Going to work solely to make money is an issue — Seweje-Chimunda

Adeola Seweje-Chimunda is a woman of many parts; she has been involved in various development works as a counsellor, author, speaker and an accomplished international volunteer with an international nongovernmental organisation in Nigeria. In this interview by YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, the mother of two teenage boys, speaks on the importance of achieving happiness in the workplace among other issues.

You are a public administration expert, how does this relate to your passion in workplace happiness and balance?

You are right. Adeola Seweje has a Masters degree in Public Administration; I am a researcher, counsellor and the author of “Workplace Happiness: The Power of Simplicity.” I have worked in the NGO sector for about 15 years. I am passionate about work life balance and personal productivity at the workplace and I can say my training exposed me to the importance of this aspect of career life for every individual.

What is your book on workplace happiness about?

The title of my new book is “Workplace Happiness: The Power of Simplicity.” This book is based on some personal experiences and from being observant at the workplace. The workplace can be a fun place to be where you network, build relationships, provide help to others and you also receive help. It can also be a place to develop your skills and go into new areas which previously you did not know you could function.

From your experience, what challenges do people face at workplaces and how they can achieve happiness?

Self-development, this is a personal issue.  You can be in an organisation and all you know is how to operate the photocopier.  Another issue is going to work solely with the aim of making money. Challenges can also come in human form where you work with difficult people; notwithstanding, you can still work around this.

I also think that people need to understand that the workplace is made up like a triangle which has to have all its parts to be properly addressed as a triangle. Other challenges people face is not having the adequate resources (materials, equipment, etc) that they need to work. This type of challenge can actually drain employees because you constantly have to find creative ways to do your work and also can cause friction in relationships.

Overall, there are many different types of challenges but we have the power of choice to work through these challenges.

What inspired you?

My inspiration for the book is that I have seen many people quit their jobs through poor understanding of their environment or not having the right skills. Sometimes we think something is impossible but when we summon the courage to approach others, we will be surprised at how far they are willing to go to support us. That is not to say that there would not be challenges, there definitely would be, but with the right attitude and support we can overcome those challenges.

How was the experience like writing your first book?

I was unsure of what people would think, especially writing about the workplace.  I had read several books myself and I thought, what is it that people do not already know?  I remember that during COVID I was to make a presentation to a group (through Facebook video). I was asked to pick a topic and the first topic that came to my mind was workplace; because I thought people could actually work in sync without being together in the same space. I made the presentation and it was like a replay of the all the years of experience that I had. When I brought out the first draft of the book, I was amazed that the first set of comments I received were from people who I thought had reached the peak in their career and they gave me very positive comments. A friend told me that she takes a line of the book everyday to update on her WhatsApp DP. I felt very good and encouraged by this.

What specific gap do you think your book will fill for career people?

I strongly believe that my book will help people in the areas of self-development, understanding your work environment, not underestimating yourself or your abilities, ensuring that you learn, unlearn and relearn (do not stagnate yourself). When you find yourself repeating an activity and excelling at it and most probably it is not the dream you had in mind, ask why you seem to be so good at this.  For example, you may be a nurse and find yourself excelling at administrative duties, is there a way to manage the two or merge the two. Can you work as a nurse in HR or do some consulting? Check out the possibilities because your passion should drive you.

Advice to readers and upcoming authors?

For readers, please take time to read and enjoy the book. Understand what it is about. The book is definitely not about being confrontational or demanding what you know you cannot achieve. I will advise upcoming authors to always jot down their ideas. They should not dismiss thoughts in their minds and have a good and creative imagination.