Have you ever thought about your legacy? This is a broad topic, so for this post I want to be specific about the behaviours in the work environment that we will be remembered by.
I know legacy is a very loaded word, because it reminds us of our finitude. This is one of the things that makes us human, we are conscious that things end which is a blessing in itself.
It would be easy to say that I would want to be remembered as kind, smart, fair and that I treated everyone with respect. All very noble feelings, however it is not what I say that will prevail, it is what I do, not only once, but regularly. It is the answer to that old question of what people would say about me when I am not in the room.
At the start of our working life, we tend to mimic senior members of staff or even embrace the stereotypes we read about. So if you are in Sales, you are supposed to be aggressive and outgoing. If you are in Finance, more introverted using excel spreadsheets as shields. We could infer that if they behave a certain way and are successful, by direct correlation, the same would happen to me if I repeat their traits.
As we grow in our careers, we start developing our own style and begin to recognise our uniqueness. This is when intention plays a critical role. The more confident we get in the roles we play, the more aware we should be about the consequences of the interactions we have. Our choice of words matter and, even more, the actions we take. If we are not careful and mindful, we could leave some damage and injury behind. I am certain you witnessed some of that where you work.
This applies to everyone, because it is the relationship you create with a colleague, subordinate or manager that I am talking about. You could be the people person, the career obsessive, the glass breaker or even the pleaser. The key is that your words and your actions match. No one wants to be around the do-as-I-say-don’t-do-as-I-do type.
I will state the obvious when I say that we should always treat others like we want to be treated and by being the role model we have always wanted to have in our career. This is the foundation of it all, and it does not matter if you were never intentional before. You can always start now.
What is your legacy?
