Outlive the Hand

"What's the most important contribution that you've made to your organization?"

Let that sink in for a minute.

Now take that question a step further. "What will your most important contribution to your organization be after you've left?"

Whoa.

Trains Running
As you start replaying the various initiatives you've been a part of let's clear something up right away. Keeping operations running smoothly is not the answer to either of my questions. While important, no one has a legacy that starts with "she always kept the trains running on time."

That is an expectation, not a legacy.

Courage
The most important, and candidly impactful, things I've accomplished in my career required a fair amount of risk and courage. Trying new approaches in very public ways (which means failure would also be very public); and, tackling unpopular issues were always at the top of my list. 

Was I a glutton for punishment? Of course not. Did I see opportunities to make a real difference in the life of my organizations? I sure did. The cold reality of pushing issues that are risky is that it is often a lonely path forward. The support often comes after breakthroughs and success. 

But that's not what legacies are built around. It's all about the difference we make. Not the slaps on the back, or praise in front of the masses. Not chasing glory to pump up our fragile ego. It is simply about knowing we did the right thing in a big way. 

How About You
What will your legacy be long after you've written the last verse? What about the other aspects of your life: family, faith, relationships or volunteering? True legacy means that what we've created outlives the hand that created it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

inspiration
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Will HR Have A Legacy When It's Gone?

Legacies are often framed in a personal context. What will be left behind when we're not around anymore. The lives we've touched, the communities we've lived in and the work we've done. What will people say? Will we be so incredibly impactful that something might even be named for us: a street, a library, a park? Probably not without a sizable donation to local government or a charity. 

What About HR? 
As I peek into my crystal ball I can not possibly imagine the HR function of the future looking anything close to what it looks like today. Technology completely dominates our work, or will very soon, which means much of the work we do today will simply be automated. Wait, hasn't that happened already?

Social media has started to replace email, telephone, fax and other forms of communication. That trend is obviously going to continue. You remember fax machines, right?

The logical extension of all this communication is coordinated messaging, branding, employee communication and having a consistent message across many platforms. That's why more organizations are integrating the work of Human Resources and Marketing (mine is too!)

Chasing Legacies

You've seen it happen as employees move toward the end of their careers. That sudden focus on making sure they have work product that survives after they have transitioned out of the working world. 

It seems to me that they shouldn't worry about that; but instead, should focus on the reality of how difficult the transition can be from being a respected professional to someone who is about to go through a major life transition.

How About You

I don't think people, or functions, should get worked up about leaving a legacy. In the future, when HR, Marketing and Finance are integrated into a large "Professional Services" team, no one will worry about department names. They'll all be focused on supporting employees, driving the right culture forward, and executing on the strategies that will make their companies successful.

Now I think that's a pretty good legacy to look forward to.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Rose's Legacy...What Will Yours Be?

Recently I was traveling on business and had the unexpected privilege to sit next to a businessman on a flight from Tampa to Baltimore.  I intentionally use the word privilege because as we talked throughout the flight he shared a story of his wife who had died in a car accident only three years prior.  She was in her early 50s, and her name was Rose.  At her funeral, a woman approached him who he did not know, but was insistent that she share her only experience with Rose.


Times Are Tough
The woman told him that times were very difficult for her and her family.  They struggled to pay the bills, and had to watch every penny.  She had been in the line at the grocery store and had miscalculated the total bill as she placed items in her cart. As the cashier rang up her total she realized she was short of cash, and did not have any way to cover the difference.  Rose was behind the woman in line...and immediately handed the necessary money to the cashier to cover the difference.


The woman had seen Rose's obituary and picture in the newspaper and wanted to be there for Rose and her family in some small way.


Please Tell My Boys
Upon hearing this story Rose's husband asked her to please repeat the story, this time with his three sons present.  You see, Rose had never shared this story with her family, it was just how she lived her life.  He wanted them to hear this story about their Mother's character, and how she could continue to teach them, even when she had gone on ahead.


I sat there next to him watching his eyes well up with tears, knowing the pain of his loss was still very fresh.  You see, Rose had died on the way to the airport to pick him up from a business trip, so as we got closer to Baltimore, the memories came rushing back.  I thanked him for sharing his story about Rose...and then there were a few moments of silence, as if we were remembering her together even though I had never "met" her.  Somehow I felt like I did though.


How About You
Legacies are a complicated issue.  We leave them as leaders as well as in our personal lives.  I hope that when it's time to talk about my legacy, I will have done at least one thing like Rose.  Then I will have really made a difference.  What legacy do you want to leave?


I'd love to hear from you.


No Excuses.



pic courtesy of LBD