No Human Condition is Permanent.

In 2010 I was a senior manager in a nice firm, my future was bright in the company and I was highly recommended for head of my department. There was a rising star as well, his name is Jacob. I tutored him and tried to manage his excesses because he was exceptionally brilliant. But, he was lazy and carefree. Hardly would he take corrections and rarely would he apologize.

My other colleagues wondered what I saw in him, but they weren’t working directly with him. I knew his type: he hated structure and would never last under a corporate environment. Still, he was a brilliant strategist. I handled him well and our results together with others on my team was highly commendable.

There came a time I was having marital issues and for this reason, I had little patience with Jacob and his shenanigans. I was short-tempered with him but he had gotten used to me managing his excesses, he didn’t take my anger seriously. In two weeks, I had given him 3 queries. This meant dismissal and when I was asked by HR if I truly wanted to let him go, I could not care less. I had my own problems and was not in the mood to babysit anyone.

 

Three years later, I lost my job because the company was downsizing and top management was affected. I foolishly assumed I would get a job anywhere so initially, I wasn’t worried. But 12 months in, I was still searching and my savings was dwindling fast. I decided, since I wasn’t getting any job, I’d drive my SUV as a cab to those commuting from the airport. This was better than waiting around for nothing…

The cab job surprisingly was not doing badly as I was picking up and dropping off esteemed clients. It wasn’t a lot of money but it was steady.
In July 2016, an esteemed client asked me to pick up his friend from the airport because his driver had flaked on him. This person I was to pick up would turn out to be Jacob. When he called to confirm his location, I instantly recognized his voice. My heart plunged but I wasn’t going to reject the job and disappoint a long-term client. Jacob exited the airport with only a hand luggage so there was no need for me to alight from the car. As he got in the car, I looked back from the driver’s seat to greet him but he was distracted on the phone and never looked up to notice me. He only answered my greeting and asked me to get going.
As I drove him all the way to a hotel on the Island, I had tears in my eyes. He looked like he was doing well, his conversations on the phone also showed that he was in control. Jacob had done well for himself and I was now driving him. Life is tricky and has a way of making you the butt of its joke. I cannot lie that I was ashamed but I would never forgive myself if I let him go without letting him know I was proud of him. 

We got to the hotel and I quickly got down from the car to open his door. This was when he noticed me. He was speechless for a while then he said in Yoruba “Oga, you have been the one driving me since?” He was shocked at first but then he hugged me tight. The tears finally poured, I can’t really say what I felt but I know I expect his reaction.

“I heard you were let go, I sent you a message on my other number to find out how you were but you never responded*” He said while still holding on to my shoulders.
I remember receiving a message from him but he was one out of many that called or texted to pity me. I didn’t want anyone’s pity so I never responded.
Jacob made me park my car and took me in to his room to talk. He immediately told me about his new gig. After he was laid off, he got a consultation deal with a multinational which opened doors for him in other multinationals. Now, he has 15 people working for him but he was in desperate need of someone who does the same as him and he didn’t have to worry about their competence. He just wanted to focus more on bringing business to the company.
My life changed that day. I resumed work with Jacob in one week and I have made sure since then to treat his company as if it were mine.
I don’t know why he treated me so nicely after what I did to him but as men, we have never talked about it. I am sure though, that he can feel my gratitude in the way I work and my zeal in doing all I can to make sure he doesn’t have to worry about the back-end.
I hope someone learns from this. lf the world turns upside down, you may end up cleaning for your cleaner. Please always remember this when you act without consideration of the other person’s future.
DONT EVER LOOK DOWN ON ANYONE IN LIFE BECAUSE YOU DONT KNOW WHAT HE OR SHE WILL BECOME TOMORROW.
Shared by Foluke Akosile.

Why the First Few Seconds of a Job Interview can Make or Break You.

 

Making a great first impression in a job interview can be the difference between getting an offer and getting passed by. And according to research, you may only have a few moments. 

People make snap judgments about each other within one tenth of a second, a  Princeton University study shows. In a blink of an eye, hirers draw conclusions about your likability, trustworthiness, competence and aggressiveness.  

And, the study suggests, those first impressions stick: Hirers quickly begin to expect you to conform to the ideas they've just begun to form about you. If you seem familiar and friendly, you could get an offer. If you seem sloppy or overly aggressive, you could be overlooked.

To make those first few moments of your job interview count, follow these rules career experts say are crucial: 

1. Dress the part: "Your wardrobe should be clean, pressed and well-fitting," says Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume. "The goal is to look like you belong at the company."  

The career expert suggests job candidates do some investigating into the job's dress code by asking around within your professional network.  

"Do some reconnaissance online and with your professional network to determine the company's dress code," she says. "If the organization is laid-back, dress as you believe they would for an important meeting with a client." 

2. Arrive on time: Nobody wants to look or feel rushed at an interview. Being punctual will help you relax.

"I recommend arriving 15 minutes before your scheduled interview so you have time to register with reception, complete any paperwork, use the restroom to freshen up," Augustine says. "Get your bearings before the interview begins."

3. Pay attention to body language: The goal in a job interview is to appear "confident, professional, and friendly," Augustine says. A firm handshake, a smile and eye contact are crucial to that.

