Thinning Hair - Stylist and Salon Newspapers

Salon Services & Supplies Expands
with Two New Showrooms
Salon Services & Supplies, based in Seattle, Washington, recently expanded with two
new showroom locations for licensed hair and skin professionals in Eugene and Kennewick.
Salon Services & Supplies has been serving licensed salon and spa professionals since
1980, with numerous showrooms located throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Utah. Showrooms offer stylists a boutique professional environment with top-notch service
for quick and easy product and supply shopping trips.
The Eugene and Kennewick locations both feature 1,100 square feet of shopping and
educational event space, easy freeway access, ample parking and a spacious classroom area.
“We are excited to be expanding our showrooms by adding these new locations in
Eugene and Central Washington,” says Sydney Berry, owner of Salon Services & Supplies.
“Our clients have told us they want a physical location – which we are excited to deliver
with these beautiful new locations!”
Salon Services & Supplies was founded by hair designers in 1980, with the goal of
creating more than just a distribution center – but to be a resource for professionals, work
to facilitate opportunities for education and to strengthen industry standards by encouraging
personal mastery. Find out more at www.salonservicesnw.com
Instructor
Master
Designer
Classes
designed for licensed
professionals like you who
want to take their skills
to a new level!
Approved for continuing ed by the
Oregon Department of Education.
Call now for start dates:
503-226-1427
www.beaumondecollege.com
admissions@beaumondecollege.com
10 | OCTOBER 2010 | NORTHWEST STYLIST & SALON
beau monde
College of Hair Design
1221 SW 12th Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97205
503-226-1427
FAX-503-241-2823
Financial Aid for those who quality. Institutional
scholarships and Ace grants available to those who qualify.
Master
Designer
Classes
Instructor Training Program
Women’s Cutting Level 1, 2, and 3
Men’s Cutting/Clipper
Multi Cultural Hair
Cutting and Finishing
Perming/ Texturizing
Hair Coloring Level 1, 2, and 3
Long Hair Design Level 1 and 2
Hair Additions Level 1 and 2
Looking for
Teachers to Join
Our Team! Call
(503) 226-1427 for
more information.
Square Peg, Round Hole Trap
Better Business
Neil Ducoff
The conversation often sounds like this:
“He knows what to do, so why can’t he just
do it?” You’ve said it. I’ve said it.
Leaders are notorious for falling into the
quagmire of misreading what an individual
is capable of executing and achieving. As a
result, you place otherwise competent people
into positions and situations where they
struggle and flounder.
In time, your frustration and dissatisfaction
morphs a once confident and contributing
employee into a demoralized and
indifferent anchor whose weight is becoming
increasingly difficult to drag along.
The question is when will you recognize
that you cannot get the square peg to fit in the
round hole? Will you do something about it?
One of the most fulfilling aspects of being
a leader is to coach and guide individuals
to reach their full potential. We love to find
diamonds in the rough and shape and polish
them into sparkling gems. We should never
allow ourselves to lose our belief in the capabilities
of others to achieve great things. Next
to our ability to dream, innovate and envision
extraordinary companies, it is our belief in
the human spirit that separates no-compromise
leaders from mere taskmasters.
Our strong belief in the capabilities of
others is a great asset. However, you can run
into trouble when you allow your needs, priorities
and objectives to drive your decisions
without considering an individual’s actual
aspirations and strengths. For example, you
need a manager and you have a talented and
high-performing employee.
You proceed to “sell” this individual on
the job, the possibilities, the income potential
and the fact that it is the next rung on the
success ladder. What you are betting on is
that the high performance and achievements
that their natural strengths produced in one
area will translate into high performance and
achievements in a leadership role. Ladies and
gentlemen - place your bets.
Recently, I had two conversations with
leaders who were so stuck in the square peg,
round hole trap that they were allowing
their companies to implode around them.
One leader called me to discuss a long-term
manager in whom she had invested tens
of thousands of dollars in leadership and
systems training. Periodic discussions to
clarify expectations, concerns and next steps
would show limited, short-term results. As
frustration and indifference became more apparent,
the manager’s attitude and demeanor
deteriorated. Other employees and leaders
walked on eggshells, wondering what kind of
mood would appear on any given day.
After listening to story after story, I said,
“I want to talk to that smart little voice in
your head. Do you truly believe this manager
will ever be able to do the job?” The answer
her smart little voice gave was, “No.” We discussed
how she was stuck in the square peg,
round hole trap, and how, in the best interest
of the manager, her team and her ability to
lead, she needed to put an end to the situation
so all parties could move on. She agreed.
The other conversation was with a
business owner who expanded his company
and, in the process, created an opportunity
for a top performer to invest in the company
and buy stock. The plan was to have his new
partner lead one location while he focused his
attention on the new location.
Well, the new location ramped up significantly
slower than anticipated. Meanwhile,
the partner found the accountabilities of
being in full charge considerably beyond
her natural strengths. The partner struggled,
employees were frustrated and departed for
greener pastures, and revenues plummeted.
The owner had his hands full with the new
location. It was a scary and frustrating time
for all.
After meeting with both the owner and
the partner and discussing the frustrations,
challenges and leadership blockages, we talked
about building a realistic game plan. When
checking on them recently, it was clear that
nothing had changed. The partner was the
square peg and the leadership position she
was in was the round hole. Once again, the
question was, “If you listen to the little voice
in your head, what is it telling you to do?” His
little voice was suggesting it was time to save
his partner by reassigning her to work where
her natural abilities could thrive.
It is so easy for leaders to be stuck in these
situations and to allow them to drone on for
far too long. Even with the best intentions and
pre-screening, leaders can still discover that
an employee is in over his or her head. It is up
to the leader to recognize the signs early and
coach the employee to grow into the position.
It is the leader who must recognize and
correct the situation before the damage and
costs begin to pile up. Most importantly, the
leader must save an otherwise valuable and
appreciated employee from experiencing
failure in a position of responsibility he or she
was not prepared for and lacked the natural
abilities necessary to succeed.
Yes, leadership is a very complex game.
Do you have any square pegs that you are
trying to fit into round holes?
Neil Ducoff is the founder and CEO of Strategies, a business training and
coaching salon specializing in the salon and spa industry. He is the author
of Fast Forward and No-Compromise Leadership. For a signed copy, go to
www.strategies.com. You can email Neil at neil@strategies.com.