Whether you want a romantic getaway for two or just to be pampered alone, there is a travel and leisure spa to match your desires. You can also find a travel and leisure spa with lodgings that suit your tastes, from quaint bed and breakfasts to rustic inns or high rise hotels.Many spas are dedicated to a specific clientele. For example, there are weight loss spas for those who want to maintain or begin a diet. Many such travel and leisure spas offer fine cuisine, revamped to make it healthy and calorie conscious as well as tasty. Guests eat like royalty while there, and leave with a customized diet plan and recipes so they can continue the regimen at home.Expectant mothers can find a spa devoted to their special needs. Relaxing massages and first class pampering are waiting at the many maternity spas that have come into being over the past few years.Couples looking for a romantic getaway can find a spa that will be a treat for both of them. Dual massage rooms allow them to take a treatment to relieve stress and tension together.What services are offered will vary, but in general, a spa will offer massages, facials, aromatherapy, and relaxation techniques. Some travel and leisure spas also feature mud baths, yoga classes, and a full line of salon services, such as waxing, pedicures, and manicures.You can find a spa in virtually any type of surroundings you choose. If you long to awaken to the sound of the surf, there are spas located on a beach. Perhaps mountain air is more to your taste; if so, select one nestled on the slopes or a secluded valley. You can also find a travel and leisure spa in the middle of a large city with night life near at hand, or next door to a casino. In short, your spa vacation can be in virtually any state, country, or town, and you can easily combine it with other attractions.To find a spa, you can go online and search, or check out your favorite travel magazine. Many of these do annual reviews on the most popular travel and leisure spas and can provide you with a great deal of information to begin your search. You may also be able to find discount coupons or special offers that can save you money on your travel and leisure spa vacation.The first thing you need to do when planning a travel and leisure spa vacation is to decide on the type of spa you wish to visit, such as a weight loss spa or romantic retreat. Next, choose the setting, from urban to remote. Now you are able to focus on all spas that meet those two requirements. Investigate costs and amenities, and then see if you can find discount coupons or if their rates are higher during certain times of the year. If so, perhaps you can book your travel and leisure spa getaway for off-peak times and save money.
Experience shows that in many organizations management does not manage the performance of the workforce in an effective way. In many cases the attitude seems to be that as long as the work tasks are managed, rather than the people who do the work tasks, everything will turn out positively.Performance management should not be equated with a yearly performance appraisal. Performance management is a process, while appraisal is a snapshot. A formalappraisal can fit into the process, but it takes on far less significance when regular and effective performance management takes place.Five key components make up the process of effective performance management. They are:1. Clear performance standards exist and they should be written, measurable and current.2. There is on-going communication between the manager and the worker regarding the performance standards, and this should begin on the first day the worker becomes the manager’s responsibility.3. The manager gives frequent feedback to the worker regarding performance.4. The manager coaches the worker to sustain good performance and to improve poor performance.5. The managers manage the consequences of both good and poor performance.Most organizations that have been in existence for some time have some or all of the following tools available to assist in the managing the work:a) Job descriptions (sometimes they may not be available for all jobs or they may be outdated)b) Standards, such as quantity, quality, cost, time, etc.c) Policies and procedures which guide the organization of the work placed) A discipline policy tied to work place behavior and work expectationse) A formal appraisal systemManagers and supervisors use performance management tools in varying degrees. Some have the attitude that as long as operations are proceeding satisfactorily, nothing needs to be said. It is only when output does not meet expectations that the manager or supervisor needs to take action.Some of the reasons given by managers and supervisors for not seeing performance management as a major responsibility, or not doing it on a consistent basis are:-No time-Good performance is expected and therefore does not need to be discussed-Some of the performance management components are missing (e.g. clear performance expectations do not exist or are not current)-Fear of confrontation when performance is poor-Fear of losing control when good performance is praised-All that is important is “getting the work done”The manager or supervisor may feel that engaging actively in performance management is meaningless since their views or evaluations will be overturned by someone in the human resources department, or the presence of a union inhibits effective performance management. (Most union contracts have a clause: “Management has the right to manage.”) Others do recognize the importance of performance management and carve out time in their busy schedules to actively engage in managing performance consistently in the work unit. When they do that, performance is much more consistent and positive.Absent a performance management system which includes the key components cited earlier, and the active use of the system by the supervisor or manager, the worker / associate in the organization may begin to believe he or she is paid for time and not for performance. Whatever he or she does does not seem to have consequences.Or there may be workers who are performing to a high degree and other workers who are not, and because there are no consequences, the workers who are performing satisfactorily begin to ask themselves why they should continue high performance when there are no consequences to poor performance. In other words, “I am present during the time the organization expects me to be present, and therefore my compensation is owed me regardless of my performance.”"Showing up,” and “being there,” do not equate with good consistent performance. The organization can only expect to get good consistent performance when the performance of worker associates is managed by management at all levels of the organization.The final step in effective performance management, managing the consequences of both good and poor performance, can easily be overlooked. Good performance needs to be reinforced. Poor performance needs to be confronted. The manager or supervisor who does not manage the consequences of good and poor performance sends the message “performance consequences don’t count.”Good performers should be praised and efforts given to sustain that good performance. Poor performers need coaching and help. Yet after awhile, if the performance is not satisfactory after help is given, the decision whether that worker is appropriate for that job must be made by the manager or supervisor.It is clear that performance management by all of the managers and supervisors in an organization is important to the long term success of the organization. Nevertheless, it demands a decision on the part of the manager and supervisor that it is an important activity and time is going to be devoted to it. How important it is seen by the manager or supervisor, in relation to other duties and responsibilities he or she has, will certainly impact its effectiveness on the worker associates and the work unit in the longer term. The five key components in an effective performance management process, cited earlier, will go a long way in helping the manager or supervisor manage performance effectively.