I remember that Sunday afternoon in May 2014. I got a call from an unrecognized number, asking for directions to my house. It was a female voice. I asked her why she wanted to come to me and who gave her my number, and she said she was coming to see my newborn, and that she would explain when she arrived. It was a few weeks after I gave birth, so I was still on maternity leave. I sensed some truth and assurance in her voice and directed her to my house. I was on the balcony watching her as she drove into the compound on a flashy mint-coloured jeep. She got out of her car with her three beautiful daughters and greeted me with a smile. I smiled back and showed her the entrance downstairs. I looked at my mum and whispered, “Mummy, I still can’t recognize this face.” but I held my peace and waited for her to come upstairs.
She came and greeted me again. I answered, looking at her with curiosity. She
said to me, “I know you’ll be wondering who I am and how I know you. Well, I have heard a lot about you, business-wise and was thrilled by your record because it’s my area. I heard you gave birth and decided to pay a visit after church service today. Congratulations on your new baby. ” I felt honoured and welcomed her. We had a few chats, I presented a ‘kola’ for them, they gave me a baby gift, and then left.
At first, I didn’t take her seriously because I had a mistaken interpretation of her personality. She looked so pretty, so stylish, and seemed a potential distraction. So I never bothered to know her more. When I resumed work, she called again and visited my office. She wanted me to put her through in the visa business and as I got closer to her, I realized I was wrong in my judgement. She was a go-getter, a very homely, godly, and ambitious woman. She owned a travel agency where she was doing ticketing business and needed to incorporate a visa business, too. She told a few people about her intentions, and they all recommended me.
It’s exactly 10 years of friendship, sisterhood, and experience of shared business interests/values with Doris. Doris is one of the strongest women I know. Her determination, resilience, and zeal are top-notch. She is intelligent, supportive, homely, reserved, fun to be with, and God-fearing. With these attributes, she didn’t find it too difficult sailing on the path of success.
Doris was attracted by a good track record through which she built her track record. She started the visa business and was learning gradually till she became confident and started recording successes. There was no fast track on her journey, It was a process built with hard work, the right attitude and consistency.
In this era of reduced security of employment and increasing competition, the need to establish a good track record both in professional or unprofessional ventures, can not be over-emphasized. Just like light cannot be hidden under a bushel, a good track record can never be hidden, it shines forth and radiates around all corners.
How thick is your track record? Is it visible enough? Can you rate your impact on others?
How well are your products and services sought? Who speaks for you? How far can your track record sell? Is it visible in media (including social media)? Can it generate views, mentions, likes, shares, and comments?
A good track record starts on a clean slate and it’s built bit by bit from the ground level. There are guided pathways and stepping stones from where growth is formed. It is a growth that happens slowly and keeps advancing from one stage to the other until it becomes conspicuous.
It is said that not making a choice is still making a choice but in a passive way. We all must choose a path, good or bad, whether as an individual or an entity. Our choices determine our different track records. As a company, the good record could be that of staff retention, regular incentives, timely payment of salary, staff award/promotion, staff training, client/customer satisfaction, and so on. As an individual, it could be honesty, integrity, loyalty, punctuality, commitment and so on. The bad record of either an individual or company needs not be mentioned.
The culmination of these records determines the performance and reputation of an individual or a company. Thus, everybody and every business has a record, whether we accept it or not. Keeping track of the record and seeing what it yields is where the difference lies.
Some children have exceptional records in both academics and character. They are homely, domesticated, engaged, and fully involved in household chores, school work, and indoor/outdoor activities. They grow up being intentional about their duties in life, and that continues to advance and eventually matures into an astonishing track record. The majority of the people who have demonstrated exemplary performances in their careers and professions were stimulated early into multi-discipline duties by their parents or teachers. It is a habit formed from an early stage.
The quest is towards a track record of relevance whether on a personal or professional level. It starts from being recognized and distinguished for good and positive impacts and crowned with creating an imprint of a sustainable track record. This is hard to achieve because people are willing to write off others in the flimsiest way, but it is attainable. I hope you take your reputation seriously and build a track record you and your future generations can be proud of.
โ๏ธ Amara Ann Unachukwu
