Power of Numbers in a School

Power of Numbers in a School


As we come back to our office from our 2014 member’s conference, we are reminded of how truly amazing it is to be part of something bigger. NaB member schools are some of the smartest minds in the business, epitomizing passionate and dedication to excellence. We love our member schools and their family of educators and were sad to board the plane home, but re-energized to support them as they sculpt our industry’s future. It also pointed something interesting out to us – the power of a group.

The member’s conference has become less about NaB and more about ‘us.’ The collective community of top schools and our underpinning philosophy on producing the best students ready to start a successful career. When we started these conferences, we found ourselves at the front of the classrooms doing 99% of the presentations and training. In 2014, our school ambassadors that know our program through and through are now leading group discussions on the way forward. That, to us, is success.

It made us think: Do you utilize groups and committees in your school? If not, you should! Group work and committee projects are a common theme across all industries and have been for centuries because they work. Implementing this methodology in your school is a great way to tackle challenges and implement change and can alleviate bottle necks at the top and bring about interesting solutions. Here are some pointers on using the power of groups in implementing change at your beauty school.

Pinpoint the Issues

We’ve all got issues in the business; some are epidemics and some of them are just grating annoyances. Either way, they are opportunities for change. Get a list of things that need to be updated, solved, changed, etc. and rank them by priority.

Empower the Stakeholders

No need to recruit a special expert, just assemble a committee of capable educators, administrators and/or students to get together on the issue. You may want to be involved on some (or all) of the committee meetings as your ‘group therapy’ sessions unfold, but remember that you are a spectator, not a driver.

Get Buy-in

The power of this approach is letting the group come to their own conclusion and recommendation, so put aside your control-freak tendencies that made you the power entrepreneur you are and focus on redirecting only when necessary. The committee should present their findings and recommendations to you, but you want them to be the champions of their own solution, to fight to make sure it works.

Recruit Change Ambassadors

The group members are your biggest ambassadors for the new program because, well, they came up with it! No more nagging and micromanaging because you have ambassadors of change ready to go out, spread the word and ‘police’ the policies. They came up with it, so they have a vested interest in making their solution work.

How have you used committees in your school to bring about change?

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