A Personal experience with a report...what's yours? By Coachkay
Back in the days when I was in human resources. I had a direct report who joined us as a
cleaner (in his blue overalls). He would come as early as 5 am to clean and disappear, just
like the others before 9 am; which was when they were supposed to function as messengers.
A colleague in human resources had noticed that he spoke quite well for a cleaner in
overalls, and went on to advise him to resume at eight, like the rest of us in a clean shirt and
tie. Which he did. During our highly intensive 6-8 week staff induction process for fresh
hires, he was again invited by my colleagues to man the copy machine, buy and serve lunch,
and perform any other clerical duties given to him. In time almost no one knew he still
functioned as a cleaner.
Two years later, he approached me to inform me that he had completed his University
degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management; communicating a strong desire to
join us as a junior HR executive; and possibly write the company’s entry aptitude test to join
us. I gladly wrote the Chief Executive Officer, CEO an official office memo, asking for approval
to do the needful but it was angrily turned down. The issue was the blue overalls had
convinced them that he could never be one of us – he had been labeled and permanently
written off to the junior cadre.
I angrily wrote another official memo requesting the purchase of a desktop computer for
him – which was approved. Then I went to work on growing him into the image they needed
to see.
I asked him if he had the funds to purchase a one-terabyte hard drive. You see I had a plan,
but I wanted it to cost him something. With the hard drive he purchased, I proceeded to
copy all my official templates (letters, memos, setting up HR infrastructure docs and
standard operating procedures, salary files, training design templates, books he needed to
read, staff induction templates, training needs analysis, performance appraisal templates
etc. I copied everything I had ever done, going back 13-14 years into the drive – and told him
to resume on Monday in a "coat and tie" – and sit in front of his desktop computer – ready
for work. On Monday I said to him, “young man, every letter, memo, needs anaylysis,
performance appraisal job, salary administrative computation, which needs to be done by
my office will be done by you going forward. He screamed in terror. I then said, “you have it
all – you have everything I have ever done, going back 13-14 years. My templates are all in
your hands; get to work please!
And slowly at first he faltered, he failed. He would spend a week writing a simple memo. He
would come in at weekends, on his own to do official work even though he was still being
paid the salary of a cleaner – the company had refused to elevate him. He was taking a risk.
Since he had also stopped doing the cleaning. His cleaning colleagues often laughed at the
clothes he wore – He wore a “coat not a suit because that was what he could afford”. He
learned by STRETCH and SUPPORT. I made him learn how to do my job via multiple stretch
assignments under official deadlines. I instructed all who tried to treat him like a cleaner, to
leave him alone. Over two years, he began to excel at my job.
The challenge: I knew the management team would never upgrade him but I did not care.
Two years later I resigned and left the place. Leaving him behind with my best wishes. And
that was when everyone saw his best work – he excelled as a junior HR executive with
experience equaling my current level. What's your own story in this regard?
Cheers!
Published by
Kayode Olufemi-AyoolaKayode Olufemi-Ayoola
Over 4,000 hours of Executive Coaching. 2,000+ hrs of 360-Degree Debriefing Sessions.
2,000+ hrs of C-Suite sessions, strong expertise on Personal Core-Values ,10,000+ hours of
free one-on-one career coachingOver 4,000 hours of Executive Coaching. 2,000+ hrs of 360Degree Debriefing Sessions. 2,000+ hrs of C-Suite sessions, strong expertise on Personal
Core-Values ,10,000+ hours of free one-on-one career coaching
Published • 1mo
10 articles
A Personal experience with a report...what's yours?