This article narrates how(and why), after midnight of 14th November 1997, I slept overnight in a taxi at Lagos, Nigeria’s popular Ojota Park. I came in by night bus after closing 9p.m afternoon shift in Guinness Benin City, Edo State in order to arrive on time to participate in the National Finals of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM)’s Young Managers Competition.
I’ve written in the past about the first management research paper I wrote in 1997
That was the paper I presented at the NIM competition. Based on project work I did as a trainee shift manager/brewer in Guinness Nigeria, it was titled “Statistical Process Control and Target Setting (in a Manufacturing Organisation).
In that paper, I wrote about instances in which I successfully applied my proficiency in use of statistical tools and expertise in spreadsheet solutions development, to solve real life process management problems.
Among others tools, the concept of Total Waste Unaccounted For (TWUF), was introduced, and its usefulness for reconciliation of calculated waste in manufacturing process operations was discussed.
I’ll be publishing a special PDF report on that concept in future.
Suffice it to say here that when I got to the National Finals of that competition, TWUF was singled out for mention by the judges, as a noteworthy innovation for solving process waste problems.
It was NOT easy…At ALL!
I spent hundreds of hours during my annual leave, writing that paper. And I eventually submitted 7 printed and bound copies to the institute, and enrolled for the competition. All at my own expense.
The zonal competition took place in Ibadan, Oyo state while I was still on annual leave, so I got to partake without people at work knowing about it.
The only persons I told were the three senior managers I gave copies of my final draft to help me read through.
Two were British expatriates, and one was a Nigerian. They were all nice, even polite in receiving me. I told them I needed to be sure nothing I’d written in my paper would be frowned upon by management.
The two expatriate managers got back to me after reading it through. Not only did they have verbal feedback for me, they also made pencilled notes in the copies I gave them, which they returned to me.
In contrast, I never got my draft manuscript back from the Nigerian manager. Despite my best efforts, he also did not volunteer to give me any tips or feedback.
I remained undaunted and went ahead to submit the revised paper.
A few weeks later, I partook in the zonal competition, and came a close second to the winner. I still recall being asked by the organisers and the other participants why I had no formal company representative with me. One or two individuals from some other corporate organisations were actually assigned official transportation etc to the event. I replied that I never formally informed the company that I was enrolling in the competition.
About 2 weeks later, I was back at work in the brewery, when the letter inviting me for the National Finals arrived in the mail. Since I was back on shift I needed to get permission from my boss to be away on the weekend the competition was to hold.
So, I went to his office and told him about my successful zonal outing, and the finals I now had to attend. He promptly agreed.
That was on Friday. On Monday, during the brewery meeting for departmental heads, the announced it to the others.
Next thing I knew, everyone was congratulating me, and/or saying “Go get the prize!”
It was a good feeling, but I would have preferred to have waited till after the finals to inform others.
On Friday I closed afternoon shift at 9p.m, and travelled by night bus from my base in Benin City, Edo State, to Ojota, Lagos.
Due to armed robber ambush threats, we did not get to Lagos until about 1.30p.m. Anyone who knows what Nigeria’s Lagos is like will be aware that it becomes a ghost town from midnight. People hurry home; lock their doors till the next morning.
Why?
Well, the dangerous men of the Night (i.e. armed robbers) often patrolled during that time of the day, till the early hours of the morning, looking to dispossess people of their money and properties.
I quickly disembarked from the bus, and walked up to a Taxi driver standing next to his taxi, just under the pedestrian bridge at Ojota bus stop end.
I asked him where I could find a hotel. He replied that it was too dangerous to go around at that time of the night, and that it would be better if I waited till morning. Then he told me I could join him to sleep in his car till daybreak – which was what he and his colleagues planned to do as a group with their cars parked together that night.
I Had to Sleep In a Taxi at Ojota Motor Park Till Daybreak!
Having no better option I agreed. We soon slept off, and I can recall wondering if I would survive till the next day. At about 5.30 a.m, a bus conductor’s voice woke us, as the early Lagos day began.
I waited till it was 6.00 a.m, then thanked my host, the taxi driver, for his help, then rushed to join a bus headed for Palmgrove. 30 minutes later I arrived at our family house in Gbagada.
My surprised mother still had her mouth hanging open in curious wonder when I rushed into the house to take my bath, change my clothes, and then announce the reason for my visit.
By this time, it was about 8.00a.m. The letter from the institute said contestants had to arrive their Idowu Taylor premises on Victoria Island by 9.00a.m.
I told my mother I could not wait to eat, dashing out to the express way, and flagging down a yellow Lagos taxi. By 8.40a.m, the taxi deposited me in front of the NIM’s Management House. I soon found a snacks seller and quickly downed a bottle of soft drink with a meat pie, then made my way into the hall.
3 hours later it was all over, and unlike my brilliant outing at the zonal competition, I’d choked during my presentation at the nationals!
Read details of what I did wrong and lessons I learnt in this popular article I wrote about that incident.
The point of this article is that the above described experienced did me a lot of good in the long run, even though I did not win the top prize.
Apart from the exposure I got (the press was well represented), my efforts to prepare for the competition led top level decision makers I approached to notice me.
Even though I was not thinking of it at the time, they naturally kept an eye out for me subsequently. I was the first ever manager from Guinness to participate in such an event. And I’d gotten as far as placing 5th at the national finals.
What better way to advertise your potential to your company’s management!
Final Words
I’ll end this piece by saying that I believe it pays to find time to pursue opportunities for self-development and personal advancement outside your workplace.
For one thing, it will help you keep in touch with what’s happening in the world. More importantly, you could end up making yourself appear more valuable to your employer, boosting your job security.
I have no doubt in my mind that the events I’ve described above influenced – to some extent – the rapid career advancement I went on to experience in that company in 5 years that followed
This is why I recommend tat you also explore viable ways to engage in extracurricular that can help you achieve the twin goals of self-development, and career advancement, like I did.
Carefully study available opportunities in the world outside your workplace, against the backdrop of potential opportunities you identify in the company. Then devise a strategy to make the most of them.
Good luck!