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White Paper

Managing Emotions in your Spa or Salon


It is no surprise that the modern salon or spa is such an emotionally complex environment when on any given day you experience information overload, constant change, and scarce resources. It is also no wonder that we often forget, in the middle of yet another hectic day that the way we respond to emotions at work may be adding to that complexity. Emotional intelligence in the workplace-particularly in our managers-is precisely what we all need. It also happens to be the foundation of all sound workplace conflict resolution strategies.

It’s no exaggeration to say that at the management level, emotional intelligence skills are more valuable than technical skills. The statistics can be staggering at how much time a typical manager spends dealing with conflicts between employees, and service providers.

That is why the most valuable managers in any organization are those who are adept and efficient at handling emotional situations are essential. The fact is that emotional intelligence is crucial to anyone wanting to develop, lead and motivate others.

You can’t manage others effectively until you learn how to understand and respond to their emotions – and you can’t manage their emotions until you learn how to manage your own.

5 Steps to Managing Emotions at Work
    1. Start by learning to accept and value emotions at work. We can’t prevent emotions, so we need to accept them. When channeled correctly, emotions can be a great source of strength. Emotions are ok.

    2. Pay attention to your body. Your body usually knows what emotion you are feeling before your mind does. Take a moment to think about your physical sensations (that pounding heart, for example). This is your chance to diffuse negative feelings before they get the better of you.

    3. Pay attention to your instincts. You know that gut feeling that tells you when something just isn’t right? This raw information may be the most valuable and underused resource we have as humans. It is instinct telling you to get out of an uncomfortable situation? Are you sensing that a colleague is stressed about something? Instincts are the messages our bodies send to keep us out of danger, give us insight into complex interpersonal relationships, and help us generate spontaneous solutions to tricky situations. Listen to them.

    4. Pay attention to your perceptions. What you feel reveals how you perceive an event or action, and much of the time our perceptions have little to do with the other person involved. Make it a habit to question your perceptions and assumptions. Ask yourself where they come from and whether there’s evidence that they are correct.

    5. Regulate you emotions at work. You can’t and shouldn’t stop experiencing emotions, but you can learn to use them more effectively. First, recognize that you will only fuel a negative situation by adding negative emotion to it. Then take several deep breaths (which calms the nervous system) and ask yourself, what can I do to diffuse this situation for myself or others? This may be as simple as acknowledging another’s viewpoint and calmly offering help. By focusing on a rational solution, you can not only regulate negative emotions but also redirect them into positive action.
There are the first steps to understanding and managing your own emotions, skills that will put you on the path to stronger overall emotional intelligence. Once you internalize these basic skills, you’ll be ready to use your emotional intelligence to make your work environment healthier, happier and more productive for everyone.

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