This January saw the launch of the first mentorship programme for the worldwide spa industry spearheaded by a team of international spa figures. Seventeen seasoned spa directors were paired with experienced managers who were looking to advance in their career. With participants from Abu Dhabi and Australia to Costa Rica and Cyprus, it really was a global affair.
Over the three months, each couple caught up every two weeks via video conference or phone to hash out career challenges identified by the mentee. The most popular topics included finance, strategic business planning, leadership and marketing. The framework for the discussions is based on ISPA’s list of core competencies for the development of spa management professionals.
The overall consensus from those involved is that it’s been an invaluable experience and one that benefits both mentor and mentee and – indeed – the industry as a whole.
First of its kind
“Motivation is like a door that can only be opened from the inside, so to encourage staff to give their best to consistently wow clients, we have to lead not merely manage them,” says Jean-Guy de Gabriac, CEO of training and consultancy firm Tip Touch. De Gabriac who’s heading up the Global Mentorship Pilot Program alongside Deborah Smith, principal of Smith Club & Spa Specialists, adds: “Our ambitions are to help transform spa managers into spa leaders.”
The programme, which is the only formal mentorship initiative serving the global spa industry, follows the 2013 Spa Career Path Survey conducted by the Spa Management Education Committee of the Global Wellness Summit. The survey, which we reported on in Spa Business (see SB14/1 p26) found that an overwhelming 94 per cent of spa managers feel a good mentor is important to a successful career. It also revealed that mentoring was the top contributing factor to becoming a strong leader and understanding HR issues.
“The concepts of spa, wellness and complementary healing principles date back to ancient times, with many practices handed down from one generation to the next,” says de Gabriac. “Consider this a modern version of that practice, with mentors giving freely of their time and talent to spa professionals who are in the early stages of their career.”
He went on to say that the exponential growth of the global spa industry has meant that it’s often necessary to supplement what’s being taught in the classroom with real-life expertise. “This is one way to reduce the learning curve for these junior spa managers who show great potential yet need and want sage guidance to master the profession.”
So far, the response from the industry has been positive – the second session in the programme, which began in April and runs through to June, is already full. In July, the pilot programme will then be analysed and a committee will make recommendations for the number and length of the sessions in 2016. It’s hoped that there will continue to be at least two sessions a year and that the number of participants will grow to up to 75 manager and mentor pairings.
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