How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

An event that happened to me at work last week is the inspiration for this blog.  It’s caused me to reflect on what I’ve done, where I’ve been, and how I wish to be remembered when the day is done. 

Lately, a lot of tough challenges and sticky situations have been thrown my way to deal with at work by both my boss and her boss.  While I joke that I’m their personal “black ops team” (i.e. go in, figure it out, get out, and not be noticed…maybe), I have to admit that it’s been a lot of fun.  They both know that nothing inspires me more than something that challenges all of my abilities, and requires a bit of creativity in coming up with the right solution.  Honestly, the tougher the challenge, the happier I am.  Yes, it does get to me once in a while because I have a lot of ups and downs where I’m just not sure how I’m going to get something done.  However, I never give up and push myself through the difficulties.

So, we had an organization meeting last week, which we do about every other week just to keep everyone on the same page because there are so many changes we are all dealing with.  For this particular meeting, I had originally decided to skip it because I was working on one of those black ops problems and didn’t want to disrupt my thought process.  As I was working, I got an instant message from my boss.  “Are you at your desk?”  My response was a simple “Yes”.  Her immediate response was “get your butt to the meeting”.   We have a great relationship, so I knew two things.  First, it was her funny way of telling me to do something.  Second, she doesn’t tell me to do something that directly very often, so I should probably comply.  Those who know me know that my gut reaction to management is to give them a hard time before I comply, but in this case, I did not.

When I got there, we were having a review of the upcoming open house our department is having.  The goal is to have a tradeshow like environment where we can invite the entire company to come and see what we do, how we do it, etc.  It’s been a long time since our department has done anything like that, so we have been working very hard to make sure this is the best one ever.  We really want to create a positive atmosphere, and reach out to the people in the company that we work with.  I’ve been spending a lot of time helping others with this event as I’ve done a lot of tradeshows before, and have some pretty good ideas to help each group “advertise” their capabilities.  I guess spending some time in sales did pay off…

Anyway, we were reviewing the schedule and commitments and making sure that everyone knew what they were responsible for.  My first thought was that it was good that I did come just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.  I have been involved in so many different things that it was good just to make sure that everything was in check and there wasn’t anything else I needed to be doing.  Good thing I was told to get to the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, there was another announcement.  My boss’ boss had a special presentation to make, and it was for me.  I thought, wow, this is nice.  I’ve done a lot lately, but don’t really spend too much time thinking about the rewards, but rather just trying to do the best job I can.  The award was very simple, but also touched me very deeply.  It’s through this award that I will talk about the topic of this blog.  However, first, I want to share what was said:

“Larry makes one extraordinary contribution after another.  No matter the situation, how busy he is, or who is asking, Larry is always willing and able to consult on anything.  Excellence, teamwork, and devotion to user needs are always the drivers of Larry’s work.”

“We appreciate your passion and constant willingness to go the extra mile!  You push everyone in EIM to think outside of the status quo box and drive us toward meeting our customer/stakeholders’ data needs while at the same time helping us develop better relationships as an EIM team.”

OK, before I go on, I want to make sure that I’m clear.  I am very proud of this, as I think I should be.  And, I am very proud that my boss took the time to write this up and make a formal presentation.  It’s very flattering, and to me, it shows just how much I’m appreciated.  As of tomorrow, this will be framed and hanging in my office.  However, while some may see it as bragging, I am using it to make a point.

I’ve reached a point in my career where I often think about my legacy and how I want to be viewed.  As I’ve said many times in many different blogs, I never viewed my career, especially starting DecisionPoint, as a way to get rich and famous.  It was a way to do the things that I love and have an impact on the lives of others (co-workers, customers, etc.).  To me, it’s not success if you have individual success, but you “leave a trail of dead bodies” (i.e. people you’ve thrown under the bus to get ahead) in order to get there.  I have always wanted to be viewed as someone who was not only successful, but also someone who was willing to help inspire others to achieve success as well.

While I can’t remember the exact wording, I remember seeing a motivational poster where a grandfather is walking along the beach with his grandson.  The quote goes something like this:  in the end, it’s not about how much money I’ve made, but rather the number of lives I’ve touched.  This really speaks to how I try to live my life, both personal and work life.  I want to be viewed as someone who always tried to help make things better and help others achieve their goals.  I’m driven to help others, and while it hasn’t always contributed to financial success, it’s contributed to my success.  I love waking up each day reflecting one what I’ve been able to do and how I’ve been able to help others.  I also reflect on what I can do to make things better and help others be successful.  It just makes me feel really, really good inside.

So, I finish this blog with a challenge to all that read it.  When you wake up each day, rather than think about what you need and how you need it, think about how you can help others and make a difference in their life.  If you take this perspective, your own rewards will be taken care of.  Instead of “what have you done for me lately?”, the question should be “what have I done for someone else lately?”

I want to thank both my boss and her boss for being the best they can be, and reminding me every day of what’s important, and why I do what I do.  You both are the best!!!