Your Team Can Be Your Best Winter Strategy.
You can feel it in the air. The breeze is fresher. The days are shorter. The Ugg boots have come out of hibernation. Winter is near.
In the pool industry, it is a turning point in the seasonality of our businesses. April rolls around, Easter passes by, school holidays come and go and by Anzac Day we know the swimming season has come to an end. Yes, we all have a few customers that have either invested in great heating systems or crazily join the ‘icebergers’ and still use their pool (maybe they are just trying to get the most out of their investment, showing their wife/husband that they will use it all year round!), but these customers are few and far between.
The foot traffic through the door slows, the phone stops ringing, and we reduce our opening hours. You can feel it; the chaos of summer has melted away like an icy-pole on a hot day.
And then the fear sets in.
With less foot traffic, with less service requests, how are you going to cover your overheads – pay your rent, pay your staff, how will you keep your team engaged? You feel the weight of the world resting on you. It’s up to you to fill their day – or is it?
Your team are your biggest asset, and like most assets, the more you invest in them – the more room you give them, the more you empower them, the bigger the return on your investment.
This can take vulnerability – your vulnerability. In some ways you are handing over your ‘baby’ to your team, but therein lays the value. You’re showing them that you trust them, you value them, you believe in them. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, they might fall – but you and their team mates are there to support them, to encourage them. It is in their efforts that the biggest growth occurs – growth in their confidence, growth in their ability and expertise.
When is there a better time to do this than in winter? The pressure is off, the team can take their time, explore roles or skills that they wouldn’t normally get a chance to do.
Throw it out to the team. Set aside time – even a day, to have some team time. Talk about the business, where things are at, how business has slowed down. Discuss what’s on the agenda for the coming months. Share your hopes/plans/aspirations for the business (and for them), what that looks like moving forward and how they are an important part of it. Talk about the seasonal slowness of business, and the importance of keeping them engaged (mentally/motivationally) and business coming in. Get them to brainstorm as a team, what are they seeing out in the field, or noticing from customers coming in the doors that could be ‘winter opportunities’, what are service opportunities that the business could expand offerings into, what are some events you could host to create/generate interest from your customers. You might just be surprised by the ideas they share and how it ignites their interest.
By bringing your team on the journey, involving them in the development and implementation of these business opportunities, it creates ownership – a sense of pride and desire to see it succeed, they invest themselves in it.
So if you are sitting there, either feeling the weight of making all the decisions yourself, or not knowing what you are going to do to bring in the winter income – turn to your team.
Remember the role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.
If you have found this blog of interest, you can subscribe via my website www.thepoolshopcoach.com.au ; if you are interested in knowing more about The Pool Shop Coach and the services I offer, I’d love to hear from you – you can book a call with me here