WHAT THE HAIR (DOES IT) MEAN ANYWAY

Yes, we know. We know that you’ve heard this all before. We know that right now you’re probably wondering why you’re reading yet another article about hair (and everything about it) for what must be like gazillion times. After all, hasn’t it all already been said, discussed, argued, emphasized, explained, debated, rebelled and conformed?!

For the simple reason that such a debate doesn’t seem to end.

It doesn’t matter where your business is. Let’s say that you’re in a developed economy- someone would have discussed it, set ground rules and perhaps let you decide whether or not you would conform or rebel. Now, let’s say that you’re in a developing economy- someone would probably have passionately advised you about it and in the same passion, encouraged you to conform to it. And even in economies where culture and business are co-influencers and where you’ll just have to, well, swim with the tide, there’ll just be someone who would have- at some point in life- considered an alternative.

An issue like this- and mind, we’re talking about hair here- tends to crop up at the most unexpected of times. Just the other day I was having a casual conversation with someone (who is, I must add, completely uninvolved with the business) and right out of nowhere gave me a piece of advice- to trim my hair short and neat the same way a lawyer would advise me if I were a Defendant in a court trial.

But really, why are there the rules concerning hair lengths and color and styles? We’ll be honest- there is no straightforward answer- and neither will we advocate one over the other.

What we’re saying is that it is all about performance, perception and differentiation.

It is about your optimal performance whether you have your hair short or long or colored or styled. It is whether your effectiveness and efficiency will be compromised when you wear your hair long, or short. If too short your hair length affects the way you handle your tasks , grow it out. If you’re anticipating busy days ahead and you don’t want to waste time on your hair, keep it short. If too long a hair length distracts you (and everyone else), trim it. If you perform your tasks better wearing your hair long or colored or slicked back or tied up or styled or wavy or straight or bald, well, keep it that way.

It is about perception- perception of yourself, your industry and how others perceive you. You don’t want to look rebellious if you don’t intend to. You don’t want to look sloppy and messy if you are not. You will be meeting clients, prospects, investors, potential investors in the day-to-day of business. You will be interviewing and hiring potential employees. You will be searching for suitable partners to your business. You will be involved in the many errands a startup or a franchise has to do. Which means that the way your banker, your investor, your co-worker, your client, your accountant, your lawyer, your industry partner perceives you is important. If you think your banker or your investor or your employee won’t think much of your professionalism when you wear your hair long or if it’s colored a shocking fuchsia purple, well, don’t.

Still, what makes a startup or a business expansion without the presence of differentiation and challenging norms? An unconventional haircut can mean the injection of fresh perspectives and growth opportunities to the industry. Wearing your hair neat, spiky or wavy can mean that you’ve finally reached a compromise between yourself and industry regulations. If you’ve been in the business for some time and want to franchise, a new, colored hairstyle can signal new directions. And if your industry is a mature one, a hairstyle that grants a youthful look might just be your most singular advantage anyway.