NORTHERN PLANNER

That’s my nickname at work. Ever since I noticed a few extra hairs in the plughole at the age of 23, I’ve suffered the slow decline of my once thick and lustrous mane. I don’t really care anymore, especially since I’m married and don’t have to worry about meeting women. My wife reckons I look better hairless anyway (or that’s what she tells me).

Coincidentally, I think being bald helps you as planner. Here’s are five reasons why:

1. People take you seriously. Looking older and cleverer than you really are gets attention. Since planners have to find a way to be heard amongst gregarious suits and flamboyant creatives, this is useful,as long as what you’re saying isn’t utter twaddle.

2. Bald people learn to be self effacing. Before anyone else pokes fun, you learn to laugh at yourself first and be generally good natured. This makes you quite approachable which can lead to you being a non-threatening sounding board for creatives, suits and anyone else that needs a friendly, objective ear.

3. Just like blind people develop a highly developed sense of hearing, bald people become very good at conversation. In the hope that it will make up for their looks, they work very hard on being interesting, good at listening and knowing lots of stuff. Since planners only  get invited to meetings if people think they’ll be interesting, good at listening  and know lots of stuff, this is fortunate.

4. At some point, bald people stop fighting the inevitable and stoically accept their fate. Life as a planner is full of disappointments and setbacks. You’ll make mistakes, but accepting this means that you’ll use failing to teach you what to improve.

5. It’s difficult to be vain and bald. Since planners need to be generous with their ideas and let other people take centre stage, losing your vanity can prove invaluable. It also means you get ready quickly, giving your other half more time to endlessly change outfits and make you late. Patience and persistence are also good skills to have.