Came to a profound realisation about legacy building this month. Maybe it will resonate with you.
One thing I learnt this term is that I need to set aside time for people to talk. A colleague claimed that my farewell speech to the entire school was “moving without being sentimental”, but I think I will remember my slips of the tongue, my brief pauses, and my awkward transitions because I was looking at the wall clock while truncating my painstakingly-prepared speech in real time. Can’t be selfish and hog more of people’s time than has been planned.
Anyway, because my Principal was kind enough to say some things about me, I came to know about my legacy at my school through her lens. One contribution was the way I syllabicated long words as the host of the annual Spelling Bee. This was kinda expected since I was the chief steward for two years.
The other thing was how I had presented on haiku during a pre-assembly - all the way back in 2022. It was a mere 10-minute presentation but she apparently remembered enough to share with the school that a haiku comprises the 5-7-5 syllable structure.
She isn’t the only staff who remembers my sharing on haiku. For reasons unknown to me, it really stuck in some people’s minds. It’s quite wild that a random presentation would be how people remember me by.
I guess in regard to legacy formation, several things apply:
- make your work visible. (This is already a truism that Reporting Officers preach to their Job Holders during Enhanced Management Performance System reviews.)
2) find a novel angle that no one else has used and make it your signature style. (I do still yearn to be a cultural writer on Japan, emulating Pico Iyler’s fine example.)
Maybe if I inadvertently/intentionally keep this Japan trademark up, book offers will come knocking on my door, lol.