It seems to me that Spa management teams (owners, directors, managers) are often concerned with what competitors and others in the industry are doing. Believing that the health of your Spa business is related to or dependent on the health of other Spas will most likely lead to poor decisions and misplaced focus.

It is worth exploring the definition of competition before we decide to embrace the concept as reality. Here is a collection of definitions:

By closely examining these various definitions we can decide which is the ultimately be more useful.

1. Are Spas in a "rivalry for profit, customers or markets" with other Spas?

Is there a limitation of money available?

2. Are Spas in a contest that creates winners and losers?

3. Are Spas in a test of skill and ability?

A wise man named Jules Paoli was asked who his competitors were. His reply? "Yesterday". Each day we need to get better at doing what we have the skill to do and to improve our ability to be both effective and efficient.

Now the real challenge in using "yesterday" as the basis of comparison is knowing precisely what happened yesterday.

In real competitions, they keep score. The difference in practicing and playing is how the scoring is done. What was the Guest satisfaction score of your Spa yesterday? What will the Spa team do better today to improve that score? Teams that blame each other or compete with each other are not teams. They are simply a collection of individuals.

Replace the traditional view of competition with effective performance goals which are the true measures of a Spa's health and success. They are the competition for your Spa staff to compete against. Begin by collecting data from every Guest every day on important measures of current performance such as Guest satisfaction and Guest loyalty. Once you know what the current performance is, set a numerical improvement goal to achieve. Post the scoreboard so that everyone will know if your team is getting better and reaching the goals. Establish Spa goals that encompass all activities so that you will be an effective team. Individual and department goals are anti-team and create internal will/lose games. Without relevant Spa measures such as Guest satisfaction and Guest loyalty, you really aren't "in the game." With effective goals and rigorous measures, you, your Guests and other Spas will know who is "winning" - All of us!

~ Linda

Making Spa Peace and Harmony a Reality Part 1:
Dealing With Staff Conflict

Making Spa Peace and Harmony a Reality Part 2:
Using Effective Goals

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The International Standards of SpaExcellence(SM)2007
A Quality Management and Certification Framework for Spas
written by Linda Bankoski and Julie Register of SpaQuality LLC

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