also included several failed companies of his own. When the tech-
nology officer wanted to draw on his experiences to offer advice to
his new employer on how to market and position the business, his
advice was refused.
Because the founder felt that the technology officer had had a
poor track record as a businessman, his experience was discounted.
We would argue that his failures amid volatile market conditions
gave him valuable business knowledge, which his new employer
might find useful. For example, when the new company proposed
to give its product away free of charge, a typical strategy of Internet
software companies, the technology officer suggested that the
strategy was misguided. Though common, this strategy was ill-
considered in this case because the company had no profit-making
follow-on product or service to sell once it had given its product
away. Unfortunately, this and other advice was not taken, and
today the company no longer exists.
Recognizing That Continuing Learning Is VitalBuilding legacy and sharing it with others requires constant learn-
ing by an individual and continual transfer of that learning to
others. In fact, for a growing percentage of the workforce, many of
whom may stay in any one organization for a couple of years at
most before moving on or whose career is made up of a series of
short-term contracts, legacy is on the short list of to-do items.
Understanding what legacy is and bringing that knowledge to the
organization may be an individual’s most important value-added
accomplishment.
Legacy is a valuable gift to the organization. Offering this gift is
possible only when individuals are aware of the powerful learning
they possess. Those in the field of knowledge management have
pointed out that knowledge has an unusual property among assets:
when you give it away, you don’t diminish your own reserve.
Arguably, an even more unusual characteristic distinguishes legacy
in that giving it away actually increases the individual’s supply.
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