We talk a lot about mentoring—having new hires get part of their advanced education from the senior stylists in the salon. But I was talking to a stylist who had worked in salons for 20 years, and she had a different take on how to share knowledge. “Whenever we get new hairdressers, I always try to pick up something from them,” she said. “They’ve just graduated and may have learned something that I don’t know.”
That really surprised me! But it contains a lot of wisdom. Not only are new stylists just out of school and have all of those techniques fresh in their brain, but they’re also seeing life through younger eyes. Their language, fashions, friends, pop culture interests, technological experiences and even political views may be substantively different from those of the other people in the salon. It’s natural to want to teach them everything you’ve learned along the way. But stop and think whether perhaps they have something to teach you as well.
When you ask the opinion of a new hairdresser, it opens a dialogue based on mutual respect. Don’t condescend, though; ask questions only when you feel the newbie has something to offer that truly interests you. After you’ve asked how he or she got the client’s bangs looking so cute, the new person won’t be scared to come to you for help with a color formula. Colleagues help each other out, and you just might find that a two-way street makes the journey more interesting.