What is the work legacy you will leave behind?

Recently I have been hearing the word legacy used a great deal in reference to careers and business.  Wiki Answers states that, “legacy is whatever you leave behind when you are dead.” In my mind, it should be changed to “legacy is whatever you leave behind at the end of your life.”  Besides money these legacies can be stories you told, accomplishments or consistent behaviors that affected others. It can also mean being remembered as the go to person to go for love and/or wise advice.

All of us leave legacies when ending a job or career.  I want all of my readers to step back and reflect on their behaviors and actions in the work environment.  Then, ask yourself, ”How am I perceived?”  If you have trouble with this, you need to ask others what they observe.  This might be the most important action you ever take.  As I’ve said in previous Pearls of Wisdom, we all have scotomas (blind spots) that prevent us from “seeing what we need to see.” Do the exercise below even if it feels uncomfortable.  You will not regret it.

Ask three people the following questions. You must feel comfortable and trust these people to be honest with their answers. They don’t necessarily need to be in your present workplace. Do not ask family members as they cannot be objective.

• What are three of my best characteristics?
• What makes people want to work with me or not?
• Have you observed any scotomas that prevent me from being a well liked team player and/or leader?

There isn’t anyone I know who does not want to be successful or leave a positive legacy.  When you become honest with yourself then it will happen naturally.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 10:00 am and is filed under Pearls of Wisdom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.