The art of good salon management: delegation

Ian Davies, owner of Ocean Hairdressing, Cardiff, admits he had allowed his team to lose focus and become unmotivated.

After winning a year's business coaching, he learned the most important lesson of his career - how to delegate.

Not only did it help Ian rediscover the joys of steering a business, it injected new life into his team. Here, he shares his top tips on why it is essential to share responsibility with your team.

Share responsibility for training

Training is the foundation of every business, and while I am still heavily involved in the training of my team, I don't take responsibility for every aspect of it. I am confident that I have trained my senior team members to the highest standards so they are more than capable of managing the team's training. I oversee the training, but allow the training manager to take complete ownership of their role.

Give staff responsibility

It's important to give team members responsibility for results. When it comes to gaining new clients, for example, allow them to get involved and generate ideas. Let them make decisions about ways to bring new clients into the salon. I let my team brainstorm for ways to hold in-salon events and to get involved with events in the local community. They need to run all ideas past me and the salon manager, but we let everyone get involved, from the newest assistant to the most senior team members.

Information, information, information

Reports and information are key to business success. I process the financial reports, and my salon manager deals with the performance and individual reports. I have a general overview of these and study them in-depth for one-on-ones and appraisals. Having an extra pair of eyes makes more time for everyone to concentrate on using the figures and information to improve standards and be successful.

Delegate front-of-house duties

Running front of house is a mammoth task and needs to be mastered by a highly organised and personable individual. Once you find and train this person, let them have full run in their role and area. This lets them fully understand the importance of their role and take pride in what they do 100% of the time.

Build brand awareness

By giving your team responsibility for their own areas and jobs, you help them understand your brand and its message. By giving them a better understanding of this, you are going to get more out of them as team members. It's all about job satisfaction, and this definitely helps encourage a stronger work ethic. People need a little room to grow. Constantly paint the vision of where the salon is heading and give reasons why. When it changes, keep them informed, and always be detailed in your vision.