At Academy of Hair Design, we know it’s important to identify your core values and hold them closely to every day interactions. In this series, we will be looking closely at the day to day applications of Fun, Love, Excellence and Transformation. For this penultimate examination, we’ll be looking into love and the life-changing power of building genuine relationships.
Ah, February. It’s the month of love and lavish. With our thoughts turned towards the l-word it’s a perfect time to talk about this strengthening value and the way it should play into every minute of our lives! Increasingly, and as it should, our focus has spread to be on more than just that significant other even during this holiday that we often identify with amore.
Overview
Sometimes you hear a quote and it engraves itself right into your heart. Ironically, that seems to be exactly how many people felt when Carl W. Buechner said,
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Every day humans are interacting with one another. All ages and pages of life are filled with laughs and eyebrow raises and frowns all in response to the social happenings around us. And, wow, if relationship building isn’t one of the most fascinating and challenging obstacles to face. Often, when we hear think of love our thoughts go to those hours before 8 and after 5, to the people we live with or grab brunch with on Sundays. But even at work, love plays into our every move.
Love is the mortar that holds the foundations of our careers soundly in place.
Relationships with Authority
“Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.”
Ben Stein
Authority is a word that sparks a strong reaction in many minds. We know that building and maintaining a good relationship with our managers and bosses is invaluable, but we may find ourselves dreading that task. Part of this could just be the stigma that has been perpetrated to make us feel like our boss wants us to produce without any care towards our needs. Thankfully, this isn’t the case in most workplaces. The truth is workplaces are more efficient when employees are happy. Still, it can be easy to make our expectations a reality in any case. Consider that your superiors at work are human too, they want relationships that build them up and don’t add to the stress already in place in a workplace. Earlier in the series, we considered the effect of honesty. Remember that now. Be honest with your expectations, your boss and yourself.
Now, if you find that your relationship isn’t quite what you hope it could be or like you started off on the wrong foot with your higher up, don’t fret! There are many ways to make improvements that will refresh that standstill. First, start by thinking about your communication. Direct, clear communication is an excellent gateway to improvement. Consider asking to have a short, 15-Minute Meeting. Use this time to discuss daunting deadlines, goals on both sides and don’t forget to inquire about how they are. If they are open to this arrangement, you are well on your way to building a happier, healthier connection.
Relationships with Co-workers
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
Andrew Carnegie
We spend around thirteen years of our lives at work on average. That’s about thirty percent of our time on this earth. So, while we’re by the water cooler we should seriously consider the communication that we are fostering and the relationships we are developing from there. When Gallup did a nation-wide survey on career satisfaction, whether or not you have a “work best friend” is one of the twelve questions they presented each employee with. Maybe you feel like “best friend” is too strong a term but even so, having a connection with the people you are striving to achieve success with is necessary. Though we don’t get to choose who we work with, we do have a handle on how we treat them. Simply be good to people and you’ll find that it comes pouring back to you.
If you’re hoping to improve that interpersonal day to day with the people around you, but you aren’t sure where to start, give questions a try. Questions? Yes, ask and you shall receive. Show genuine interest in your peers and try to remember the facts that have been shared with you. The names of their children, their favorite football team. These little tidbits possess the power to elevate a relationship by displaying interest in the little things. Think about your friends at work now. See if you can recall what sparked that initial friendship. Doubtless, it was a conversation in which you discovered a shared goal or mindset. Humans are pretty fond of themselves, so if they feel like they can relate to you they are likely to stay with you in the daily trenches.
Relationships with Clients
“I believe that you can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
Zig Ziglar
When your job allows you the privilege of working directly with clients an extra level of relationship responsibility slides into your department. Clients are, easily, the lifeblood of the beauty and barbering industry. As salon and shop professionals, cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, and manicurists make it their work to help people love the way they look. What an awesome job description! But, it is not without its challenges. Product sales account for a healthy portion of income and having a solid conversation can be the difference between a re-book and a regret! You can have all the technical skills for beautiful braids or a fantastic fade and still struggle with bringing in business. Part of that is because, for better or for worse, people have pretty complicated relationships with the professionals providing them with the services they want.
So, how do you navigate this complicated minefield? Keep in mind that you are the expert on your field between the two of you. It’s vital to listen to the wants of the customer while still making sure your work is high quality. Holding effective consultations while you begin a process will never lead you astray. Listen to your heart when it comes to client conversations. Just caring about people only aids any given situation. Make a genuine effort to never be fake and you’ll make it. Finally, when it comes to product sales – do not hesitate. Many times guests do not know how to preserve the effect of the service they’ve just received. A facial is restorative, but without a consistent at home routine (like this Bioelements skincare I tried out) it is impossible to keep your face glowing the in that fresh-out-of-the-spa way! Be informed of your products and confident in your knowledge. That passion will bleed out into your clients as they become their best-feeling selves.
Conclusion
“Our rewards in life will always be in exact proportion to the amount of consideration we show toward others.”
Earl Nightingale
What we talk about when we talk about love is connection. Building positive relationships with authority, peers, and clients will make every day go more smoothly. When we can communicate our goals and be open about our reality with those around us, we are at our strongest. Most of all, when we pour out love into the world around us it comes flowing back to us in various forms. Good feelings, success, and smiles will fill into the corners of your life like sunshine that can be FELT. So this year, take love right out of February and put it into every month of the year.