I am sure someone somewhere is
waiting to read this publication to quicken an inevitable action. Yes, a
preservative action that could save your life, business, family or career.
Devil most times carries out his
plots through immediate subordinates, friends, employees and other people
around his targeted victim. This article is meant to open the eyes of someone.
I watched as Thomas Sankara's
wife, the former First Lady of Burkina Faso, narrated how her husband's best
friend, Blaise Compaore and the second in command in her husband's government,
conspired with foreign powers and enemies within to dethrone and kill her
husband.
Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi's case was
even more pathetic as Lt. Col Alexander Madiebo, an army officer from Ironsi's
ethnic group, got wind of an impending assassination of Ironsi and overthrow of
his military government by some officers as a reprisal to Major Nzeogwu's
lopsided elimination of Northern Nigerian political elite in 1966 met and told
Ironsi of the plot.
Gen Ironsi reprimanded Madiebo,
the tale-bearer, before those very officers he accused of hatching the plot.
The coup planners had to bring forward the killing of Gen. Ironsi and the
takeover of Nigeria's military government to safely protect those involved and
avert the consequences of further leakage. Gen Ironsi was blinded to obeisance
and physical loyalty as most bosses in exalted offices.
In 1985, Major Gen. Buhari
repeated the Ironsi mistake when he treated with levity, a clear report
forewarning him of an impending overthrow of his regime. Gen Buhari merely
summoned the accused coup plotters and confronted them with the rumour. He was
too trusting, as he still is now as a civilian president.
Of course, the coup's arrowheads
denied and pledged their loyalty to Buhari, who was removed from office much
earlier than planned. The shock of his overthrow was to live with him for
decades to come.
But Gen. Sani Abacha would not
hear of any dangerous rumour and waive it aside. Never! As an experienced coup
plotter and executor, immediately he became Nigeria's head of state, he treated
every rumour as true and actioned on any suspicion.
I am still perplexed why Jesus
did not deal with Judas after he became aware that Judas was intent on
betraying him. Jesus had all evidence that Judas, as the treasurer of his
ministry, was stealing from the purse as captured in John 12:6, but he took no
action.
Jesus also knew Judas as a liar
and the one who would sell him to the leaders of Israel, many days and hours
before Judas struck, but Jesus did not do anything. We were told that Jesus'
destiny was sealed. Perhaps, that could be the reason why he indulged Judas
till the end.
Do you share the same destiny
with Jesus? Would you keep harbouring a subordinate or employee even with
mountainous evidence of his or her disloyal or subterranean tendencies?
Do not give a second chance to a
traitor! Forgive the person once discovered but quickly sack them because a
bowed head of a captured armed robber does not translate to repentance. Bad
behaviour is like perfume. Open the lid of the container, and it will ooze out.
Activate an intelligence gathering mechanism in your office to enable you to
understand the mind of your employees or subordinates. You could periodically
set a trap for them and dismiss the trapped.
Mounting closed-circuit
television cameras in and around your office could help, but that is not
enough. Banks sometimes plant cash in a bank teller's cubicle to test their
integrity the same way they send a misery shopper to get service feedback. If
you notice that your subordinate, especially the second most senior officer in
your organization, has started building linkages and would always be seen
within and around the ultimate boss' office, immediately plot for his/transfer
or sack; otherwise, you would wake up one morning to find yourself replaced or
sacked.
If you gather, hear, or suspect
that your ambitious female subordinate and your second officer in charge have
started sleeping with your boss, be real. Start plotting your exit from that
location or the organization. It is not a prayer matter. Just move, or you
shall be moved. A junior colleague who has slept with your boss is now your
superior. A junior staff that could make the superior boss cry a loud cry of
happiness could orchestrate any other staff's sack. Most times, innocent people
are sacked to make happiness dispensing junior staff happy. Doubt it and be
doomed.
A doubter may need to find out
why King Herod approved that John de Baptist be killed and his head gifted on a
platter to someone that needed him killed. I doubt if any of my readers are
holier or more prayerful than the man that baptized Jesus. Jesus himself said
in Matthew 11:12, "that from the days of John the Baptist until now the
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force."
Then imagine what is obtainable
in the kingdom of men, offices or power stable. Disloyal staff are more like
the men and women of violence. Since a
chain is strongest at its weakest point, the noncommittal staff is the weak
link, and you are vulnerable through him or her.
Yes! The strength of a masquerade
lies in those around him. A disloyal staff is an open window through which you
shall be attacked. Close it! Therefore, fish out that disloyal person in your
team today and sack or transfer him/her far away from you. If the person is a
close relation, apply the wisdom Abraham exhibited in Gen 13:5-13. Separate
from him. Do not live with him. If need be, maintain the distance Esau did from
Jacob after he was hoodwinked.
Do not make Gen. Ironsi's or
Major Gen. Buhari's mistakes. Just sack the person even if you were wrong in
assumption. It is better and safer for you because no disloyal staff would own
up to his or her devices. Any victim of sack or transfer based on suspicion of
betrayal or disloyalty should not overly blame the boss. The person was caught
in friendly fire.
The wrong accusation is
regrettable but essential. If your employee starts questioning your authority
over him through overt or covert body language or disobedient conducts, sack
him or her immediately. Do not waste time. Oh yes! There is always a crack before
a collapse. A cock might have grown teeth overnight. Follow your mind’s voice.
Do not re-engage any staff you
sacked. He or She may be on a revenge mission. You could re-employ staff who
resigned on their own but never a sacked ex-staff. It is dangerous. If you are
a brilliant subordinate and you work under an unsure, incompetent and insecure
boss, start scheming on how to leave or resign as soon as you can. If you are
sacked doing so, do not worry, it still would have happened. You indeed would
be deemed disloyal and an enemy if you do not port. It is a double-edged sword.
The person aiming to kill a
poisonous snake should be careful and alert because the snake being hounded
could strike the hunter in a surprise attack. Working in the office, especially
at the management level, is more like a game of chase. Play it well.
A staff working in a corporate
environment should be wise to identify the possible CEOs amongst the top
management staff cadre and perfect the act of switching loyalty when a change
of guard occurs. It is safest to be demonstrably loyal to your immediate boss.
While rating his vice president's
loyalty during his tenure as the president of Nigeria, President Obasanjo said
that 99.9% of loyalty was equivalent to 0% loyalty.
Sometimes, you may need to sack
or redeploy a subordinate or even initiate your transfer to remain alive. Not
all your subordinates are normal human beings like you. Some of them are
different beings at night. It takes a third eye to realize that your
subordinate is actually your senior in the netherworld.
Do not allow yourself to be
sacked or wasted. Do the needful when you can.
Chief Anayo Nwosu
is a celebrated bank manager, finance and investment consultant and prolific
writer.
No comments:
Post a Comment