I received an office email yesterday informing me about an important meeting at my employer’s head office slated for Thursday. I rushed through the mail like I did with others (because there were always just too many mails and too little time). I absorbed the key facts – Date, Time, Venue and then carried on with my outdoor marketing. Today I even decided to read that mail again to confirm the floor I was going to (22nd floor…sure hope the lift is working). I was running very late as I got held up in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam (and unlike most major cities, in Lagos Island its ALWAYS rush hour).  I got to the building 1.5hours late and was bracing myself for a reprimand.

Whilst waiting for the elevator I was conjuring up excuses for my lateness – ‘I fainted from dehydration’, ‘There was a road-block that was caused by a runaway cow’, ’My mailbox couldn’t open until about an hour ago’. ‘Nah, they’re all too lame’, I thought. I got to the meeting room and met what looked like the aftermath of the meeting – people coming out of the room and saying their goodbyes to the host/sender of the email (yikes!). I took a deep breath and walked up to him with an honest apology for my lateness. But before I could consider dropping an excuse he left me dumbfounded when he said, ’Didn’t you read the memo? The meeting is for Thursday, December 2nd!’. What was my response? ’Well THAT certainly takes care of the feeling of guilt for coming late.’ We both had a hearty chuckle, at my expense.

What were my learning points? 

• Read your mails very carefully
• Honesty is the best policy
• CrazyNigerian + STRESS = A whole lot of silly mistakes