How do You Manage People?

Every Nigerian Graduate normally undergoes a compulsory Youth Service for a year after the completion of their first degree. So, I was posted to a school to teach as my place of primary assignment. The next day after receiving the letter, I went to the school to report. On getting to the school, I met the Principal in a class room. I greeted Him but didn’t answer well. I thought he was frustrated until I realized it’s his nature. I quietly said to myself “how on earth will I survive here with this man?”

The man on the spot angrily signed my paper. In fact, I wanted him to reject me because of his attitude toward me, but he didn’t. Then since he didn’t reject me, I started thinking of how to handle the situation. Everyday he fights with at least a staff. It was so annoying that I was thinking of what I would do the day he fights with me. Not so long after that day, it came to my turn and he started the way he used to. The only thing I did was to keep quiet. Having been taught that silence is a great weapon when you don’t know what to do. The man respected me for not talking and left. After that day, we became close. The man later loved me so much because of my diligence to work.

A relationship was developed to the extent that the person who was not ready to greet me now became someone who talked about what was going on around him. We became friends and He even called me to let me know his movement whenever he wanted to go out of the school environment. One thing I learnt from the experience is that, when you endure people, you will understand them. Before I could understand him, I had to endure him. And my endurance made the relationship to work out.