Segun Cadmus: Culture Rule 1, Letters From A Mentor

Segun Cadmus: Culture Rule 1, Letters From A Mentor

Culture Rule 1: Make sure what you know is complete and correct

I am what people will call a gullible man, what anyone tells me is good enough, i don’t bother to check if what i know or what i have been told is complete and correct. You can just call me a lazy person when it comes to gathering information before deciding on what to do

This culture of mine changed, when i graduated from the university many years ago, and i was eager to face the world and conquer it head on.

I first tried my hands on getting a job as an administrator of a supermarket. Things were quick easy those days, so it did not take me long to get one, and after working for several years, i believed i was finally living the dream.

The money was good, the people were good, the supermarket was doing well.

One day a friend of mine came to the supermarket and told me what i was earning was little compared to what i could earn if i decide to go into business for myself as a cylinder manufacturer. He said it was what he was already doing, but he wants to expand, and he needed a business partner

He said the business was divided into different 3 sections, i should take the first and he would take the second and the third. So, as i produce, he would take my products to make his own; thus, he would pay me for my portion of the manufacturing, i would always be in business

It sounded so nice, within moments i began to imagine all the money i would make. I trusted him completely.

He said the business was capital intensive, so i would need some money to use to buy the equipments. When he told me how much i needed, i saw it was obvious i needed more money.

I decided to ask friends and family to help me with the funding. They were quite shocked at what i was planning to do.

When i approached my uncle for money, he looked up at me and asked these questions

  • What do you know about this business?
  • How many people do you know are succeeding in this business?
  • How long did it take them to start making money?
  • Would you need training for this business?

It was then it occurred to me that all i knew was what my friend had told me. I needed to do some digging myself.

I must confess it was hard at first, but after 3 weeks of research, i got some shocking news

  • People who go into that business are technical oriented individuals
  • A lot of people who go into it don’t make money until after 18 months of investments
  • Maintenance cost is really high
  • Good Machines are hard to find

It now made sense, the information by friend told me was not complete, he left out so many areas.

With this information, i simply called my friend to find out if he knew about all i just got. He was shocked at what i had dug up. He tried to tell me all that didn’t matter, but i had already made up my mind. NOOOOOOO THANNNK YOU!!!!!

Dear Child, that lesson made me realize that whatever i wanted to do, i had to gather information in every area as possible, thus, i needed FACTS , NOT JUST OPINIONS.

That made sense: FACTS, NOT OPINIONS. How many times have you made decisions based on opinions of others, yet you never took the time to gather the facts, and made sure those facts are complete and correct.

Such bad habits on not making sure the information was complete and correct, has destroyed marriages, businesses, relationships, job opportunities, family relationships, the list goes on and on.

So, i got my first letter ‘ F ‘ Facts, not Opinions

Dear Child, please make sure you don’t jump into conclusions on anything, take the time to get as much information as possible, and ensure that information is complete and correct

Thus, Culture rule 1 : Make sure what you know is complete and correct

If not for this culture rule, i might have quit my job, and gone into a business i knew nothing about, but relied on what my friend told me; not taking the time to find out about it myself.

Please learn from me, don’t make the mistake i almost did. Apply this culture rule everywhere, i know it means you have to do some digging of your own , but it is worth it in the end. I promise you.

In my next letter, i would tell you how i got the next letter for the culture matrix

Remember, your culture is everything

Mentor

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Written by: Segun Cadmus

Segun Cadmus is a “Certified” Human Resource Business Management Practitioner that uses Highly Researched Result Oriented Tools and Processes to Promote Human Capacity and Organisational Development. With over 15 years of experience, 2 Degrees and 7 Professional Qualifications in the following Core Areas of an Organization :-
1. Financial Accounting
2. Human Resources
3. Strategic Management
4. Public Relations
5. Corporate Administration
6.Training and Development
7. Information Technology

Yewande Jinadu

Yewande Jinadu is the Founder of CareerLife Nigeria(careerlife.com.ng) and also a Strategic HR Business Partner of a leading tech firm. She's a certified HR Professional with a mix of Generalist and Specialist Experience who supports the business to achieve it's goals through the people. Her strengths are in Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Employee Engagement, Organization Development and Employer Branding. Her social initiative, CareerLife Foundation solving UN SDG Goal 8 is aimed at reducing unemployment by helping graduates and professionals become Employable and accelerate their career growth. With various awards won both locally and globally, her vision is to help millions of youths achieve measurable success in their career. Yewande holds the Senior Professional of Human Resources International (SPHRi) Certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI), USA. She is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (ACIPM) and has a Practitioners License to practice HR in Nigeria. She's the Convener of the Employability Fitness Program, an initiative aimed at helping young graduates overcome interview Phobia and the barriers in Recruitment process through mentoring. She is a public speaker and has been featured on various media platforms including: BellaNaija, SheLeadsAfrica, GuardianWoman, Women of Rubies etc Some of her recognitions include: Top 50 Career Influencers in Africa by The Workbooth Magazine and also a the top 10 Platinum members of Career Influencers. Top 150 Global HR Influencer by Social Micole. Top 100 Career Women in Nigeria by 9to5Chick Top 30 Leading Women in HR by Worden HCD You can reach out to her by sending a mail to: info@careerlife.com.ng and follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @careerlifeng

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