Plant a seed

Our company is a reputable one known for our efficiency in auto mobile for years and ranks the most proficient in car maintenance, repair and servicing. We have a good number of well trained Engineers that sees to our day to activities and as the Administrative manager, I was mandated never to hire or employ an unqualified person and to always make sure that our good reputation is protected.

All our Engineers holds a degree or its equivalent in Mechanical Engineering so there was no way I could hire someone like Jude who simply got his training as an apprentice in an ordinary Mechanic workshop, he doesn’t meet the criteria we need but his referral being a good friend wanted me to help give the boy a sustainable life. He assured me that Jude was good so that was why I decided to employ him. I went against the company’s policy.

It was hard for me to convince the Personnel Manager but we later agreed to place him as a help whose responsibility would be cleaning of tools and other equipments used in the plant, he has no education qualification so that fits him well.

Everyone looked down on him besides there was no way he could compete with any of our well trained and degree holding Engineers but there was something good about Jude, he never allowed his non educational qualification to make him inferior and within a little space of time, he had everyone wrapped up in his palm.

He was a humble and jovial young boy who can make you laugh and forget your name, he cracks jokes a lot and has something to say about everyone, could remember one day one of our long time customer drove in to get his car serviced and Jude upon seeing the man turned to the chief maintenance officer and murmured something then they both began to laugh, I saw them and insisted to know why the outburst, I knew that Jude must have said something so upon my persistence, he told me that he saw the customer and honestly believe that the suit he wore was not suitable.

Funny Jude anyway but the suit in question was actually that kind of suit grannies wore in the 70(s).

Each and every of our customers knew Jude, in fact he was the most popular employee among the whole 70 staffs in the plant, everyone talked about his jokes and within six months of working in the company, Jude set out an after work circle, he keeps all ribs cracking with his jokes .

“This kid is phenomenal “was what the Director says all the time and the most interesting thing is that he always have new jokes about the politicians and police to share. I bet he would make it big if he ever become a comedian.

Jude showed signs of a young man who was eager to learn and he did his work with humility, one could see it him that he has big dreams and aspirations, I later came to understand that the little wage he got helps put food on the table for him and his Dad, who was visual impaired, his Mom died when he was just six days old perhaps that is why he calls himself a special child but something happened one day in the workshop.

A customer drove in to have his Range Rover repaired,one of these high powered American spec models of the Range Rover with a lot of dynamic features so it needed a well trained engineer to figure out the cause of the malfunction in the Jeep, its engine turns off itself within 30minutes of igniting it and even while in motion.

it was obvious that it was an electrical problem but the computer system of the Jeep was unable to determine where the fault was from and we could not as well determine the cause with our modern equipments, none of the engineers were able to actually trace the fault in the car because every of its components was in order.

our range of expertise checked the car system for a week but could not trace the cause of this confusing fault in such a high performance engine so we concluded that it must be a manufacturing error but then the it would have been determined by the auto maker.

Honestly, as a trained and well experienced Engineer, I knew exactly where the fault might originate from but we have checked the brain box and every where other component, there was nothing to ascertain the cause of this malfunction. Jude had been following us all way so when he came into my office that morning and asked if we checked the alternator and fuel injector, I simply laughed because he had nothing serious to contribute besides, he was just a common help with less experience.

No one took it slightly when Jude was seen underneath the Jeep during the day, it was not his duty to tamper with any car in the plant and even the maintenance personals need approval to work on any car in the plant so it was obvious that Jude might even lose his work should this get to the hearing of the Director, we have a strong policy in the company so I asked him to report at my office with immediate effect but as he got out from under the car and was talking to one of the Engineers, the director and even the Jeep owner walked into the workshop.

The Director realized what Jude did but as he frowned at him and was pointing a warning finger at him, the unexpected happened; Jude boldly told him that he could fix the problem; he began explaining the features in the 12 cylinder though we all knew what he was talking about but this commoner had everyone listening to his lecture.

And with total surprise, the owner insisted that Jude be given a chance to work on the car, knowing fully well that he was not a qualified Engineer. It was against one code of conduct but he persisted and being a long time customer, we bowed to his persistence.

We all watched Jude slipped back underneath the Jeep then later he loosed the kick and alternator of the Jeep, he cleaned the fuel injector and demanded for a new fuel pump, he later flushed the oil and manually pumped in some fuel into the engine then touched, loosed and corrected the belt setting, afterwa.

Furthermore, he had the engine run itself as water and oil circulate thoroughly, it is now over 30minutes and the engine was running well and on its normal tone, we later test drive the car for one hour and it was obvious that the problem had been corrected.

A fault ten well trained Engineers including myself and the computers could not determine was solved by a commoner who has not even a basic education. Jude saved the company’s reputation and as well saved the customer time and money so after this particular incident.

Jude was always given the chance to service and repair cars and it was obvious that he was better  than all most all the educated Engineers in the firm.

He was later promoted to the post of the maintenance manager after three years and honestly, I have had the privilege of working with a good number of expertise and the twenty years experience I have in automobile were significant especially working under Jude who did not just brought changes to the company but changed my total perception about people and qualifications.

The recession played down on our company but you see, plant a seed and watch it grow so one thing I have learned about life is that one man can actually make the difference though no man is an island but I am proud to let you know that Jude bought over the company and is today the Chief Executive Officer of the company.