Firsts

“Like an old photograph, time can make a feeling fade but the memory of a first love never fades away.” - Tim McGraw

Life is littered with firsts. It starts as an infant with your first words and your first steps. If you are a parent, you never forget those moments. Then, it gets a bit harder. Think about the first time you rode a bike without training wheels. Go back and remember your first kiss or boyfriend. How about your first job? It is rare to meet with people who cannot remember these.

For new employees, it is their first day, their first sale, or perhaps their first promotion. Do you remember yours? Was there a celebration? Was it noticed or recognized? If yes, you have already seen a great leader or organization at work. If it was not that big of a deal, you missed out on a great opportunity to always remember those moments. In the past, I have written about the ability to move and how important it is. It takes one step and you are essentially going forward. As a leader, the people you support have dozens and dozens of firsts. And, you can never go back and make them count. As important as it is to move, it is equally important to stop every once in awhile and remember what is most important.

For you, personally, it is equally important to remember how important your first actions, gestures, and moments are. If you were to pick a meeting to run with a group of people, your first is the most important. Start wrong and you are already playing from behind. The first time you achieve a milestone for yourself or the group will set the pace for the next and the next. Your first email will never be deleted, so use spell check. Your first hire will never be forgotten because that is your first critical decision. Your first promotion will stay with you, good or bad, and show everyone the type of person or behavior you are recognizing and for whom they should model themselves. Your individual firsts are unforgettable and looking back at a successful career is being able to remember these moments, positively, and string as many of them together as possible.

Think about the things that could be considered a first:

· First Day
· First Sale
· First Meeting
· First Performance Review
· First Anniversary
· First Promotion
· First Customer Renewal
· First Testimonial
· First (Insert Milestone)

The one thing people do not realize is that you can never get these back. Much like a seat on an airline or a concert ticket that goes unsold on a specific date, you can never go back and reclaim them or do it over. Look back at your current or future position and outline those moments and do something about them. For example, if you are working for a team that has underperformed, every single sale and dollar is worth a celebration. At some point, they will become less and less celebratory if the team’s performance improves, but make the most of them early. Or, if you are inheriting a team or being promoted from within a group of superstars, you might have to get more creative. If they win all of the contests and awards, it will have to be more meaningful and personal to make them appreciate. In truth, it is significantly easier to create and celebrate firsts for new hires or under-performers than it is to do the same with top performers or senior people.

These are simple moments and they do not require grand gestures and lots of money. To recognize these “firsts” with your team is to show them that they are important and every step in the journey you are asking them to take is important. This does not stop at the first and should continue throughout your career leading the group. They all deserve recognition. You can never get them back, so make the most of them.