Going First

Footprints in the Snow by RCH

First: Coming before all others in time or order; never previously done or occurring.

Today is the first Monday, of the first full work week, of the first month of the new year.

I've been thinking a lot about "firsts" today and about what it means to be first.

Being first is often a coveted position among us humans. I remember in elementary school how exciting it was to be first in line. The prestige (well, for elementary school), the fun of being #1 with everybody following behind you. 

Even as an adult, being the point person -- facing a task with no one in front of you -- can be an exhilarating place to be. Lewis Grizzard captured one aspect of this when he said, "If you're not the lead dog, the scenery never changes" (that's certainly true if you're not sitting in the stroke seat in rowing!). Being first is a position that can definitely have its perks.

I maintain, however, that "being" first is slightly different than "going" first. Being first might involve a position of leadership, or moving along a designated path, but when you go first, sometimes it means doing something that no one has done yet -- at least, maybe not in the way you plan to do it. When you go first, you can be jumping into something all alone with no one behind you -- yours might be the only footprints in the snow as you forge ahead through the forest. It can be downright scary.

I'm trying to do something different now in my conflict resolution work -- trying to connect some dots in a new way and communicate that to my colleagues in the field. Lately I've realized that in many ways, I'm going first. I bump into questions and challenges by those for whom these concepts are unfamiliar. I encounter the general resistance to thinking outside the box or changing the status quo. At times it does feel more like blazing a trail than taking the lead.

But when I think of the being first experiences -- the clear vista ahead of me that allows me to expand my ideas, the excitement of being out in front to implement my discoveries myself in a way that I think is good (and especially the part about the scenery changing when you're the the lead dog!) -- I'm able to gain a valuable perspective. One that reminds me that going first can still be quite a ride.

Here's hoping your scenery is changing often!
Kay
www.confidentconflict.com