Not making eye contact makes you appear nervous, says career coach Becky Berry. "Keep your head up."

4. Sound professional: When people are nervous, they have a tendency to raise their voices a bit, studies have shown. Resist the urge, experts say.

"We tend to tighten the vocal chords when we are tense, and the high, sometimes screechy sound does not sound powerful," says Patti Wood, a body language expert and author. "Bring down your voice." 

Courtesy: CNBC.

5 Types of Employees Who Are Not Management Material.

You may have your eyes set on the corner office (and the bigger salary that comes with it), but you’ll never get there if you’re not management material. Getting promoted at work isn’t just a matter of paying your dues. If you want a position with more responsibility and better pay, you need to prove you have what it takes. 

The best candidates for management positions are motivated and have strong leadership skills. They’re also good with people and have business expertise, according to a survey of executives by The Creative Group. 

“Being an effective manager means more than giving orders and making sure projects are completed on time,” Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, said in a statement. “Leaders must inspire their teams and boost employee engagement to steer their companies to greater heights.”

Even employees who excel in their current position may not have the talent to be great bosses. And many of those worker bees are OK with not being management material. Only one-third of people surveyed by CareerBuilder said they were aiming for a leadership position at work. Just 7% were hoping to become a C-level executive.

Some people, however, are itching to work their way up the ladder at work and are wondering why they haven’t yet been tapped for a management position. If you’re one of them, your own behavior may be to blame. If you recognize yourself as one of these five types of employees, you may not be management material. 

1. The control freak: The micromanaging, control freak boss is the stuff of employee nightmares. This perfectionist manager wants to be involved in every decision, from approving the font used in the big presentation to choosing which snacks are stocked in the break room.

Control freak bosses make for unhappy employees who can’t reach their full potential. Of people who’d worked for a micromanaging boss, 68% said the dynamic was bad for morale and 55% said it decreased their productivity, a survey by “Accountemps” found.

Being unable to let go is not only annoying for your employees, but it’s also stressful for you. If you can’t trust your subordinates to make the right decisions, you might not be management material.

2. The responsibility dodger: Passing the buck is harder when you’re the big boss. Employees who are in the habit of blaming their failings on others won’t fare well once they’re in a management position, when it’s much more difficult to shift responsibility. Though bad managers may try to point the finger at employees when deadlines aren’t met or a critical mistake is made, they’re ultimately responsible for making sure the team meets its goals. 

“[Being a manager isn’t just a matter of getting a pay raise and getting to boss people around. When you’re the manager, there are no excuses,” Liz Ryan, the founder and CEO of Human Workplace, wrote in a blog post for LinkedIn. “If someone goofs up, it’s on you, because you hired them and you trained them.”

3. The wishy-washy leader: Do you hem and haw over the tiniest of decisions? Are you guilty of making choices and then changing your mind? Is setting clear goals difficult for you? Then you may not be great management material. While good managers listen and adapt, they must also be strong leaders who can guide their team to success. 

“Can you lay out a vision for your team, set goals and timelines around it, hold people accountable to meeting those goals, and be disciplined about saying no to activities that won’t drive you forward toward your objectives? Many managers struggle with pieces of this — especially saying no to projects that sound worthy but belong lower on the priority list.” HR expert Alison Green wrote in an article for U.S. News & World Report. If the idea of having people looking to you to make big decisions gives you a headache, a management position may not be the best choice for you. 

4. The slacker: People who are already having trouble doing their current job aren’t likely to set the world on fire as a manager. Being the boss means more responsibility, not less. Thirty-two percent of CFOs surveyed by Robert Half said balancing individual duties with the need to oversee others was the most difficult part of being a manager. Slackers need not apply, in other words.

While chronic laziness may not make you management material, it won’t always stand in the way of a promotion at work. You might get a bump just because your current boss wants to get rid of you. 

“We see a lot of organizations where managers will even promote a low performer just to get them out of their department,” Leadership IQ CEO Mark Murphy told NBC News. 

5. The too-nice team member: Jerks get promoted for a reason, and it’s not just because they’re bullies. Making difficult decisions and being able to criticize others is part of being a manager. Those are tasks the more tender-hearted tend to shy away from.

Managers who are too nice “don’t give tough feedback, shy away from going to bat for their teams, and give in too easily to demands,” according to the Harvard Business Review. As a result, the conflict-averse boss can drive away good employees and jeopardize the success of big projects. 

Research has also shown that nice people – especially nice guys – are paid less than those who are less agreeable. “We believe we want people who are modest, authentic, and all the things we rate positively to be our leaders,” Jeffrey Pfeffer, a business professor at Stanford, told The Atlantic. “But we find it’s all the things we rate negatively … that are the best predictors of higher salaries or getting chosen for a leadership position.” 

Courtesy: CheatSheet.

On The Single Biggest Reason Why Startups Succeed.

“Timing accounted for 42 percent of the difference between success and failure. Team and execution came in second, and the idea, the differentiability of the idea (the uniqueness of the idea) came in third.” – William "Bill" Gross co-founded Pacific Investment Management. According to Forbes, his net worth is 2.3 billion USD (2015).