Ndi Nkem,

You should be used to this now; I am simply saying my people in Igbo language. It is an opportunity to use this medium to showcase the heterogeneous nature of Nigeria. However, I know that we have readers from other continents.

Let’s go together on our trip today. We would be considering loyalty vs disloyalty.

Loyalty has the following synonyms: faithfulness, fidelity, allegiance, trustworthiness, dependability and reliability. It is such a simple word that is heavily loaded. In fact, a military officer is first expected to be loyal to the nation. Brands have evolved to a point in which people even get loyal to them; some people cannot drive any other brand of vehicle aside the one they are accustomed to; some people cannot take another milk asides the one they are used to; some people cannot use another telecommunication network because they are satisfied with the services of a particular network.

Disloyalty is the exact opposite of loyalty. One thing is definitely, making people disloyal is very easy, and most times, it is difficult to gain their loyalty once more. Organisations make staff disloyal when they are not treated well, especially by immediate superiors who give negative impressions; companies fail customers when the quality of their product drops; and the reception at the touch point of some companies, particularly the frontline staff, has made many customers disloyal.

Where am I driving at? If you are a boss, ensure that you are the type of boss that your staff would always discuss personal issues with. This shows that you are not just interested in them doing the job alone.  Do not betray your subordinates by exposing them to sack. I am not saying you should not do your job, but always put yourself in the shoes of that person. I have a boss whom I have stopped working under for two years, but he has my latest update; I am loyal to my boss!

If you do business, loyalty is also the soul of business. You must ensure that you do not give your customers anything short of their expectations. As your clients grow bigger, you also grow richer. You will win their hearts to the point that they will vouch for you and recommend your business to others. Ensure that you train your staff to attend to customers courteously as well. I believe in some brands without anyone advertising them to me.

Please let go of all the reasons you have to be disloyal. I implore you to be loyal to yourself and your boss, gain the loyalty of your staff, build loyal businesses, and, most importantly, be loyal to God.