Over my career I have observed work colleagues who have behaved as if they were indispensable. It’s a great feeling (if you like that sort of thing) to be the one that people rely on, when your views and opinions are highly valued and your influence can make a difference to a group accepting or rejecting an idea. It provides a level of internal status and visibility that is certainly good for the ego.
But for everyone there comes a time when you leave an organization and you discover that, like climbing out of a swimming pool, the hole in the water you leave behind is, well, nonexistent. After you are gone, organizations continue to operate – maybe worse, maybe better. Decisions get made, products get launched, systems get designed, and all without your input.
So if you can’t leave behind a hole in the water, how can you have ongoing influence and feel like you made a difference to an organization? Quite simply, leave your organization better when you leave than it was when you arrived.
Implement changes in tools, processes and products.
- Coach, educate and support staff and colleagues so they learn new things and develop additional skills.
- Share your knowledge, expertise and perspective with others in genuine dialogue and idea exchange rather than dispensing occasional pearls of wisdom or opinions.
- Groom your successor so someone can step up to new work after you leave.
- Help your team recognize the skills they have developed and the value therein.
- Encourage everyone who works for you to make sure they have an updated resume (or can get one within 24 hours). Annual reviews are a great time to reflect on and document upgraded skills, experience and accomplishments.
And one more thing – be open to learning something yourself, so that when you leave an organization you are wiser, more thoughtful, more patient and open to other people’s ideas. After all, you have new places to go and new issues to be involved with and you need to start filling in the hole in the water left by someone else.
