I mean this thing is probably not missing from your studio but it might need some work.
I’m talking about your [Studio]HQ – probably the single most important thing you can implement for your business this year. (More on this later!)
This is one of the key lessons I teach in Studio Evolution’s Evolving Leaders Pillar. I wrote about kicking off Evolving Leaders last week – you can read about it here! But in a nutshell Evolving Leaders lines up with our season of Awakening of Potential.
It’s the season (and pillar!) to listen to that little spark inside you that says ‘Let’s do this!’. You are standing in front of the version of yourself that you’ve always wanted to be. It’s time to stoke that crackling little fire and evolve into a Leader – with a capital ‘L’.
This is such an important pillar of Studio Evolution. I swear every time I lead this pillar I watch my studio owners grow – physically! – before my eyes. They stand taller, they shine with clarity and they look like superheroes. It’s magic.
We have started with [Studio]HQ – insert [Your Studio Name] before HQ and bingo! That’s you! This is a robust communication hub for your studio business. We take the endless text messages, Post-It notes, group chats, group calls, Facebook groups, Whatsapp chats and we roll them into one central (amazing!) hub.
The reason why I want you to do this is to reinforce your team alignment and make sure all your communication is consistent. It sounds like an obvious suggestion but very few studio businesses actually practice this.
Have a think about it – how many communication channels do you have in your studio business? One chat with your head teacher, another chat with the whole team, a portal for students, the studio email account, your personal email account. It’s pretty chaotic, right?
Here’s why you need to get your [Studio]HQ forming the core of your Studio Business.
Walt Disney says so!
Did you know that a few years ago I went to the Disney Institute? Aside from making the greatest films of all time they also have a center for leadership excellence. I went along and I got my fancy little hat to prove I was there and I learnt SO MUCH about culture and training.
Evolving Leaders is somewhat of a tribute to this eye-opening trip.
It helped me boil down the importance of leadership into two main factors. Consistency and a Positive Team Environment.
Without those two things, your business will crumble.
Your team and your customers need to see you as a rock solid leader who remains calm and measured.
That’s the special sauce for Evolving Leaders.
Communication, Recognition and Implementation
This is my three tier system for solidifying your journey as an Evolving Leader. I bloody love a tiered system! Communication so everyone is on the same page, Recognition so your team knows they’re appreciated and Implementation so it actually GETS DONE.
These three cornerstones of leadership will form a perfect foundation for the remainder of your studio growth. In fact I recommend you write them down on colourful Post-It notes and stick them to your wall in your office and come back to them when you need to feel grounded. Communication, Recognition and Implementation.
Building Your [Studio]HQ
One of my pet hates is when experts tell you to do something and then they disappear. I’m not about that at all in Studio Evolution. In Evolving Leaders I lead you through the practical steps for creating a solid communication hub as well as ideas for engaging team members and fostering a culture of contribution and feedback.
When you care about your team and you SHOW them you care, they will be fiercely loyal to your studio business and they will be your biggest assets.
At this point, I am the dance/cheer/music Mum on the sidelines of Evolving Leaders yelling at all of our members: ‘GOOOOOOOO TEAM!’
Grab your pom poms. It’s cheer time!
