Leaving A Big Hole
This morning I was sitting at Starbucks getting some work done when I overheard a conversation between two employees behind the counter."
I heard Lindsay's last day was yesterday," said one employee.
"Yep" said the other employee. "I'm going to miss her. She leaves a big hole."
"Totally! She was so great."
The conversation ended as quickly as it began. The magnitude of the comments, however, might be lost in the simplistic brevity of their words. That is unless you really heard the meaning behind what they said. Which I'd like to think I did.
These two employees will clearly miss Lindsay. But maybe for a variety of reasons that the casual eavesdropper would just assume means more work for them, or her departure leaves them shorthanded. I am quite sure that's not what they meant. In fact, the words "Leaves a big hole" says a lot about what they thought of her.
When I train at the corporate level, I try to illustrate the point that we all have the ability to leave an impression - a legacy, if you will. The mark of a great employee is someone who is sorely missed when they leave. Due to promotion or when they take another role or job in or outside the organization makes no difference. Somehow that person leaving quite literally leaves a hole in the hearts and minds of the people they worked with/for and often the customers they served.
How you connect matters. Though I've said this a thousand times, it really is true. I often share during my training that your goal should always be to leave any job better than you found it. Create those Ripples in the hearts and minds of the people you work with by putting your everything into your work and in the people you work with. When you do that, you will undoubtedly create a legacy you can be proud of. As well as stand as an example for others to raise their own game and do the same.
Lindsay, wherever she is this morning, can certainly smile because her co-workers miss her. Maybe, just maybe, they'll work just a little bit harder to be a bit more like her.
What kind of hole do you want to leave? Find your shovel and start digging.
Ripple On!!!