cosmetology school, when new hire Andrea started out as a general assistant inthe color department. One day Karla was applying highlights, and Andrea was so impressed that she blurted out, "I want to be able to do color like that some day!" A mentorship was born.

Although Karla and Andrea first bonded over the rules of bleach and tone, the bulk of what mentors teach goes beyond technical skills. They help newbies feel safe asking for advice on everything from service ticket totals to workplace romance. They also support the industry, their salons, and their own careers - by helping a new generation of stylists establish high artistic and service standards. "I have seen both of them grow so much from this," says KERI DAVIS, owner of Gila Rut.

MENTORING STARTS AT HOME If you want to share your professional wisdom with a protege, the best place to start is your salon. Gila Rut does not have a formal mentoring program, but it does have a culture that encourages the organic development of these relationships. After completing the salon's training program, new stylists gravitate towards someone they "click" with. Other salons have more structured set-ups. MARCY CONA, owner of M.C. HAIR CONSULTANTS

in Cuyahoga Falls, OH has three tiers of employment - the highest dubbed the Mentor Level. "Everyone has a buddy," says Cona, who formally assigns mentors for one-year cycles.

RULES TO GUIDE BY
Whether your mentoring style is go-with-the-flow or flow-chart, there are a few rules that apply either way. "The number one thing a mentor needs to be is approachable," says Davis. Warmth, openness, and the willingness to share information are other necessary character traits. However, a mentorship is not a friendship. "We match people randomly," says Cona. "It they are too close, there isn't enough real feedback. It's best to pair opposites - people outside the friendship circle." Mentors have to be able to give positive criticism, without worrying that they'll be snubbed at the club later.

Once two people are paired up, they should both have similar expectations about the mentor relationship. "Success comes from a mentor respecting and understanding her role," says Cona. Establish right away what subjects will be covered. Cona's partners talk about things like increasing retail sales, improving an average service ticket, and filling appointment book gaps. No matter what is discussed, make sure that there is an expectation of privacy. Nothing the two people talk about should be repeated to anyone else. "This allows people to open up," says Davis.

MENTORING HOW-TO'S
A typical day for a mentor and student varies, depending on needs and expectations. Cona's pairs schedule meetings once a week, or even once a month, for fifteen minutes. But she also tries to give them as many chances as possible to chat casually. She keeps them in close proximity - giving them similar schedules, and assigning them to the same floor of her three-story salon. At Davis's salon, pairs spend every day in the same department, so they are always trading information - whether behind the scenes or on the floor.

BEYOND THE SALON
If your career has taken you beyond the salon, you can still serve as a mentor. Cona also works as director of education and shows for CLAIROL PROFESSIONAL. She recently trained a group of nine women before they headed to Afghanistan to support a beauty school there. Cona worked side by side on the project with someone she had mentored - MIA CHASE, Clairol's manager of haircolor education. "I was so inspired by Mia's commitment, energy level and enthusiasm," says Cona. "I get such a lift from being a mentor. It reminds of why I got into the business in the first place."

PAYBACK
It isn't just the dynamic duo that reaps rewards from the relationships. The salon benefits from mentor programs too. "It builds harmony," says Cona, who has seen generation gaps bridged by mentoring. She credits the mentor relationships with keeping her retention levels high. "People can go to their mentors and discuss things that they're unhappy about in the salon - things that might lead them to quit," says Cona. The mentors act as sounding boards, helping to calm nerves and find solutions that keep stylists on staff instead of pounding the pavement looking for a new job.

CAUTIONARY NOTES
Mentor programs do have a few pitfalls. No matter how much contact they have, sometimes a mentor will not be able to meet all of the needs of her protege. If this happens, the student is guided towards additional help from another mentor. If mentors are expected to cover too much, it can cause pressure and burnout. To prevent this, Davis meets with every employee individually once every two weeks to go over bottom-line business issues - like pre-booking and service numbers. "I connect with them too. It keeps my open-door policy alive."

HOW TO BEGIN
If your salon doesn't have a mentor program, Davis suggests a few ways to get one started. Owners should get staff feedback first to find out if it is something they think is needed. Employees should approach managers about starting a program. Once the decision is made to go forward, make sure everyone is involved in creating the program. Davis stresses the importance of this with a quote from WINN CLAYBAUGH: People support what they help to create.

Mentorships build strength in individuals and in businesses. Even after the student has moved on, she can still turn to the mentor for guidance whenever she feels stuck or at a crossroads. "It's a lifeline that the person will be able to come to again and again," says Cona. "And as you see the person grow, you grow too." So if you've been thinking about how to "give back" to an industry that's given you so much, consider becoming a mentor.