Did you all remember when Eukaria was introduced on the Honest Bunch podcast? She immediately cautioned the host to introduce her properly. This is the same energy Tony Elumelu showed and he’s very right to have done that.
One of the lady graduating from UBA banking school said “Good Morning TONY” and Tony Elumelu corrected her immediately
As much as I understand she was supposed to say Good Morning Sir without mentioning his name
But I think it was the training they gave them to address people with their first name
She was supposed to know when to draw the line
“When a child calls me by my name, I pull them closer and tell them, ‘You haven’t earned the right, and you never will.’ Even children in the U.S. call me ‘Ma’am’. This is Africa after all.” — Actress Shaffy Bello
I have been privileged to work across over 20 countries including the United States and UK as a Gen Z. In many rooms I have been in, I was the youngest person.
So I can tell you, the greatest skill you need in your corner is not your certificate, but the ability to work across cultures and systems.
The fact that the 76-year old CEO in my workplace 3 streets away from the White House asked me to call him by his first name Damon doesn’t mean I should come back to Nigeria and call Dr. Oby Ezekwesili by her first name.
It’s lack of social intelligence. When you are in Rome, you behave like a Roman. Adapt quickly or be left behind.
A Turkish proverb says, “If a father bathes his children, both will laugh, and if a son bathes his father, both will cry.” Such is the painful beauty of life, where love comes full circle with time.