First Timers: Pioneers of Change and Self-Discovery in Work Environments

The concept of "first timers" emerged as a remarkable archetype of individuals who break social patterns through their careers, transitioning into new countries, industries, or social layers. While they go by various names in different contexts, the essence of being a first timer is a universal experience that can teach us profound lessons about adaptability. Also, to be fair, we are all first timers in certain circumstances, but some professionals build their entire life story around the concept, sometimes without thinking much about why, who else is following a similar path and what might we learn from people that seem radically different on the surface- as Carl R. Rogers once wrote, "What is most personal is most universal." In this article, we delve into the world of first timers, exploring their unique challenges, common developmental areas, and the significance of social acceptance on their transformative career journeys.

Common Developmental Areas

During a workshop organised together with Systems Innovation Network Copenhagen , we studied three distinct personas, each with diverse backgrounds, career choices, and life circumstances. Workshop participants joined online from Germany, UK, Turkey, US and Denmark. Surprisingly, despite these differences, the workgroups discovered common areas of development, closely aligned with Eurofund's seven dimensions of job quality . As a first highlight, social support emerged as the top priority across all groups, signifying its critical role in the lives of first timers. As one of the workshop participants emphasised, "Emotional support is one of the biggest challenges - the feeling of 'being different' [becomes a commonality for first timers to bond over]. But how much do we acknowledge our own internal narratives and the stories which are influencing our everyday life?"

The Challenge of Belonging

First timers often find themselves torn between their loyalty to old environments, with familiar cultures and values, and the need to adapt to new environments and their associated demands. This internal struggle can create challenges when individuals lack the autonomy to adjust to their new surroundings effectively. The ability to navigate this transition successfully lies in one's capacity to observe and then shed beliefs and behaviours that no longer contribute to career growth. As one workshop participant questioned, "Why do we go through the educational system without this fear but once we go through these new experiences we do [fear change]?"

Perhaps because there are also external limitations to belonging. In a panel at the ChangeNOW conference this summer in Paris, the CEO of SINGA - a social integration global community of 50,000 members- concluded that “it takes on average 10 years for newcomers to Europe to recover their original status.” If you would like to know more about this, you can find the panel discussion here , min. 02:10 and on.?

It seems that the European countries are not alone in this situation either, Canada’s immigrant integration support programs are also structured for 10 years, for the same reason. But one could say that first timers are not only migrants, what about other types of first timers?

A study on “Cognitive diversity in academic spin-outs” from Technical University of Denmark - DTU , led by Prof. Carina Lomberg , discovered that 55% of the neurodivergent adults in the study experienced being fired from their jobs. These high numbers show that being a first timer through a diversity trait intensifies the challenge to belong to work places.

The list could continue but what feels like a natural progression, guides many of these profiles to either professionally downgrade or choose the path of entrepreneurship, where their different perspectives help them solve challenges. The same study from DTU concluded that adults with ADHD are more likely to start a business and if they have finished an education, even outperform other entrepreneurs. And that makes sense, since the study also found that routine problems are solved by homogenous teams while novel problems by diverse teams. However, even in an entrepreneurship career path, monitoring agencies and organisations appreciate the thin odds of first timers and offer advice , acceleration programs or founder matchmaking to support along the way.?

The Power of Self-Discovery

Successful first timers exhibit a remarkable trait: the courage to discover and live in alignment with their authentic selves. This requires shedding layers of coping mechanisms developed over the years, much like biases. Self-awareness and self-discovery are continuous journeys, and some may spend a lifetime unravelling their true identity.?

In the process, it helps to remember that all behaviours serve a purpose in certain life stages but as soon as our career conditions change, some of the same behaviours serve us no longer. Individuals that succeed are most often agile at observing themselves and letting go of old beliefs. And if not, the alternative is to search for an environment that values their individualism.

The ones that do not adjust one way or another, often suppress their newly discovered needs, which pushes coping mechanisms in the subconscious, from where they sabotage the success of the individual. For instance, someone in a high hierarchy culture might have learned that confrontation or saying no are not acceptable in a work environment. If the same person moves into a role in a low hierarchy environment, avoiding confrontations is very likely to hold them back from leading agendas and being perceived as a leader.?

There is something to the courage of each professional and first timer to discover and live in alignment with the personality that is hidden under layers of coping mechanisms- and we all have them. The question to ask is Which? not If?

The Need for Confirmation

More often than not, there are also external social pressures and economic constraints beyond each individual’s control. Another participant to the workshop hosted by Si Copenhagen Group pondered, "What can we learn from these experiences to tackle other issues? In these times we are all first timers."

When we consider that leadership roles imply a certain level of power in the community, it can become difficult for first timers to rely on their environments to share that power. And when the privilege to hold a role in leadership is offered, it is up to the first timer alone to have their internal work done, to receive that trust.?

That is why, in the quest for self-discovery and authenticity, first timers require confirmation from their environment that their personal unfolding is safe, accepted and even valued. Managers, mentors and teachers who recognise talents and potential along the way play a crucial role in this process. However, for some, this confirmation comes at a slower pace, particularly in work environments where the individuality of the first timer is seen as less than the expected norm in that environment. In fact, in these instances, feedback to fall in line like everyone in the group is more likely to confuse the first timer and stray them from finding courage to discover competitive ways to contribute.

First timers are pioneers of change and self-discovery, embarking on journeys that challenge societal norms and personal boundaries. If only there was a need for a highly valued skill set that resembles their natural disposition to think differently, one that entire industries are chasing! Innovative thinking IS different thinking and while society praises it when it gets results, the default reaction to being different is sadly, still pressure to conform to norms.?

In 1968, Dr. George Land set out to research and identify highly gifted individuals. In his quest, he discovered that 98% of 5 year olds qualify as creative geniuses, while only 2% of adults still do. You can see more about it in his TEDx talk , from minute 06:00 and on. One of Dr. Land’s conclusions is that un-creative thinking is a taught behaviour and my final 5 cents on it is that it continues to be taught to first timers through pressure to fit in, in work environments.?

The experiences of first timers teach us about the importance of adaptability, the power of self-discovery, and the need for social acceptance. As social and geographical mobility increase, we navigate the ever-changing landscapes of work environments, and we have the opportunity to draw inspiration from the remarkable stories of first timers, who remind us that the world needs everyone’s light to shine.