BLOG SPOT with Gary Latham

BRIGHT IDEA #1256

I’ve always been one for bright ideas. Pride myself on them. Hairdressers think a little differently to the rest of the world, so I have always tried to keep up and think a tad differently myself. I try to be imaginative, amuse others and especially myself. Call me arrogant if you like, but I’ve always had more faith in my left-field ideas than other people’s tried and tested ones. That’s not to say I won’t nick someone else’s idea, it’s just that I will “Gazify” it to suit or amuse myself. My ideas run across all aspects of the salon and usually cost me money rather than save it.

As the generation gap between apprentices and your ageing author widens, unfortunately, I’m the only one ageing in this relationship, my bright ideas are being tested to keep up with the post covid apprentices. Our salon is one of the last ones standing with apprentices so I must be doing something right, or this may just be another indicator that I am really out of touch. For all the talk from both sides of the argument about how “gen whatever” is better or worse than “gen before” I think that there is a basic human need to be appreciated and to feel wanted and respected that runs through all the “gen alphabets”. It’s how that is delivered that changes, not the need.

So that brings me to my latest bright idea, which you are welcome to use or modify as you wish. Like many bright ideas, it was born out of a glitch with the apprentices. As they say, frustration is the mother of invention. We had a few problems in the “Brady Household” and as quite often happens the group bonded by eating one of their own. So how do we restore harmony? At least for a while. I met with the apprentices one on one and when asked their thoughts on the matter, they all put their hands up that their behaviour was insensitive with the caveat that it was caused by frustration. Put a tick in the personal responsibility box. I also asked for any ideas that we could put in place to restore the family glow in the salon. Unfortunately, they aren’t as bright as me and we drew a blank. So here comes bright idea number 1256. The Enthusiasm and Unity Officer.

In the past, we had a head apprentice system, but we found the appointee often was thought of as too bossy by the others and didn’t enjoy trying to whip the others into shape themselves. This new position was all about positivity, fun and their ideas. Yes, I did borrow the initial idea from the mighty Penrith Panthers NRL team before gazifying it.

Jerome Laui is responsible for enthusiasm at the club. You will notice he is always the first one in to congratulate any try scorers for the Panthers. The alterations I made to the idea was that the position would rotate on a monthly basis. This would mean they would be more likely to support the ideas of the incumbent, as they would be doing the job themselves sometime soon. The current EO would also appoint the next EO giving them a months’ notice to get their ideas together.

So far so good. Smiles all round. Their ideas are flowing fast as well. And they are their ideas too. I really wanted them to take responsibility for their workplace and responsibility for their attitudes. They have to realise they create it not me. I think they are enjoying taking on the job and having the freedom of putting their ideas into play.

The staff room has had a make-over, a pizza/horror movie night in the salon, a panic room trip, a soccer game v the seniors are all ideas that have been done or floated, all theirs. Improved attitudes have been noticed by clients and seniors. This may be just a short-term distraction or a long-term winner who knows. The best part of this idea is that it is no longer my idea driving it, is theirs. One, because that appeals to them, and two because I am running out of ideas. Seriously its hard work being an ideas man. You’d have no idea.