THE QUINTESSENTIAL NIGERIAN WORKER

THE QUINTESSENTIAL NIGERIAN WORKER – 31/03/09

The Nigerian worker aspires to a point where his table is cleared of blame. This is achieved by ensuring there is somebody else is to blame. Preferably some patsy who is too weak to fight back. The strong overpower the weak.

The perfect Nigerian worker sails through his day with very little worry. He is not a team player. He is not here to help you or to provide solutions to your problems or to support you in any way. He is here to support himself and if you wish to support him, even better, as long as you deliver to his requirements and on time. He only believes in team work when it is useful to him meeting his own deliverables. Otherwise, it is an alien concept.

I come from an environment where it is encouraged to be a team player. In this environment, being a team player is asking for it. You never, ever take on some one elses work. Make a mistake and you are the one to take the blame for everything that has gone wrong since the other person started in the company. I just had an ear full from some one who was telling me what to do to correct his mistakes. I had taken on board his requests and subsequently when things did not go well, he started screaming in my ear that I did not follow his instructions.

I could have told him to go shove it but that would not be professional of me. He’s already going to stew in his own juices, I don’t have to make it worse for him (I should make it worse for him really, that’s probably what he would have done if the tables were turned)

Do I seek to become the perfect Nigerian worker with my tightly delineated job spec. and woe betide anyone that comes to ask for anything beyond my spec. or do I continue down the lonely path of being there for everyone, the quintessential team player that wins no medals for supporting the team (if such a concept exists)?

Hmmmm time will tell, time will tell…