A paradox in the world of work
Chapter 14 of Work Identity: value may remain, while the evidence of work quietly disappears if it is not preserved.
A paradox in the world of work
There is a paradox.
In the world of work, the people who spend the most time creating value…
are often the people who spend the least time telling its story.
Not because they are modest
Not because they are modest.
But because while they are focused on doing the work well, few people think about recording it.
Everything keeps moving forward
- A project ends. Everyone moves to the next one.
- A client is satisfied. Life continues.
- A problem is solved. Then another problem appears.
Good things quietly pass by
And so… good things quietly pass by.
Not because they have no value.
But because no one preserves their traces.
Evidence is what disappears most easily
Perhaps…
What disappears most easily is not the work itself.
It is the evidence showing that the work once existed.
Traces become lost over time
- Emails are deleted.
- Links break.
- Images go missing.
- Conversations sink far down in a chat window.
The value does not disappear
But the value does not disappear.
It simply… becomes harder to find.
Not telling more about ourselves
Perhaps…
What people need is not to say more about themselves.
It is to stop the most meaningful things from quietly disappearing.
One day, we may need to return
Because one day…
Not only others, but we ourselves may need to return.
To remember who we once became.