy of employee empowerment, you first need to establish trust in your employees. As a team leader, you can promote a culture of empowerment by fostering this sense of trust. Give your staff a voice by requesting and acting on consistent feedback. Provide them with opportunities to grow and develop by regularly offering options for career progression and increasing their responsibilities.

Recognise employee achievements to improve confidence levels and engage with your team to establish clear expectations and guidelines. Share your objectives and vision so that your team understands how their role contributes to overall salon success.

The benefits of staff empowerment include increased trust in leadership, improved motivation levels, increased creativity, and higher levels of employee retention. All this increased performance and productivity will also positively impact the bottom line of your business.

How to Empower Your Team

1. Recognise great work and celebrate employees’ achievements. This helps them feel more empowered and motivates them to continually improve their performance. Support, encourage, and praise your employees, showing that you are invested in them.
2. Show your staff that what they say matters and that their feedback is important. Encourage your employees to provide regular, honest feedback. Continuous performance monitoring establishes open channels of communication and transparent dialogue.
3. Support your staff and provide learning and development opportunities. Help your employees develop professionally and encourage them to continuously improve their skills and knowledge. Reward exceptional workers and design a clear path for development so that they strive to reach their next goals. Make sure your team knows that you are there to support them because you care about their contributions to the overall success of the business.

To learn more about Liz McKeon, visit her website here.