Work-Life Conversations
“You are important in the journey of life. You are the source of every other thing about you that matters to you. Stop putting yourself last in the order of things. Self-care is very important in striking a balance between life and work.”
These are a few of my latest mantras which I got from the #WorkLifeConversation.
The very first time I checked up what ‘conversation’ meant on enthymonline.com was a blessed day because I always felt more deeper meaning to the word than a dialogue or two people communicating. I wasn’t shocked when I saw that the word used to mean place where one lives or dwells or general course of actions or habits, manner of conducting oneself in the world in the mid 14th century — these tenses are obsolete now but I still believe strongly in the little nuances of these meanings because that’s how I perceive conversations.
Conversations are more than what we say, who we say it to, how we say it or what we mean when we say it — they are exchange of ideas, thoughts, vibes, auras, concepts and ideologies. I love having conversations and Nkem Offonabo — Founder, The Work-Life Organisation, the convener of Work Life Conversation knows this, hence the special and paid entry into the just concluded edition in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The meet was after work on a Friday in Lagos, the city that never sleeps and though Friday night plans differ for each individuals, the weekend must be enjoyed and the Work Life conversation was the perfect weekend kickstarter I needed.
On arriving the venue, I was asked to follow a small registration gesture, take some pictures and get comfortable. Nkem was introduced by the Compere, Jude Adigwe — Organizational and Human Resources Consultant. She stepped forward and sat with us, made us feel comfortable and human to understand that we are here to share our experiences, struggles and find solution that will lead to us living the lives we aspire to.
I don’t see through people but I hear their words and hold it to my heart and Nkem built the essential building blocks for the conversation — she is paddling a boat on unfamiliar terrain; a concept that is needed as the sky needs the sun yet no one is talking about. Work-life balance should be a prevalent matter of discussion on the lips of every firm that cares or claim to care about her workers.
There were three speed sessions — as fast as time flies yet as true as life is. The first was by Dayo Obisan — Managing Director, Greenwich Asset Management Limited who made me reevaluate my essential life convictions; he left me with three things I have started sharing with loved ones:
The best things in life are free.
Little things count
You have your own peculiarity. It’s your responsibility to figure out how to manage it.
Mr Emmanuel Michael — Head of People Experience, Letshego MFB has a systems-and-structure personality and this is what he shared in the few minutes he had. He works with a schedule no matter where he is in and what he has to do. He has a to-do list for each day and even has a social media content calendar (that’s to show you the extent of the framework he works with)
Lastly, Kayode Akinade — Managing Director, Microvis Group left us with refreshing and encouraging words. He advised to align daily activities with life goals and he shared the 4 C’s he has built his work and life upon (Character, Competence, Communication and Commitment)
Joseph Ogundare (Facilitator) — Leadership and Workplace Coach had the rest of the floor with the actual conversation. He was very practical and relatable to most of us in the room as we all strive to find some work-life balance. The conversation spurred when he played a video of a woman who just found out she had cancer after she canceled three doctor’s appointment because she was busy with everything other than herself. He showed us a circle of urgency and importance; helped us identify tasks that were urgent and important, went further to help us differentiate those tasks from those who weren’t urgent nor important.
I also wished we had the entire day to really dive into the dangerous waters of this direction of conversation but enough was said and shared to make me reevaluate, realign, reconsider and rework my life’s goals, convictions and values.
It wasn’t just a good time listening and networking, it was a refreshing time for the mind and liberating time for the soul.
This is a conversation that would eventually be held at bigger platforms than this, on higher podiums than this and across different multinationals and Nkem happens to be at the frontline of these discussions.
