(continued from part 1)

The last week was eerily free of work. Handoffs were done, knowledge transitioned, and I did my best to step out of the way of any decision making and merely provided advice and insights when absolutely needed. As sad as I was to leave, I, at least, took comfort in knowing that the ship was in capable hands, and would continue to sail smoothly toward the team’s and organization’s vision upon my departure.

Then came Oct 27, 2021 Wednesday 3:30pm, time for the “Handoff Discussion”. Before clicking on the meeting Zoom link, I took a deep breath and reminded myself – “No tears, Jenny. Be strong, no tears. It will smudge up your eyeliner!”, and, “Maybe also act a little surprised? Let’s not disappoint the organizer!”  

As soon as I was in the meeting, I was greeted by loud exclamations of “Surprise!” with a full screen of warm familiar faces. Even though I had expected it, I was still quite overwhelmed by the display of sincerity and caring from everyone. Each person has worked with me one way or another throughout the 7-year journey. At one time or another, we discussed issues, we weighed pros and cons, we probably have worked through disagreements on multiple occasions; many of them I have coached and provided career guidance; many have helped me and I have helped plenty… a flood of memories emerged.  

“Hold it Jenny, remember, no tears!”  

As we started small talks and chatting, someone started recalling an anecdote about me that was most memorable for him, and more and more chimed in with various work stories; some I didn’t even remember and many I had no idea the incident itself could have made such an impression and profound impact. 

“You inspire me to be a better leader”

“You inspire me to be a better teammate”

“With your leadership, somehow, I know our team can get over any challenges”

“Your have been the north star for my personal growth”

“I’ve stayed in this team this long because of you”

“I accepted the offer for this job because of you”

….

…

I could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down my face, nose plugged up, and I could hardly speak. Not until this day, I had not the slightest idea my true value in each of my coworkers’ heart. My guiding principal has always been to follow the Platinum Rule – “Treat others the way they want to be treated”, and thus by doing so, I’ll also satisfy a virtue as described by a Chinese idiom “问心无愧“ wènxīn-wúkuì – I have done the best that I can and so I have a clear conscience. I can only hope that people around me recognize and appreciate my sincerity, hardwork, and strategic intention but it’s not my style to go around and seek acknowledgement. To me, as long as he wins, she wins, the team wins, the company wins, and thus, we would all win. It’s a touching realization that yes, afterall, they know and they appreciate me, from the bottom of their hearts.

Endless possibilities now lie in front of me for the next chapter of my life, but I will always cherish every working moment that I shared with my amazing team.