“The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you,” says administrative assistant Piet Sebothoma, who tells Tukkievaria about his career and the importance of accommodating diversity in the workplace.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Ga-Tloporo village, under the Dr J.S. Moroka Local Municipality in Mpumalanga Province. I started my early schooling at Mmakola Primary School and completed grade 12 at Refilwe High School. In 1992, I graduated with my National Diploma in Office Administration from Apech College.

Where did you work before joining UP?

I worked at De Beers Mine as a security officer and was later promoted to be a Plant Operator in the Department of Laboratory, specialising in samples treatment.

What do you enjoy most about your job and why? 

My job demands a multi-tasking approach, hence I continuously interact with every colleague for various reasons. It is interesting to spend time together and it creates a solid bond and a sense of trust. The lesson learnt is that, when you get to know each other on a personal level, mutual respect grows. Knowing someone's triggers as well as their strengths can also improve communication and help with growing a successful and motivated team.

What are the common challenges in your duties and how do you improve or avoid them? 

Our faculty engages with many external and internal visitors, including students’ enquiries. At some point I need to give directions to guests and often they return complaining that, due to the vast size of the UP campus, they got lost. This means pausing whatever I am working on and physically walking the guest to their desired venue. As a remedy, I would like to suggest that the university needs to improve the directional signs on campus.

What is your least favourite part of the job?

The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you. Our faculty is a bit diverse and there’s a continuous need to accommodate each other, regardless of personal differences. I belief it is paramount to be aware that diversity does exist and we need to aim to improve it. This can be achieved through:

1. Challenging and stripping away stereotypes.
2. Building significant relationships with people who are different from you.
3. Not making assumptions about people.
4. Looking for commonalities.
5. Setting the example.
6. Breaking down the communication barriers.
7. Throwing away the fear factor- prejudice stems from fear.