Be Yourself - by Friday Okwori

The Executive Director of the Retail Directorate, along with his team, embarked on a marketing campaign. Yes, I know what you’re currently thinking: a lavish private jet trip to Dubai to finalize a huge contract with a brand ambassador on behalf of the company. You mean that sort of marketing deal? I’ll forgive you for having that thought. Well, it was a mass market campaign on the streets- it’s retail customers they are interested in, not HNIs or affluents. Oh, before your imagination tricks you once again, the ED was not with any security detail or protocols. Like the rest of the team, he was bare on the streets. The ED is an incredible man who is powerful, yet humble. He is rumored to be the present MD's successor (worst kept secret); in fact, some say the bank was trying to dominate the retail sector, so the Board of Directors had to beg him to take on the ED post. The MD embodies every possible thing you can think of, including a flawless banker. The crowd at the market storm was enormous, and the lean team was overpowered. The audience was really unusual. Nobody was able to pinpoint the exact cause, whether it was the ED's presence or the anticipation of treats at the end (trust world people now, everybody wan collect palliative). Every team member understood their goals - open accounts and receive deposits. It’s banking business they came for after all and not United Nations or some sort of ‘osho-free’ work. It was easy for RMs to become sidetracked by the raucous audience and the flurry of activities, but this team was unaffected because they had received extensive training from the ED on how to fully accomplish the campaign goals. They had a blueprint for this campaign. Eyes on the prize. Alaye no lose focus! When the ED is present, it is typical to see RMs doing eye service 'upandan' especially during such market storms. People strive to be seen and in the spotlight. Actually, it wouldn't matter if they at least had something tangible to show for all of their struggles. You have to be loud and everywhere so oga will notice you. Being quiet and in the backstage aren’t your best buddies in such a moment. It can affect your promotion, or so it seems. RMs worked all day long but it seemed like it was not meant to be. Each and every marketing tactic was unsuccessful. Even after all the potential "lamba" was spoken, deposits and accounts remained absurdly low. The next MPR was going to be brutal. Good luck to those already on probation. A miracle was needed to save such awful performance. It did occur, but it was from the least likely RM. It's not that he doesn't perform well at work or achieve goals; rather, he prefers to be quiet and do his job. Baba avoids the limelight like it’s a plague. I wish you luck in trying to convince him that he must make himself known. He’s been like this all his life. The irony is that everyone disregarded the youngster who brought this big-ticket transaction. He was all alone in the crowd, not loud, not important by any human or banker standard. Before the RM discovered him, he was simply sitting with his "five loaves and two fishes." The team's destiny was positively altered by a single deal. Even their balance sheet was grinning. Finding an article online about how to get attention is really simple. Every other day, there is a webinar about "being in people's faces," particularly in the workplace. Do more, be more and have more. It’s all good but at what cost? It’s wild how society constantly tells us that to be valuable, you have to be loud, always in people’s faces, basically shouting your worth with a ring light in hand. But sometimes, it’s not about being visible, but being available. People lose their identity in a bid to be accepted by society. The miracle you’re expecting will not always come from the ‘starboy’ but from the most unexpected person in the room and it’s okay if you’re not always the one in the spotlight. Stay ready, stay faithful and when the time comes, this might just be the difference. Stay true to yourself, it’s fine to be visible but make sure you’re not losing yourself. In case you skipped the whole story to read only the last part (I also do it sometimes so no biggie), the moral of the story is that you don’t need the spotlight to be valuable. Show up even when you’re not the one with the mic. • ED – Executive Director • RM – Relationship Manager • MPR- Monthly Performance Review Article is culled from The Boy with five loaves and two fishes John 6:1-15. Andrew, the disciple, is the RM.

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