What will be Your “Dash”?
I hope you have read the poem “The Dash”. It tells of a man who speaks at the funeral of a friend. His words begin with speaking the dates of birth and passing. He then focuses his talk on the dash…between the years. He talks of the legacy built in the “dash”. As I work with executives I often see parallels with this poem.
If you would, think in terms of the years of tenure of an executive in a company. Then focus on the “dash” between the years. (e.g. think resume or company bio)
The essence of a person’s professional-life-dash is how they will be remembered:
What have they done and how have they done it.
Will they be missed if they were to no longer be there?
Do they/did they contribute to achieving company goals or did they get carried along by the efforts of others?
Do they/did they contribute to the growth of people around them?
Do they/did they set an ethical example?
Do they/did they challenge themselves to constantly improve?
Now shift your focus to YOU. What will be your professional legacy? Will you be comfortable with what people might say about your time in a job, in a company?
It’s in your control. You add to your “dash” every day. Have high expectations of yourself.
(By the way, if you are aware of your “dash”, it’s easier to write your own resume should that time ever come.)
One last reminder…YOU do add to YOUR Dash EVERY DAY! Is yours an addition process or a subtraction process?
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