A Note from Michelle: The Legacy of Connection

What’s your legacy? It’s a question worth considering. I’m not talking about money or a Wikipedia page. We build true legacies from the connections and relationships we leave behind. . . when we transfer departments, change jobs, move to a new community, or actually shuffle off this mortal coil.

I’m inspired by the legacy of relationships around me. Family, friends, teachers, students, clients, and associates – all connections that reverberate through my life and theirs.

Thanksgiving is a time to gather those connections and pull them closer. It’s a time when we show up in all our flawed humanity: sharing stories, strengthening bonds, remembering lost loved ones, and perhaps even squabbling.

It’s all part and parcel of connecting as people. And, if we listen and pay attention, we even learn things.

We learn compassion and empathy. Also, we learn how to laugh at ourselves. We learn to pitch in and help without being asked. We learn to contribute. And, if we’re lucky, we become part of something bigger than the sum of its parts.

Also, as learning and development professionals, we are part of a larger whole. We contribute a legacy; hopefully, a worthwhile one. However, when we help launch a training platform, we’re not always there later to see how it affects people. Have we left something more than just “return on investment”? Something that helps deepen connections?

As educator, author, and child psychiatrist Dr. James Comer says, "No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship."

Which begs the question: Are you building a legacy of significant relationships?

Are you watching for opportunities to connect? Are you actively reaching out? Think about these questions as you gather around the Thanksgiving table this year. And, let me know how significant relationships benefit you as an educator, as a professional . . . and, yes, as a person.

So, as Thanksgiving approaches, I want to express my thanks to my EPI team for the significant relationships they have nurtured, within our team and within their own spheres of influence. They inspire me to evaluate my own legacy as a leader and as a person. Each team member models the idea of connection in their own lives, which makes me appreciate the connections in mine. And, they regularly step out of their comfort zones – which encourages me to step out of mine.

Therefore, this month I’ve asked them to share some of their stories. I think you’ll enjoy connecting with them.

Michelle Kelly, CEO (Chief Enjoyment Officer)