UNDERSTAND YOUR SEASONS He sat at the reception waiting for the Procurement Manager as usual. This has been his practice for about nine working days now; leave home as early as 6am arrive at this company around 7:45 and wait till about 12 noon. And each one of those days, he never had the opportunity to see the Procurement Manager he wanted to meet with. He was a supplier of factory disposables and cleaning chemicals. His intention was to present samples to the procurement manager of this manufacturing company so as for the company to place orders. He believed in the efficacy and quality of what he sold and in his conviction if he makes this presentation, he will get an order. He was of average height, dark and a bit on the big side. His pot belly rested generously over his huge laps concealing his belt, and the buttons on his worn out light blue shirt struggled to hold the shirt together under the pressure of his belly size. He wore a grey old jacket with a couple of oil stains on the lapel and the collar of the jacket was shredded due to age. His black pair of trousers was faded and glossy due to the impact of long and several ironing, and the lose helms of this pair of trouser were suspended over big brown, dirty shoes, and in between, woolly grey socks. He was about 65 years of age, not less; Greying bushy hair and sideburns. His eye brows were grey as-well and underneath were a pair of tired, blood shot watery eyes. He looked up every time the door leading to the PAs office opened expecting to be the next to be called up and every time someone else was, his face fell with disappointment. He clutched the handle of a tattered old briefcase in his left hand even though the briefcase was resting on the floor, indicating he hoped to be the next to go in to see the Procurement manager. After waiting for about 15 minutes it was his turn, immediately the PA called his name he jumped up and dashed for the door towards the PA. In the process he knocked over the table at the centre of the reception and the flower vase fell and broke. He apologised to whoever cared to listen but didnt stop in his rush, the PA made way for him and he dashed quickly into the Procurement Managers office. I smiled, He didnt recognise me, hmmm. I know all about this man – at least career wise. I know him, I know him so well. Over 10 years ago, my career journey required that I had dealings with this man who was now retired. He used to be the Manufacturing Director of a leading company the establishment I worked for then had dealings with. He was very powerful, very influential and tough. He was feared and revered throughout his company. Even the Managing Director of the company then didnt wield as much influence. Everyone even beyond the production team feared him, he could fire at any occasion and instance, he had zero tolerance for errors and mistakes. Very vindictive and he held grudges even with drivers, security guards and office assistants. He held official prisoners and in their words, he was a corporate terrorist. One of his victims then, who happen to be my friend today, has become the Managing Director of a different Manufacturing Company. So this former boss of his came to him begging for help to supply stuff for factory use, and my friend the MD referred him to the procurement manager. According to my friend this man invested most of his benefits after retirement into small scale farming and food processing but eventually lost everything due to lack of experience, low energy level, bad employees, poor contacts and ignorance regarding the industry. He had to sell a couple of houses, cars and shares to sustain his family and pay the school fees of his remaining kids in private universities. Then I began to think about career and life seasons and something dawned on me. In my submission, retirement may not really be when an individual quits paid employment. I think retirement is when an individual is out of active service in both paid employment and private or personal business. I think retirement is that season in life when an individual begins to reap and eat the reward of hard-work and investments. Retirement period should be void of running helter skelter still trying to pay bills and making ends meet. Retirement should be times of rest, travel, going on vacation, global shopping, religious and community service. Its a time to see the world, stay at the best hotels in tourist cities like, Rome, Greece, Egypt, California, the Bahamas and the likes. Its time to go and see the world cup finals live, Ryders Cup, Wimbledons open for tennis, global concerts, religious cities and programs. It is definitely not the time to keep running about trying to still make ends meet - chasing individuals who were management trainees when you were already in senior management for contracts and business opportunities. It can be devastating. In Nigeria today, one of the major factors responsible for growing unemployment is the number of individuals whom have worked for over 20 to thirty years and are still not willing to retire and create room for fresh graduates to get jobs. The employment grid is almost stagnant, its not flowing human resource wise, the outflow is very slow, and this naturally affects the inflow of fresh hands. The true and rapid growth of any nation is a function of the number of entrepreneurs they have. Many experienced, hardworking employees shun early retirement and private practice for financial security sakes and the ease and convenience of paid employment. Some even claim they are not cut out for private practice forgetting about four generations ago, almost every Nigerian was self-employed in personal business, craft or trade. The economic state of the nation today may make retirement at a much later age difficult for many people in career. Success in personal business today requires a lot of energy, tenacity, consistency, speed, dynamism and quick recovery. Either you retire early or late from paid employment, the likelihood of eventually doing something of your own afterwards is high.So why not start early when you still have the energy, time, connection and flair to make good success of it. Study the seasons and understand your times. All you enjoy today may not truly be yours. Take a moment today to deduct all the perks and benefits that come to you because of where you work. What is left is whats truly yours. Dear friend, read your seasons well and be true to yourself, for how long will you allow fear and insecurity prevent you from embracing the realities of your future? Tell, what does your future hold? Think about it. Enjoy your day.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 10:51:21 +0000
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