The Importance of Building Practical Policies for Your Employees
The Importance of Building Practical Policies for Your Employ Dance studios are the absolute epitome of a fast-paced work environment. And how do we ensure that our operations aren’t completely chaotic every day? By having solid policies in place that form the backbone of our business operations. Creating policies that are equitable, enforceable and easy to put into practice is crucial to ensuring the success of your company; otherwise, they can quickly become documents that just collect dust on your office shelf.
But why do having practical policies actually matter to studio owners?
They build consistent and fair operations practices. When policies are easy to understand and implement, everyone knows what to expect which will greatly reduce the opportunity for misunderstandings and potential grievances.
They empower and engage your team! When you have clear, actionable policies in place, your employees will be empowered to take the initiative and make decisions that are already in alignment with your studio’s values and goals. And when the goals and values of your team are aligned with your business - bingo! You’re immediately increasing job satisfaction and productivity within your staff.
Your business practices will be less risky. Most studio owner’s worst nightmare is the potential for legal issues stemming from sensitive situations. When you have practical policies that have been well vetted and are regularly followed by your staff, you’re going to greatly reduce the risk of disputes and legal complications!
You’ll be able to promote and support DEIB within your company more consistently and effectively! Policies that are easy to put into practice will increase and reinforce your commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging within your studio. Policies are one of the easiest ways to take a consistent approach to improving the inclusivity of your working environment.
Now we understand some of the reasons why having practical policies is important to studio owners. But how do we create them now?
Have your team be a part of the creation process! When your employees are an active part of the policy-making process it gives them more buy-in to the entire process. Their perspective can also help you to make sure that these policies are realistic and applicable to the daily operations of your business.
Keep them simple and easy to understand/put in practice. The language of these policies does not need to be complex and convoluted. It needs to be easily digestible by everyone that is required to understand and follow them. Simplicity is key here to make sure that these policies are easy to remember and easy to follow.
Make sure they are relevant! Your policies should address real, and actual needs within your business. They are here to help you address challenges that are actually faced by your studio. Irrelevant policies are going to get ignored, and if they’re sprinkled in with all of your policies, there’s going to be a greater chance that even your relevant policies get ignored as well.
Team training need to be frequent and don’t have to be boring! Regular training with your team on your DEIB policies help to reinforce the importance of these policies and the practical application of them. Make sure your training are interactive so your team can have active input and ask applicable questions. This is also a great time to role-play different scenarios that have actually taken place within your studio.
Have your reviews annually at a minimum. Your policies are living documents within your studio. If you look back at policies that we would have created 20 or 40 years ago, it will become painfully obvious to you why these need to be updated regularly to reflect changes in laws, industry standards, and the overall needs of your business.
Make sure your communication is effective. Your entire team needs to be aware of the DEIB policies of your studio and they also need to understand the importance of them. Utilizing different communication channels is a great way to keep these things top of mind (team meetings, emails, printed policies at the studio, online information portal). Keep it easy for your team to access these policies so they are readily available if they have any questions or if they need to look something up.
But now, what do you include inside of a practical DEIB policy?
Clear Definitions: Ensure that all terms are clearly defined in a way that your team can understand without issue.
Actionable Steps: This will be the main part of your policies where the specific actions that you and your team are performing in the workplace are listed with the reasoning for how this will support your organizational goals.
How to Remain Accountable: This is where you will keep the information for reporting, investigating, and for further team support for when a policy needs to be put into play within your studio.
What Support is Available: Continuous DEIB training must be provided to your team, this is where you will keep an updated list of resources for continuous learning and development opportunities for your team.
Overall, creating solid diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging policies is about more than simply compliance. The goal with these policies should be to build a thriving, fair, and inclusive workplace where employees feel empowered and valued so that they can then turn around and create an environment where your students feel empowered and valued. When policies are easy to understand and implement, they are far more likely to be followed, which will in turn foster a positive and productive environment for your workplace. Take the time to craft policies that are not only fair and enforceable, but also truly actionable. And remember - there are tons of resources available to help you create policies that fit these parameters that are quick and easy to implement into your business. Trust us, your employees, and your studio, will thank you for the time and effort spent on creating a solid foundation for DEIB in your business.
Olivia Robertson
PhD, GPHR, CPHR, SHRM-SCP
Organizational Psychologist, Owner / SOPRO Consulting
