Interview Thursday: Chatting with my Boss

My warm-hearted, good looking, resourceful, intelligent and wonderful boss had a chat with me.

I intend for this to be the beginning of my Thursday interview series. Expect more….

I have a very wonderful boss and I was so glad that she could honor this interview. Thank you Ore. You are the best.

Standtall: You have being blogging since 2005; can you share your "blogging" experience with us? How has the journey being till date?

Ore: It's been great, though the frequency and nature of my posts have changed over time. Initially, I post very frequently. The relative anonymity I enjoyed also gave me more freedom to write whatever I wanted. Now, I feel more constrained by the fact that many people know who I am and as a result am more careful about what I write. However, I love to write and am happy to have one more outlet for my writing.

Standtall: What advantage do you think a blog has over a website?

Ore: A blog is much easier to update than a website. I have both blogs and a website and find that I update the blog far more frequently than I do the website. The blog also enables people to give comments and feedback more easily.

Standtall: Do you think everybody should blog or own a blog?

Ore: No, I don't think a blog is for everyone. It's most interesting if you have something to say. Also, it's important that you have the time to write in your blog frequently. Bloggers also need to be willing to share their viewpoints with the world.

Standtall: As my boss, I have seen you as a warm, accepting, open-to-ideas, encouraging, purposeful and professional kind of individual. How did you build this personality?

Ore: LOL!!!! Well, thank you very much. I feel honoured to hear this about myself, as I think that I can be VERY impatient. I am, however, very interested in hearing what people think and learning from other people. Over the years, I have learnt to curb my impatience. This took a lot of practice though and I think I am still a work in progress. Similarly, with all the other traits you mentioned, I work on these everyday, though some come more naturally to me than others. It's important that I exhibit many of the traits that I like and admire in others.

Standtall: Is there any weakness or weak side of your personality like getting angry (I am yet to see that though), is there anything you wish to change or correct about you?

Ore: My impatience! I want things done yesterday. I feel that with sufficient discipline, one should be able to do anything as a result, I tend to demand a lot of myself (and of others).

Standtall: Should there be any rule a leader should follow or adapt to, to be a successful leader?

Ore: Yes, so many, but ultimately a ruler should be more concerned about doing things for the good of their followers, stakeholders or constituency than for themselves.

Standtall: What is your opinion about the current state of things regarding Obama Campaign (or is it Mobilization) Dinner held recently in Lagos under the auspices of Ndidi Okereke's group?

Ore: It seemed to me to be rather fuzzy about what she intended to achieve with the dinner; initially it appeared that the money was to go to the Obama campaign. Since US laws do not allow that, it appears now that the money is to go towards mobilization of Nigerian-Americans to vote for Obama. It seems so typical of Nigerians that we should be more concerned about things going on in other countries than problems that need tackling in our own backyard. That fundraising expertise could have been better put to use to address Nigerian issues.

Standtall: You have being working a lot with women and girls, I will like you to share with us your experience in empowering them through ICT?

Ore: It's been a good experience so far, but there's still so much to be done. First of all, many people do not acknowledge the importance of women and girls being more engaged with information and communication technologies. The fact that half the population is under-represented in the use, management and development of ICTs is cause for concern. We have been able to empower some women through our programs, but this is such a small drop in the bucket and highlights the need to work more strategically, e.g. through alliances with organisations or groups working in this area.

Standtall: Of what truth is the saying that women are their own problems?

Ore: People are people. I don't like to generalize. Some women are backbiting and catty; many are not.

Standtall: Do you see a better future for the female generation in Nigeria?

Ore: Yes, I do. While patriarchy reigns and I think will in Nigeria for many years to come, there is a growing awareness that women are entitled to the same opportunities as men - though sometimes is feels like this knowledge is more in 'theory' than in 'reality.' I know many people who feel that anyone in support of women's rights is flogging a dead horse, but the preponderance of gender roles that still exist in our society show that women are not as free as many would like to believe. This problem has existed from time; I am currently reading 'A Room of One's Own' by Virginia Woolf, in which she makes the argument that men need to think of women as weak in order to feel better about themselves (a generalization of course, as I'd like to think that this does not apply to all men). And honestly, I feel that in Nigeria for women to free themselves from gender-based discrimination, we need to emphasise men and women working together.

Standtall: On a personal note, I have noticed that you hold your smile a lot even when you are taking pictures. Does this come naturally for you or did you work on yourself?

Ore: No, that was something that I've worked on over the years. I tend to look very serious when I'm not smiling.

Standtall: Any final word before our chat comes to an end?
Ore: Thank you for the honour and for showcasing me on your blog.

Standtall: The pleasure is mine. I am grateful to you for sharing with blogville (blogsphere).

Ore: You are welcome

                                        
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The much awaited Summer Bloggers Reunion (SBR) comes up on the 13th of Sept, 2008 at Lekki Beach. Click here for details.

UPDATE:

Remember the story of a man with 86 wives and 170 children I shared on my blog? The update on it is that some Islamic Scholars in Nigera are now on his case. They asked him to pick 4 wives out of the 86 or risk going to jail!!! So, how many children is he allowed to pick out of the 170? I wonder. Read more here