Joe Mills is an acclaimed barber, published session stylist and former winner of Modern Barber’s Best Business Leader – making him well-placed to share advice on running a successful barbershop business.
The question: "I'm finding it hard to discipline and get respect from staff. How can I be a 'good' boss within my barbershop?"
Joe says: "Being a good boss is a balancing act and needs careful consideration. Our industry is very different from many others and has to be looked at in its own right. We tend to work alongside our team and we are not detached from them, unlike many other industries. We are also social animals, and we can end up being more emotionally involved and boundaries can become blurred.
“The first thing is to look at how you run the business; do you have clear boundaries? Do you have a clear structure for the team to operate within it and then do you stick to this? Sometimes these issues arise because we are not acting enough like a business leader, but rather as a friend. This makes discipline a challenge, whereas if you have clear rules and practices in place, it’s far easier to enforce and work with the team and get the results you want and need.
“Think about who you employ and why. Look back at previous employees and what worked and did not. Look for patterns; maybe the issue is the type of person you employ. Think about your recruitment process and why you may gravitate to certain personality types, what that brings to the team and what you are getting out of it. If you employ strong personalities for example, be prepared to get some push back from time to time and then think about how you can handle this and what it will do to the team from both a positive and negative perspective.
“The other thing to do is to think about what you really want from the team. What structure do you want with blue sky thinking? How would you like it all to work? Then review what you are doing and how to get there. You may have to make some tough decisions and review who you have in the company and whether they are performing how you want them to.
“Communication is key with all of this; if they don’t know your vision and your goals, you can’t blame your team for feeling lost. Write down what you want, then present this to the team and explain why this is important to you and to the business. Explain to them the role they play and the significance of their work.
“It’s important to consider not just what their responsibilities are towards you and the business, but what your responsibilities are towards them. They need strong leadership, which means being consistent in what you want and what you are doing. It may take time if you are completely overhauling what you do, but you will quickly see who is on board. In the past I have fallen into the traps of employing the wrong type of person, promoting the wrong people into roles for the wrong reason and trying to be everyone’s mate. This doesn’t work long term, and this can damage what you are doing and what you have created.
“Being the boss is a lonely place sometimes; a lot of the stress of the business sits with you and only you. The team need to see you with a focus and a goal to give them the confidence in you as well as the respect. Respect is not given, it is earned. Show them you have a plan, are going to follow it and that you believe in them and the journey you are all on. If you are fair, consistent and open you will see a massive shift in your relationships within your business. Listen to their concerns and be prepared for a certain level of conflict as this is all part of being a leader.
“If you work with the team and involve them then you get far greater results, but please remember that it’s your head on the block with the business. Compromise is good and it is a case of give and take when we work within a team, but you carry the responsibility for the business and its success; don’t forget this and you will find that things fall into place quickly.”
It’s important to consider not just what their responsibilities are towards you and the business, but what your responsibilities are towards them. They need strong leadership, which means being consistent in what you want and what you are doing.
Joe Mills
