When I told my assistant that I had applied for a transfer to one of the Executive Spa Director positions within the company he was shocked, upset and then he was sure I was joking. It took me three days to convince him that I was serious. He finally got it when I said that to me being able to go to the Spa Division would probably mean the same as if he was given the position of Golf Pro. It clicked because he is as passionate about Golf and our Golf programs as I am about the Spa division. I am keeping my fingers crossed and lighting up a couple of candles for this opportunity to become a reality.
My dream is finally becoming a reality…
Today I received an offer letter for a promotion to Executive Spa Director. I was super excited and could not wait for the celebration dinner they had invited me to. The VP of the Spa Division and the Corporate Spa Director invited me to have dinner with them in honor of my promotion and relocation to California. The dinner was fabulous, they were very nice. We talked about what they expected of me, what they wanted me to concentrate on first and we discussed dates and things like that. So everything was perfect, until dessert came. That’s when Tom, the VP, said to me, “You do know that your past contributions will be forgotten very soon?” What the heck was he talking about? He proceeded to explain that, because I’m being promoted, it does not matter how well I performed my previous job with the company or how great they think I am. They will soon forget that they promoted me knowing that I really don’t have experience in the day-to-day operations of a spa. They will forget that they promised to train me. And they will completely forget that I’ve never done a budget, payroll or P&L for a service department. He said, “I am retiring in a year and I figured you need to know that this is how this company operates. You will be expected to deliver as if you were an expert and if you don’t, you’re screwed.” Can you believe it?!
I came home from dinner thinking that maybe I should not do it. Maybe I should just stay put in my current position, which I know I’m great at and have been doing a super job at for over three years with this company. Who am I fooling? What if I cannot figure out this whole Spa Director thing? What if I’m not good at it? What if I get fired? I called Joe and his response was, “Honey, you will do great. I will help you figure it out, we have resources. That guy is an idiot for telling you that; don’t be afraid.” He made me feel a little better, but the truth is, I’m really scared I won’t be able to do this well! I start in two weeks, OUCH!!!
Important Note: "Between the Sheets-A Spa Director's Diary" is Copyright 2005-2007 by Zahira J Coll. All rights reserved. No part of these stories shall be reproduced in any form or by any means, without written permission by the author. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. The stories are autobiographical; however names, characters, places and incidents have been changed to protect identities.
Wow! I am a new Spa Manager and I am very curious to find out what happened next? Will you be writing more soon. Great blog idea!
Posted by: Judy | March 22, 2007 at 08:17 PM