Author: Optimal Times

Last week we discussed the art of small talk. This week’s article on navigating difficult conversations will build on your interactional ambience and effectiveness. Difficult and sensitive conversations can mean different things to diverse people and settings. In this article, we will briefly highlight the various ways you can achieve effective communication despite potential limitations. A beautiful starting point is to prepare mentally and emotionally for sensitive topics. Difficult conversations such as performance review, constructive criticism, breaking bad news, workplace harassment, termination discussions and negotiations, conflict resolution, and relationship issues are often not spontaneous; for this reason, you have the opportunity to…

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, said he remained committed to delivering on his promise to build a nation that all Nigerians will be proud of. Tinubu maintained that his administration would continue to prioritise infrastructure development in the coming months and years, as a cornerstone of his Renewed Hope Agenda. The President stated this in Abuja at the inauguration of the extension of the Inner Southern Expressway from the Outer Southern Expressway to the Southern Parkway (otherwise called the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Expressway), being the sixth project inaugurated in the FCT, to mark the first anniversary of his administration in…

The truth  is, I do not particularly care about the words in the re-introduced national anthem that some people deem offensive. They consider words like “tribe” and “native” as derogatory and outdated, while the idea of a nation where people stand “in brotherhood” bespeaks its female gender as alien to its body politic. None of that bothers me, honestly. Even the idea of Nigeria as a “motherland,” makes a little difference to me. If Nigeria is a mother, she must be exhausted from giving without replenishment. The imagery of familyhood in the anthem does not move me. Some critics are rankled…

On May 30,2024 Giving clear instructions that attempt to help the recipient recognise where they need to improve and become inspired to make those improvements is known as constructive feedback. In this sense, people frequently misunderstand and misrepresent their messages. This piece aims to assist you in striking a balance between giving constructive feedback on creative or critical work and being able to tell it apart from unfavourable remarks. Feedback that is constructive and grounded in reality works best. This implies that you have to appropriately access well-constructed feedback that is founded on the observable data and behaviours that have been…

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, on Wednesday, said  half a million children lack access to basic services such as water, nutrition, health, and education in Oyo State,  urging the state government to prioritise children’s well-being in budget planning and implementation.  The UNICEF Chief of Lagos Field Office, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, disclosed  during an engagement with Accounting Officers in the UNICEF Line and MDAs and other relevant stakeholders, organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Collaboration with UNICEF, held at the Ibadan Business School, Old Bodija, Ibadan. She  emphasised the need to ensure children’s rights and…

May 2024 DON’T  mind her. She always engages in small talk. When you hear the expression ‘small talk’ what comes to mind? An irrelevant chatter? Light informal conversations between people who don’t know each other well? Or an expression to avoid social awkwardness? Small talk should never be seen as just idle chatter; it is a fundamental social skill that aids and builds relationships, connects you with others, and fosters professional networks. This article highlights the significance of this action in all spheres of an individual’s life and how to maximise it. Foremost, never see small talk as  something done in…

A Yoruba youth group, Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association (YYSA), on Tuesday, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rename one of the federal universities in the Southwest region after the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111. Alaafin Adeyemi 111 joined his ancestors at the age of 83 in April 2022 after reigning for 52 years . This was contained  in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by Olalekan Hammed, who is the  National President and Olawale Ajao, the National Secretary of the association. According to the association, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi was a foremost traditional ruler with great…

By Wuraola Oyedokun The Vice Chancellor,  KolaDaisi University, Ibadan, [KDU-I], Prof. Adeniyi Olatunbosun [SAN]; the Chairperson, Nigerian Bar Association, [NBA], Ibadan branch, Mrs.  Folasade Aladeniyi; a former Chairman, Young Lawyers Forum, Ibadan Chapter, Mr. Adesile Obasa; the Acting Head of Department, Private and  Commercial  Law of  KDU-I, Dr. Temilade Jolaosho and her Public and International Law Department, Dr. Babatunde Ekundayo, have stressed the need for Law students to hone their skills, advocate reforms and embrace good characters as well as ethics to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s problems. They made the call during the opening ceremony of  the Law Student Association [LAWSA]…

Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) and Executive Adviser on Agribusiness to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, Dr Debo Akande, on Wednesday, said a French firm, SEMMARIS-Rungis International Market, is set to support the establishment of an international wholesale agribusiness market in the state. Akande stated this  when a delegation of the firm, including its Head of International Projects, Timothée Witkowski and Consultant-Market Specialist, Steve Allen, paid a courtesy visit to the governor in Ibadan. The OYSADA DG said the investors plan to complement the Makinde administration’s efforts in the agribusiness sector with the establishment of the market, which…

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, on Wednesday, urged  the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan to strike out the suit filed against him by Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called ‘Sunday Igboho’, over alleged defamation of character. Adeyemi, in the suit is seeking an order compelling the defendant to pay N500 million as aggravated damages over the alleged leaked audio conversation, which he claimed impugned his reputation. The Yoruba Nation activist  is also seeking, among others, “a declaration that the content of an audio clip between the defendant (Adams) and a third party named Nuru Banjo that…