The management team at Annastasia Salon in Portland, Oregon.
The management team at Annastasia Salon in Portland, Oregon.

With the desire of making last year one of empowerment for the entire team, Luke Huffstutter, Toni Carlson and Caitlin Layton, owners of Annastasia Salon in Portland, Oregon, created new leadership roles for top performing service providers. (See the salon's profile in the Salon Today 200.) 

“Not only did we believe that this would positively impact the loyalty of top team members, we also believe that peer-to-peer coaching gives each team member quality guidance, resulting in even better performance,” Huffstutter says.

For this management strategy, Annastasia Salon instituted three new ideas:

Tribes: Tribes include smaller groups of service providers that include a Tribe leader who is in charge of monthly one-on-ones, mentorship and support. There are four tribe leaders and each shift has a tribe leader present to be the touch point for concerns or to handle any other in-house situation. 

Management Structure: In addition, the salon hired a full-time manager and an assistant front desk manager who help handle any concerns. Issues are now solved in a timely manner and good teamwork and accomplishments are acknowledged and rewarded.

Training: The owners understand that leadership is more than just a fancy title, and they put their new leaders through a leadership development course that includes conflict management, one-on-one coaching, associate coaching, and technical training.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.