There is this movie I watched as a child where a little boy was being adopted out of an orphanage. As the norm of the orphanage, anytime a child was been adopted, the other children together with the caretakers lined up to bid farewell to him or her. In the case of this little boy, as soon as his foster parents took him away in their car, the entire orphanage went into an uproar of jubilation. As it turned out, that boy left a “great impression” on the minds of anyone who came into contact with him. He was a “problem child”
There is a “problem child” in every organisation. People who are difficult to deal with; they are the people whose employers and colleagues cannot wait to see their backs as soon as they turn in their resignation letters. There are also employees who upon their exit out of companies receive send-offs parties and well-wishes from their employers and colleagues. These employees are the ones who leave positive lasting impressions on their employers.
The employees who still get everybody talking about their good deeds long after they have left the company. An unforgettable employee is the one who likes relieving and taking extra responsibilities from colleagues. He is able to generate cost-saving or money-making ideas and always looking for an opportunity to improve innovations in the company. He is also an expert in something, whether it is in the company’s policy manual or the computer system, he has knowledge that everyone will want to use at some stage. He is the one that constantly improves the office mood with is charisma and a very good team player.
It is important for employers to know the kind of people they have working in their establishments. There are four types of employees in the world of work; the willing and able employee, the ones who show enthusiasm at what they do. The willing but unable employee are the set who show enthusiasm but do not have the technical know-how to execute tasks given to them. Then the last batch, the unwilling but able and the unwilling and unable. These two set of employees can pose a difficulty to the employer. The unwilling but able employee is the one that gives constant excuses why one task or the other could not be completed. He is the one you will find idling when there is a lot to be done. Then there is the one who is not interested in the work for starters, and does not have any technical expertise to handle tasks assigned to him.
If you have the willing and able employee, good for you. That person will help increase productivity so the company can achieve its objectives. If it is the willing but unable employee, then you know it is a skills deficiency. The employee needs help in developing himself so he can be beneficial to the company. However if it is the unwilling but able employee then it is a problem. A person with the necessary skills yet unproductive, can drag the company down. So you give the person an ultimatum to either step or step down. The unwilling and unable person has no business in the company and has to be relieved of his duties.
Nevertheless, it takes more than a willing and able person to make an unforgettable employee. Some employees are very good in terms of their work but they lack character. There have been instances where very good employees have been dismissed because of one misconduct or the other. With such people they exit companies leaving their employees and colleagues with mixed feelings.
People will remember us for one reason or the other. Would you want to be the kind of employee that brings smiles on the faces of others anytime you are spoken of? Or the kind that leaves a bitterness in the mouths of people whenever your name crops up? You can choose to be the unforgettable employee by leaving an undented image and an unmatched legacy when you finally exit a place of work.
