A Letter to Margaret – An appreciation of kindness

I would love to share the appreciation letter I wrote to my senior colleague Margaret on Firacard with you because Margaret is a great example of an amazing colleague and mentor.

Dear Margaret,

I knew I was not stupid.

I made a second-class upper division from one of the most competitive departments in my university and won awards at graduation. Amazingly, I have driven a car for months in Lagos traffic without incurring a scratch.

Yet, I struggled to convince my new colleagues of this. In my first month of joining the team, I remember not completing tasks, missing deadlines, and meetings, and getting labelled as the struggling team member who drew everybody back.

Thoughts of quitting plagued my mind every day, but how would I explain to my mentor, who recommended me to one of the highest paying tax firms in Nigeria, that I was quitting?

So, every single day, I wiped off my frustrations and tears and showed up with zero enthusiasm, no optimism. If I ever had a near taste of depression, that was it.

It was as if the people I worked with could feel my lack of enthusiasm, and it was impacting them because my team leader was quick to transfer me to another team, your team.

Oh, if I was depressed before, add trepidation to the mix. I had heard so many stories of women wounding women in the workplace and of you being a hard taskmaster. Despite praying never to be supervised or managed by a female boss, I now had exactly that.

I know you would not remember this, but on my first day working with you, you assigned me paperwork for ‘Tufts and Ice’. Tufts and Ice is one of the easier clients we have, but my numbers would not just balance. At the close of business, I walked into your office expecting the worst, so I pre-emptively explained that I felt stupid for being unable to balance the numbers.

My opening lines were your response to me.

“You are not stupid. You made a second class upper with honours and awards; and drive your car to work through Lagos traffic and madness without it getting scratched. Filing taxes is the least of your problems.”

I wish I could tell you how far those words have taken me in life – even way beyond the workplace. Some of my friends call it my mantra!

My confidence shot up. I rose from the dead literally. Within six months under your tutelage, the hottest teams were scrambling to have me on their paperwork. I rose through the ranks at the speed of lightning. Yes, your guidance was firm and demanding, but you were always fair and empathic.

If it all ended there; if you were not kind to me; if you did not look out for me more than the barest minimum required; if I did not receive that unexpected visit after my surgery in 2007, I would still owe my career to you.

Last year, during the annual dinner awards, I held in my hands the award for the Supervisor of the year, based on votes from junior staff. Do you know why they voted for me? It is because you taught me the virtues of hard work, empathy, and fairness. You exemplified it in person. You sat down and helped me to go over stuff that I should otherwise have known. Even though you were so many levels ahead of me, you made other members carry the burden of my tasks until I could carry them myself.

The CEO announced your retirement from the firm the same day the award came. My initial tears were of joy for receiving the award, but then they became tears of overwhelming appreciation. I am glad that you indeed came, you worked, and you conquered the field. You are a shining example of a winning woman in the workplace. You have raised sons and daughters beyond the numbers and targets.

I will end this note by saying three simple words, and I hope they convey the depth of my gratitude and appreciation – You saved me.

Thank you so much,

Our very own Margaret, who is not Thatcher (I finally get to share in this joke, lolzzz)

Adeola, Lagos

Share It