Leaving a Legacy at Work

When I was the business editor for a daily newspaper, some friends and I started a tradition. Every Friday, one of us would stop at our favorite doughnut shop on the way to work and pick up two dozen pastries to share with our colleagues. It was a delicious way to celebrate the end of another crazy week in print journalism.

Later, when I was the assignment editor for the same newspaper, one of my jobs was to prepare a list of the stories that were available for each day’s edition. I would indicate which pieces were going to run on A1 and the front of the metro section, as well as the priorities for spots inside the paper. I sent this list to the staff each day, but I didn’t want it to be boring. So, as a lover of bacon, I started including a bacon- or pig-related joke or pun with each day’s email. Many of the funnies I used were real groaners—definitely in the “dad jokes” category—but my colleagues came to expect and (usually) appreciate their inclusion on the daily rundown.

I left that paper several years later to pursue a career opportunity outside of journalism. Can you guess what my friends did for a sendoff? They threw a going-away party for me that included dozens of doughnuts, along with pounds of bacon they fried up in a conference room. I heard the entire building smelled like bacon for days after my departure.

If you were to ask some of those former colleagues what they remember about my time at the paper, there’s a good chance some would mention bacon and doughnuts. I think at least a few would comment on my skills as a journalist, but I recognize that a huge part of my legacy in that job came down to the small impact I had on our company’s culture.

I’ve been pondering the idea of “legacy” quite a bit during the last couple of years, as several former colleagues at various jobs have died. As I’ve read their obituaries and communicated with friends from those companies, it’s been interesting to hear what they remember about our deceased coworkers.

One fellow journalist was near the end of his career when I was the assignment editor for the paper. I didn’t know much about his earlier years in the job, but when I knew him, he was one of the most dependable people in our newsroom. If I needed something written quickly, I could take it to him, and he would always handle it. He had no ego that I could detect, and he was genuinely kind to everyone. In commenting on a Facebook post about his passing, several colleagues used the word “gentleman” to describe him. 

Another colleague at the paper was a well-known television critic. He was prolific, producing gobs of copy every day, and an incredibly talented writer. When I attended a celebration of his life with family members, friends, and other former colleagues, they talked about his journalistic skills and successes. But they focused even more on his unmistakable laugh, the outstanding friend he was, and his dedication to his children and family. 

Both of these colleagues excelled at their craft. They worked hard and dedicated years of their lives to being the best they could be professionally. But I, along with the rest of our other colleagues, remember them for so much more than that.

Every day, we are creating the legacy we will leave in different areas of our lives. At work, some of that legacy will be based on what we accomplish. But even more than that, it will be based on how we treat others and how we make them feel. 

I’ve written previously about the power of kindness and the magic of gratitude at work. I hope those two characteristics will be part of my legacy in any workplace. I want to follow the example of the colleagues I have mentioned and so many others who left positive impressions on their coworkers, friends, and families. And if my legacy also includes doughnuts, bacon, and dad jokes—well, that’s OK, too.