Kwame Kasa believed he was born for greatness. It was just that… greatness was taking a little too long to recognize him.
Fresh out of university (second class lower, but he blamed one wicked lecturer), Kwame landed a job as a Marketing Assistant at Apex Vibes Ltd — a small company with big dreams and an even bigger attendance register.
By his third week, Kwame was already planning his exit strategy. “I can’t be doing this small-boy job forever,” he whispered dramatically to himself, while forwarding memes on WhatsApp during work hours.
The Rise of Mr. Minimum Effort
Kwame had one guiding principle: Do just enough to be seen, but never enough to sweat.
- He showed up around 9:20 a.m. every day; close enough to 9 to argue.
- He never missed a birthday in the office, especially if there was cake.
- He posted motivational quotes on his Instagram story like: “God’s timing is the best” right after snoozing through another deadline.
Yet, every time someone else got promoted, Kwame felt personally attacked. “Ah, but I’ve been here longer than her,” he grumbled when Afia, the quiet intern who actually worked, got hired full-time. “Maybe I need to speak to HR,” he muttered after Kwaku was appointed team lead. (He did speak to HR. HR sent him his job description.)
The Breaking Point: The Email That Changed Everything
One Monday morning, after a weekend of Netflix, vibes, and zero preparation for the upcoming client pitch, Kwame opened his email and saw the subject line: “Contract Termination Notice.”
He blinked. Refreshed the page. Rubbed his eyes. Still there. He sprinted to HR, skipping the security logbook for the first time in six months. “Is this a mistake?” he asked, voice trembling.
“No,” replied Patience from HR, whose patience had expired six months ago. “You’ve missed five deadlines, rejected training, and called in sick during the company strategy retreat from the beach.”
Kwame tried one last move. He opened his wallet, pulled out his church sticker, and whispered, “I’m a child of God.” HR handed him a tissue.
Revelation on a Trotro
Jobless and wounded in ego, Kwame found himself on a commercial bus (typically referred to as trotro in Ghana) to Kasoa, next to an elderly man reading a worn-out book titled “Do the Work”.
“You look like you’ve just been fired,” the old man said without looking up. Kwame blinked.
“I used to be like you,” the man continued. “Wanted the rewards without the work. Life slapped me small. Now I’m the Operations Director of a major FMCG company. But I clean my own whiteboard every Monday. Humility never kills.”
Kwame didn’t respond. But something clicked. Maybe God’s timing worked better when you actually worked.
The Rise of a New Man
Fast forward six months. Kwame got another job: lower pay, longer hours, and a boss who believed in feedback the way Ghanaian mothers believe in lectures.
But this time, Kwame changed:
- He arrived early.
- He volunteered for projects.
- He asked for help (without rolling his eyes).
- He even read three whole books. Real ones. With chapters.
He still posted quotes but now they said things like: “Discipline is greater than desire.” “You don’t grow from what you want. You grow from what you do.”
One day, his manager walked over and said, “You’re not the same guy we hired. Whatever changed you… keep it up.” Kwame smiled. He didn’t say much. But that night, he opened his laptop and updated his LinkedIn bio: “Formerly entitled. Now valuable.”
Moral of the Story?
Don’t wait to get fired to start working. Don’t confuse presence with performance.
And definitely don’t email HR about a raise when your last report had “pending” written on every task. Be like the new Kwame; not perfect, but learning, growing, and adding value. Because in this economy, vibes alone won’t pay your rent.
——Bottom of Form
About the author
Terry Mante is a thought leader whose expression as an author, corporate trainer, management consultant, and speaker provides challenge and inspiration to add value to organizations and position individuals to function effectively.He is the Principal Consultant of Terry Mante Exchange (TMX). Connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads and TikTok @terrymante and www.terrymante.org.
