Reflecting on how inconsistent people can be and why you should never seek adulation from people

I was thinking recently about how unreliable some people can be. You know those people who say one thing but do something else? or those who appear to be friendly and on your side and then they go right behind you and stab you in the back? Yes those people, I just hope we are not “those people”. Anyway, as I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that the Easter story somewhat typifies this quite well.

Easter is an annual celebration of…

Thoughts on the reasons behind many of our communication challenges

I remember a story a senior colleague shared with me about something she experienced in the early 90s between a boss and his newly resumed subordinate who was on her first job. The boss wanted the new employee to scan and copy documents onto a CD ahead of an important client meeting but instead of telling her to do just that, he told her to “burn” the documents (office jargon). The subordinate was confused, did not ask clarifying questions, and went ahead to burn the documents. A few days before…

Wondering what we have become as a result of our trust issues

I went to my brother’s house a few weeks ago and on getting there, I realised that my phone battery had gone flat shortly before I arrived. As there was no other way to notify him of my arrival. I got out of my car and started banging on the gate but no one came out to open it. …

Reflecting on our penchant for acquiring foreign accents

One of my all-time favourite period movies is “My Fair Lady”. Set in London in 1912, the film tells the story of Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetics professor who attempts to teach a young flower sales girl, Eliza Doolittle, how to speak proper English. Professor Higgins believed that one’s accent and vocal tone were instrumental in their ability to interact with society and he decided to teach Eliza, who had a strong cockney accent, to prove his point. …

Wondering why women get the short end of the stick.

I decided to write something women-focused, in the spirit of International Women’s Day, especially as this year’s theme “Choose to Challenge” stood out for me. I noticed several social media posts from women stating what they had chosen to challenge and it made me think about gender biases; how they have come to be, how they are sustained, and what can be done about them.

Throughout my early years, I never really knew or understood that gender biases existed, largely because I grew up within an environment where gender roles…

Musings on communication issues across generational divides

I recently stumbled on a tweet from a guy who appeared to be in his late 20s, early 30s at the most? He had tweeted about a new intern who had contacted him via chat and he was shocked that she had referred to him and his boss by name. This was not the first time I had seen someone express shock at being called by his/ her first name by someone presumably younger so I was not surprised.

Why do conversations like this appear to come up more frequently these days? It’s…

…wondering if there is a connection between maintaining personal space and adapting to social distancing

Once upon a time, the molue was a very present fixture on Lagos roads. In case you are wondering, it was a large, yellow coloured, mass transit intra-state bus that plied major routes in Lagos. Think about it as the granddaddy of the modern-day BRT buses but without the modern structure and build. The bus was designed to carry 49 sitting passengers but to maximise profit, the bus conductors would allow many more people to also stand throughout the trip, and you would see a…

Pondering on the gradual exodus of some Nigerians to greener pastures

Sometime in the 1980s, most likely during the Babangida regime, a national orientation TV advert aired featuring the late actor Enebeli Elebuwa as Andrew, the main character. In the advert, Andrew can be seen holding his bag and walking to the airport, visibly complaining about the lack of jobs, power, water, and other basic amenities. Someone tries to dissuade him as he walks ahead and then he utters the words “I’m tired of this country …I’m checking out”. If I remember, the advert was intended to highlight the importance…