A question to ponder on, when you decide to call it quits at your workplace, what would you want to be remembered for? Imagine acquiring a new job and your new employees fill you in about their former boss, just highlighting mostly his foul character and negativity, this means that people will talk about you whether you left a good or bad name. If you were the boss that closed yourself in the office and never allowed employees to approach you or offer their complaints, or ask for help, guidance, and advice, then somehow, it’s obvious you never created a safe place for employees. You can’t be defined as a great employer or employee if your character or behavior shows otherwise. It’s you who chooses what legacy to leave behind. Legacy is how you impact others in the workplace, marketplace, and community in the long-term. According to Forbes, a business magazine, if you have not already determined your legacy, identify what you always wish you had done, and explore ways to make that possible now or in the near future. Tips to create a triumphant legacy “Questions to consider, what do you want to be remembered for by your colleagues? What do you want to be remembered for by your clients, customers and external stakeholders? What would you like to pass on to the next generations at work? What can you start to do now or change now to be able to achieve that legacy? How might your role change as you transition to leave your legacy?” Bonita Eliza, a business manager in a local branding firm says that people will only remember your good works if you throw selfishness out of the window and rather, share your knowledge and ideas to your colleagues, especially those that are new to the company, fresh from school. For instance, she notes that if you have been working with a company for many years, like 10 or more, there is a lot others can learn from you. “Which is why you should coach new employees, so that they acquire the right knowledge, skills and assist them to grow in their positions”, she says. Eliza carries on that whenever you see that someone is stuck and needs help with a project, how to use work equipment, or even figuring out to be successful at their job, be that person to offer encouragement and the necessary help. She also explains that one mistake some employees make is to compete unhealthily, they want to always be the best in everything in order to impress their bosses. In such incidents, they may not provide assistance to others, since they always want to be in competition. This kills the spirit of teamwork, and pushes some employees to be stagnant with not much help to improve or polish their mistakes. Eliza stresses that creating a legacy may start with helping the company win, working in line with their vision and going an extra mile to provide tools, ideas, clients, information and much more that would see the company get better thus making profits. “It’s quite unfortunate that most employees just value their personal growth and salary at the end of the month and aren’t compelled to see companies they work for flourish. Leaving a great legacy will require you to think beyond yourself, and one day look back and see that you were part of the team that brought a positive change to an organisation,” she says. Robbert Indoli, a marketing expert says that you should aim at making a difference, if you want to be successful, work tirelessly for it but don’t just do so for the sake of being better than people in your family lineage, or to prove a point because that will lose meaning since you are attaching your success to selfish ambitions. The change you would like to make should benefit the people around you, he adds. He believes that one can even use their past mistakes as ways to avert fellow workers from doing the same, by equipping them with ways to prevent them. Indoli is of the view that some people have impacted others’ lives by sharing their stories—of how they started, regardless of their challenges and hardships, they somehow managed to be great business people, and CEOs of big known companies and so forth. He says that such testimonies offer lessons to young people to work hard and understand that great opportunities don’t come easy, but are worked for.
