Thread by @greaterbayo

#21Lessonsin21years: ‘People Might Not Like You But Never Give Them The Opportunity To Say You Don’t Know Your Job’ (2)

This morning, I had a conversation with a colleague at work. He shared 3 things his former boss told him. He said they have been the foundation of his career.

First: People might not like you but never give them the opportunity to say you don’t know your job.

Second: You are too young for office politics: don’t get involved.

Third: No one should ever say, ‘You said or didn’t say’.

I’ll focus on the first piece of advise.

I worked with a superior some years back whom I thought was just looking for the easiest of excuses to get rid of me. It was a very tough situation then that I didn’t look forward to going to work each day.

It was too glaring that everyone noticed. Attending meetings became something I dreaded because a slip could send me to the gulag. In spite of the well known animosity, I was kept on my role until I decided to move on.

I met this former boss at an event recently and I couldn’t believe the accolades I got and the standing ovation this person gave me after I spoke for a short time at this event.

It all boils down to one thing: competence. Competence is your ability to do something well, successfully or efficiently. It connotes your skill or ability in an area, field or subject. Competence is your expertise on a subject matter. You can call it proficiency or dexterity.

Saul didn’t like David in the Scriptures especially after the women sang for David that he killed tens of thousands while Saul killed thousands. Nevertheless, Saul needed David because David was very competent in playing the harp. David had something that Saul needed.

When you have a skill that is in high demand, your competence will be rated beyond other parameters. Have you not seen some people that certain bosses hate their guts but they have learnt to work with them? Competence will make people look up to you.

I made up my mind from when I started my career that I will be the best in my particular area at any given time. I recall that when I started as a teller (cashier), my colleagues gave me a nickname ‘Aggressive Bayo’.

I would engage customers in conversation and memorize their names so that when I see them a second time I can call them by their names even without looking at their instruments. Many customers preferred to be served by me.

My motto then was I will be ‘the’ teller and not just ‘a’ teller. Competence brings distinction.

When you’re competent, you won’t chase jobs: jobs will chase you. Competence will help you attract a premium. Competence will make you headhunted. You will get opportunities simply because you’re proficient at what you do.

So how do you become better at what you do?

1. Focus on your niche area
Don’t be a jack of all trades. When you focus, you will very soon be the focus. I am a sales person. So I focus on areas that can make me an exceptional salesman. I identified some key areas such as communication and analysis.

So I develop myself to deliver the best of presentations. I focus on my writing skills so I can write the best credits appraisals and memorandum. I work on being very analytical so I can juggle figures with ease.

You can’t do everything but do at least one thing better than anyone else in your company or organization. Let your name easily come to mind when that area of need comes up.

2. Skills can be learnt
Serve under someone. You can get any information at your finger tips now. Use your smart phone- it’s an amazing tool for learning. I remember in the early 2000s, I would stay late at work reading up credit files.

Sometimes, I was the only one left at work (I held the keys then). I read up all manners of credit write-ups and asked my superiors questions the next day.

3. Training and personal development
Register for courses. Go for seminars. Don’t wait for anyone to train you. There are many courses available for free online but even if it has to cost you, anything you spend to develop yourself is an investment. You will reap the dividends

4. Read books in your core area
A book is a compendium of wisdom that is easily available to you. In my case, I believe a good salesman should have a little knowledge about everything. You should be able to converse freely on many subjects.

So I read wide- even some topics I find difficult or uninteresting.

5. Practice
The more you practice, the better you become. Use the 10,000 hour rule which is simply a matter of practicing a specific task that can be accomplished with 20 hours of work a week for 10 years. You become better at what you use.

The more you practice and use your skills, the better, more precise and more accurate you become. You will lose what you don’t use.

6. Train others
I have found this to be very useful. In my last 2 roles, I had a flip chart in my office. When my colleagues bring a memo to be reviewed by me, I used that opportunity to teach them.

I would call those who were available to my office to correct memos and teach them. I organized a one-hour weekly coaching for all my staff at my Agodi Office some years back. I had every Relationship Officer in Ibadan attend the evening training.

I taught various topics- the 6Cs of Credit, Selling Skills, How to structure a credit request, how to analyze cash flow statements, the different types of collaterals, Remedial Strategies for Delinquent Customers, etc.

Many of them got value and appreciated the knowledge I tried to impart but I even got more value because the more I teach, the more I know. When you train others, you also get better.

I have said this to some colleagues a few times: ‘If I get fired, it won’t be because of two things- it will not be because I lack integrity and it will not be because I’m incompetent’.

Pro 22:9 (NLV)- “Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people”

Bayo Adeyinka

(Have you bought a copy of my book? It’s available by sending a DM to @Rovingheights )

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