When Idriss got posted to a private company in Accra for his national service, he was excited. With a degree in statistics, he imagined himself crunching numbers, running reports, and gaining real-world experience that would prepare him for the future.
However, it didn’t take long for reality to set in. Instead of working on data, he and his fellow service personnel often found themselves on errands. “Please, can you run to the pharmacy for me?” one colleague would say. Another would ask, “Idriss, help me grab something from the shop downstairs.” At first, he thought it was just once in a while. But soon, it became routine.
The more it happened, the more uncomfortable Idriss became. He respected his seniors, but deep inside, he felt shortchanged. “I didn’t spend four years in school just to deliver groceries,” he thought. He wanted to contribute meaningfully, to learn, to leave at the end of the year with something more than memories of running errands.
Yet, as many Ghanaian workers know, speaking up can be tricky. In our culture, respect for authority runs deep, and national service personnel are often seen as “small boys and girls.” The fear of being tagged as disrespectful kept Idriss quiet.
One afternoon, after returning from yet another errand, he made a quiet decision. Instead of complaining, he would look for opportunities to prove his value.
Then came the turning point.
During a staff meeting, Idriss overheard his boss struggling with data for a report. His heart raced. “This is my chance.” Summoning courage, he volunteered to help. That night, he stayed late, cleaning up the data and presenting a neat, precise analysis.
The next morning, the office buzzed with surprise. The same Idriss who fetched food was also the Idriss who could break down numbers better than most. From that day, colleagues still sent him on the occasional errand, but now they also sought his input on serious work. He wasn’t just the “service boy” anymore, he was a valued teammate.
The Buzz
In the Ghanaian workplace, national service can test your patience. But Idriss’s story is proof: you may start by running errands, but how you end depends on the courage to show what else you can do.
Errands Are Not an Insult
Lately, social media has been buzzing with a controversial narrative: “Don’t let anyone send you on errands at work. You’re not there to be an errand boy or girl.”
It sounds empowering, doesn’t it? But let’s pause for a second. Is it really that simple?
But here’s the truth we often miss: there is nothing absolutely wrong with going on errands for your boss or senior colleagues. The Ghanaian workplace, like our culture, is built on hierarchy and respect for the elderly. Running an errand doesn’t make you less valuable. In fact, it can show humility, responsibility, and trustworthiness qualities that matter in any career.
Errands, no matter how minor, shape character. They teach you time management, accountability, and attention to detail. Sometimes, the way you handle “small tasks” is what convinces your boss that you’re ready for bigger ones.
Instead of frowning upon errands, we should see them as part of the learning curve. Sure, it shouldn’t be all you do; your workplace should also invest in your growth, but rejecting every little task because “it’s beneath you” may close doors you don’t even see yet.
At the end of the day, it’s not the errands that define you. It’s the attitude you carry while doing them.
Lessons from Idriss’ Story
- Humility is strength: Taking on small tasks doesn’t make you less. It shows maturity and respect.
- Every task shapes you: Errands may look simple, but they sharpen responsibility, trust, and reliability.
- Opportunities hide in service: Sometimes, being faithful with the “little things” is what earns you the bigger role. Use every chance to showcase your real skills.
- Volunteer strategically: Put yourself forward for tasks that align with your expertise, whether it’s data analysis, research, or presentations.
- Shift perceptions by adding value: When colleagues see the quality of your work, they begin to treat you less as “just a service person” and more as a teammate.
- Your legacy is in your contribution, not your errands.
At the end of your service year, people will remember the value you added, not how many items you bought from the shop.
So maybe it’s time we shift the conversation. Instead of dismissing errands as “beneath us,” let’s recognise them as part of the journey, a mix of humility, service, and growth. After all, no one stays an errand runner forever. The real question is: what lessons will you carry from those small tasks into the bigger opportunities ahead?
We’d love to hear from you. Do you think running errands at work builds character or undermines growth?
Share your thoughts in the comments section.
This is the office Buzz! Work, Culture and everything in between!
