By Esther Fefoame MBA, PEM.ADR, CIHRM – Managing Partner, EF & Associates Ghana Limited
Some years ago, I handled a workplace mediation that stayed with me.
Two Workers..
One had been with the company for years. The other was relatively new.
If you walked into the room, you would assume the older one would manage the conversation better. But it played out differently.
The younger worker listened, Took responsibility and Chose her words carefully.
The older one?
Defensive, Quick to react and not ready to hear anything outside his own view.
I left that session thinking about something we don’t talk about enough in our workplaces:
We don’t mature just because time has passed. We mature because of what we’ve learned from what we’ve gone through.
That’s what “Experiential Maturity” is about. Not how long you’ve worked. But how well you’ve grown through your experiences.
Because the truth is, you can spend 10 years in a role and still:
- Avoid hard conversations
- Struggle with feedback
- Repeat the same patterns
And someone else can spend just 3 – 4 years, face real challenges, reflect, adjust and grow faster into leadership. I see this a lot in our workplaces.
We respect years of service (as we should), but sometimes we confuse experience with growth.
And that’s where problems start:
- Teams feel it
- Decision Suffer
- Conflicts drag on longer than they should
Real maturity show up differently..
It shows in how you:
- Handle pressure
- Admit when you’re wrong
- Listen, eve when it’s uncomfortable
- Choose progress over ego
One simple habit that builds real maturity; After any tough situation at work, pause and ask yourself: “What did this teach me, and what will I do differently next time ?”
That question alone can change how you grow at work. Because at the end of the day, it’s not the years that shape you, it’s what you do with them.
Let me ask you, in your workplace, what matters more right now – years of experience, or ability to grow?
About the Author
Esther Fefoame is an Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management Consultant, Workplace Arbitrator/Mediator, and Managing Partner of EF & Associates Ghana Limited.
She is also a Listed Arbitrator with the National Labour Commission of Ghana and writes on practical workplace issues, labour relations, conflict management, and people-centred leadership across Africa.
Esther Fefoame is a regular columnist who shares some of her works with The African Digest via our Websites, Weekly Newsletters and Bi-Monthly Magazines.
For speaking engagements, consulting, or training, connect via:
🌐 Website: www.efandassociates.com 📧 Email: info@efandassciates.com , fefoame@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Esther Fefoame MBA, CIHRM
See more insightful articles and write-ups from Esther Fefoame on her website www.efandassociates.com
