Skip to main content

THE BOSS AND SUBORDINATE 4

 It is not allways that thinking local helps the situation, despite the fact the most global standards are actually someone's local thinking.


We have had one major thinking local that ultimately destroyed thriving companies. I am referring to the indiginisation decree in the late 1970's that made Nigerians CEOs.


The other problem of thinking local is our national malady - Nepotism. It is really the leadership recruitment process, that results in putting the worsts and thieves as leaders.


- Directionless Boss: This is a situation where even the leader does not know where the organization is headed, some his/her subordinates have no direction. The Boss attends meetings and on his return, he is unable to brief subordinates properly and directs them to someone else for direction. This is a result of nepotism and ethnicity.

- Dependable Boss: Here is a situation where you work with someone who trust your judgement would defend you without hearing from you based on your past performances. During my active working time, I had opportunities in working with at least two men who fell into this typology. There were situations where snares were put on my way, with the hope that when they point the direction, I'll loose the favour of my boss.

Finally, my perculiar problems that has given rise to all these ten typologies. Let me mention only three and explain only one.

- Integrity

- Insisting on the truth

- Capacity to say my mind.

I worked in this company where I and my Boss were so knitted that should two of us were asked the same question at the same time in different locations, we would give almost the same answer. After working working together for two years, we started disagreeing very greatly that was now affecting performance generally. 

When I asked for a meeting on a Saturday, my Boss told yours truly that my insistence on the truth always was the problem stating a majority of employees were against my attitude. In response to my way out, he said I should start to speak half truth which I rejected saying that a half truth is a lie. Even when he put in another way, that I should play politics, that politics is about half truths, of course, I rejected. My boss told me, should I change from insisting on the truth which the man I go to meet on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway every month, he was going them to fight yours truly.

My response was, you are welcome. The outcome was I was cross transferred out of HR.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

HR MISTAKES BY YOURS TRULY 8

 I have a first degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the best university then in that discipline in Nigeria, the University of Benin, Benin City. During my undergraduate days, I decided not to earn naira on graduation, so when my course mates were rushing to major in Organizational Behaviour, I opted for Medical Sociology. I equally decided to go on to obtain a Masters Degree in Epidemiology so as to ensure that I work with either WHO or UNICEF where I would be paid in dollars. However, my university of choice was then being shut every other three months. This was against another decision of yours truly that I shall not spend more than 12 months for the masters program. At this point, I changed my mind to study Industrial Relations and Personnel Management at the best University then in that discipline in Nigeria, the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. This major shift brought yours truly into a profession that it's major tenants contradict my major attitudes to life. Some of ...

HR MISTAKES BY YOURS TRULY 6

 My refusal to accept two direct instructions from two gentlemen who were instrumental to my employment in two companies where I enjoyed working, cost yours truly those jobs because I considered those instructions as unreasonable. Firstly, I was asked to provide information that would lead to the termination of the employment of five high performing managers. My response was to send my boss a local ICBM to the effect that "a man who circumcises woman do not talk". If the man talks, he will die of hunger. Secondly, I was asked to tell half truths by my boss, which I considered to be telling lies and I refused. My boss explained further to yours truly, that what he was saying was for yours truly to play politics because politics is about half truths. He stated further that should yours truly continue to insist on the truth only, he would join others in fighting yours truly. My response to him was "you're welcome. Within five weeks of this discussion, your truly was tra...

HR MISTAKES BY YOURS TRULY 1

 In discussing HR MISTAKES by yours truly, the necessary starting point should be the establishment of ATTITUDE to life generally and work in particular. Attitude is not inherited but acquired through learning and experience by massive exposure. Decisions are based on the attitude of the decision maker to the issue at stake. Please refer to my earlier content on "Decision Making:A Strategy For Development" in 2023. All the HR MISTAKES I made were all based on my attitude to life issues generally and work in particular. A few of my attitude based decision will suffice. - Truth is sacrosanct. If it is not the truth, it cannot be the truth. - Integrity. If you cannot do it, do not say it. Very many people substitute Integrity with Rigidity. - Covenant breakers are not human beings but animals. - Liars are dogs. - Do not work for people/Companies who do not pay salaries as at when due. - Annual leave is non-negotiable. - The rule must be applied to all with very few exceptions. T...