I saw a guy in front of a lectern. I almost turned back as I thought a church was holding a meeting there. I didn’t know the guy was a staff monitoring those going in and coming out. As I entered, he asked for my room.
I moved closer to where the food was displayed. I always loved their food because of the vast choice. But something looked different this morning. I assumed they were still going to bring more. It was my favourite hotel and the breakfast was my primary reason. Always buffet.
I picked one of the spoons to serve myself. One of the ladies approached me and said, ‘I will serve you, sir’. Serve me? Nigba wo ni gbogbo iyen bere? When did this one start? She served me a few pieces of yam. And then put some fish stew.
I asked for sausage. Not available, sir. I looked around again. All the regulars (or what used to be regulars) were missing.
I wanted some coffee. The tea cups were missing. So I signaled to her. ‘I will get the coffee for you, sir’. Ki lo n sele? The coffee I used to drink so freely now rationed? She brought a cup of coffee. They didn’t even allow me to determine how much cream I wanted.
My wife saw my fish sauce had finished but I still had some yam left. She wanted to signal for more. I told her to spare me the potential embarrassment of having her request declined. Seems everything was being rationed. If the soup finishes, then the ‘swallow’ must rest.
I called one of the staff to find out if I would pay for my daughter. Breakfast for children was usually free. Thankfully, it’s still free.
I sighed.
Rather than become angry, I was very sad. Empathetic. Knowing what businesses are going through at the moment brings me to tears. So many are struggling. The economy is very harsh. Entrepreneurs are struggling to make ends meet. Many are not even breaking even.
They are trying to adapt. They are juggling so many things so they can stay afloat.
If you are an employee and your employer is paying your salaries regularly, please appreciate them and give them your best. Spare some time to also pray for that business.
#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.
We had a deadline. An impossible one. Turn around the branch in 30 days or get fired. The countdown had started. I was a Team Lead and I saw the pains in the eyes of my Branch Manager.
We had to do all we could to meet the deadline. We ran all over town, trying to pull the chest out of fire. Nothing seemed to work.
I came to church that Sunday feeling very drained. I was tired and had given up. Will my career end this way? We had a Guest Minister that Sunday - a popular architect- who also has a church in Ibadan. After the service, he went into our Pastor’s office and I requested to see him
Exactly 21 years ago, I started my career in banking.
That’s was May 30, 2000.
I was 25 years and a graduate of mechanical engineering. I was scared because I didn’t know what the future held.
I have worked for 7 financial institutions and across various units and locations. I have been a teller (cashier), a clearing officer, a funds transfer officer, an account officer/relationship officer, a team lead, a branch manager and Regional Head among other functions
I have worked across various States in Nigeria. I have covered the entire South West and I have worked in Lagos. There are only a few states in Nigeria that I’ve not visited in the course of my career. It has been a very interesting journey.
At Mexico 70, Pele was at his best but he infamously missed
a goal after literarily dribbling and undressing the keeper
during the semi-final match against Uruguay.
Roberto Baggio still remains one of Italy's best players but during USA 94, he missed the very last penalty during the final match
between Italy and Brazil. His miss gifted Brazil the World
Cup.
During the game against South Korea at the South Africa
2010 World Cup, Yakubu Aiyegbeni missed what could be
described as one of the easiest goals of the tournament. It
became one of the greatest misses in football
history.
As I stepped into the building, I took note of every single detail. How did the lady at the reception receive me? How did the staff relate? I looked out for those I assumed to be senior- how did they relate to their subordinates?
What's the culture like? When it was my turn to be interviewed, I took note of the panel- how they were seated, their comportment and demeanour, language and mannerisms. I was there not only to interview but also to interview them- without them knowing.
An interview is a two-way street. The candidate being interviewed is also interviewing the company. This is more so for experienced hires who need to check out a prospective employer before committing.
Whom do you allow to lead a country- a man who is an economic wizard and has been trained at the most prestigious universities but with very insignificant interpersonal skills and other soft skills
or a man who is average in intellect but has outstanding interpersonal skills and is recognized as a bridge builder? I don’t think the answer is difficult.
Leadership involves a lot more than being able to express yourself in flowery oratory. It is a bit more than being able to flaunt your certificates. I am not disputing the place of brilliance in leadership but that’s not the endgame.