"What?” I can hear many of you say. "It's a brand new year and you’re talking about tombstones? What about optimism? What about rolling up our sleeves and facing the future with hope and dreams? What about taking on the challenges of the world with renewed energy and vigor? What about blah, blah, blah…?"

Those of you who feel this way make teeth itch.

Every year we hear the same New Year’s pep talks, and by Thanksgiving we have just enough hope left within us to prevent us from sticking the turkey carving knife into our eyes. We feel the weight of the year on our shoulders and remember last year's start. We dove into the year, did the work of at least three people every day all the while remembering that this time last year there was actually three people doing this work. Every moment the boss walked by we could be seen looking extremely busy. We made sure we arrived before everyone else and made damn sure we were the last ones out the door. We strove to climb the ladder and, the higher we climbed, the greater the career altitude, the grander the ascension into corporate nirvana, we discovered that time shrunk, the oxygen to breathe was scarce, and the gods were about as useful as a pocket full of pennies at a soda machine.

So as corporate goals, performance reviews, merit evaluations, and first quarter expectations begin to flood our inboxes, let us take a micro-second to try something you may never have done before. Write your tombstone. If we had more time, I would ask you to write your own obituary but time is of the essence, procrastinators won't do it and over achievers would miss the point.  

What do you want it to say? What do you want people to read as they either walk past you unnoticed or stop, remember you, and leave flowers and tears? Here are some ideas.

Deeply loved Husband and Father - We will miss you and cherish every memory.

Adventurer and Explorer who brought so much to so many.

Mother, protector, and caregiver - Your song of life will fill our hearts for generations.

Devoted employee - gave his soul to the company and increased profitability 2%.

Now I realize most of us will not die in 2011, but if the Mayans and Hollywood have their way, we will all be dead in 2012 and, as such, now would be a good time to begin to fulfill what we want carved in granite and placed over our head. Do you want to be remembered by your company Human Resource department more than your family and friends? Do you want your kids to remember you as a company man or as the father who taught them how to throw, or ride a bike, or more importantly as the only one who could "make it all better?"

I know, most of us feel if we don't make the company our number one focus, we may be one of the 9.4% searching (and often begging) for work. Our bosses expect more because the company has less. We all still feel the fear of the last two years and we have no clue what the next two will bring. As a wise man once said to me "I get that.....but...”

But, you are writing your tombstone today. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's like the hopeful Christian who plans to spend nine years in debauchery and will find forgiveness in the tenth. When he dies after 8 1/2 years, it makes for a really awkward conversation at the gates of heaven, doesn't it?

If you come home after the twelfth hour of what is supposed to be a 9 to 5 job, open your laptop to check emails, kiss the kids good night, and immediately crash only to wake up at 6 a.m. the next day, if the first thing you look at in the morning is your company Blackberry and not your kids or wife - or even yourself in the mirror, then you have already started today's assignment. Hopefully the company will pay for the tombstone at least, but you can rest well knowing the first image on your grave will be the company logo. 

 

 

 Copyright © 2011 Mike Baumgartner | HR | Consulting | Coach |  Human Resources | Search - CEO, Worklife Survival Center LLC