Employers should care about staff wellbeing / photo: Mandarin oriental
The spa and wellness industry will be forever changed by Covid, but not necessarily in the way that any of us predicted. Little did we know that the biggest challenge to our industry would be in convincing our employees to return, and not our customers.
Some of the industry change is to be expected. We have had to elevate our health and hygiene systems and procedures to new levels, while striving to instill trust in our clients to entice them to return to our businesses. We have had to adopt new technologies to streamline interactions and reduce unnecessary contact.
But surprisingly, the most important skill for businesses in the new era is compassionate leadership. During the last two years, careers have been jeopardised, earnings slashed and working hours drastically reduced. Employees have had no choice but to consider other alternatives. Many found new ways of making a living. They’ve explored long-repressed entrepreneurial ambitions and they have reprioritised and reconsidered the kind of lifestyle they would like to have. For many, they are not willing to return to the worklife they had prior to the virus.
Show compassion The worker of today has a new expectation for what they demand from an employer. People want to work for companies which empower and enable them to also live their best lives. They expect an employer to authentically care for their wellbeing, respect their time off, their needs to support their family, and their personal ambitions.
What the industry needs now are compassionate leaders. Those who not only create a compelling vision for their own business, but also hold sacred the personal desires and aspirations of every member of their team. The compassionate leader strives to find solutions to business challenges without compromising on workplace wellbeing. The compassionate leader creates work that is fulfilling and rewarding. When customers come back to spas, the compassionate leader will have a team of passionate wellness experts that is ready to serve. Compassionate leadership is one of the most difficult skills to teach, but I think it will be the defining factor for success in the years ahead.
About the author:
Jeremy McCarthy is group director of spa at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, prior to which he was director of global spa development and operations at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and spa director at La Costa Resort and Spa and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Employers should care about staff wellbeing / photo: Mandarin oriental
The spa and wellness industry will be forever changed by Covid, but not necessarily in the way that any of us predicted. Little did we know that the biggest challenge to our industry would be in convincing our employees to return, and not our customers.
Some of the industry change is to be expected. We have had to elevate our health and hygiene systems and procedures to new levels, while striving to instill trust in our clients to entice them to return to our businesses. We have had to adopt new technologies to streamline interactions and reduce unnecessary contact.
But surprisingly, the most important skill for businesses in the new era is compassionate leadership. During the last two years, careers have been jeopardised, earnings slashed and working hours drastically reduced. Employees have had no choice but to consider other alternatives. Many found new ways of making a living. They’ve explored long-repressed entrepreneurial ambitions and they have reprioritised and reconsidered the kind of lifestyle they would like to have. For many, they are not willing to return to the worklife they had prior to the virus.
Show compassion The worker of today has a new expectation for what they demand from an employer. People want to work for companies which empower and enable them to also live their best lives. They expect an employer to authentically care for their wellbeing, respect their time off, their needs to support their family, and their personal ambitions.
What the industry needs now are compassionate leaders. Those who not only create a compelling vision for their own business, but also hold sacred the personal desires and aspirations of every member of their team. The compassionate leader strives to find solutions to business challenges without compromising on workplace wellbeing. The compassionate leader creates work that is fulfilling and rewarding. When customers come back to spas, the compassionate leader will have a team of passionate wellness experts that is ready to serve. Compassionate leadership is one of the most difficult skills to teach, but I think it will be the defining factor for success in the years ahead.
About the author:
Jeremy McCarthy is group director of spa at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, prior to which he was director of global spa development and operations at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and spa director at La Costa Resort and Spa and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
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