If you have ever tuned in to watch the television show entitled The First 48 on the A&E Network, you have been a witness to the importance that the first 48 hours play in a criminal investigation, and I offer that just as a crime investigation often hinges on those precious first hours, how a student experiences the first hours enrolled in your class or the impression a new member of your organization forms about your culture, has the opportunity to be a significant Defining Moment in their life.
So, I offer the following questions as an assessment to how a person experiences their first 48 with you. In a college class, are we simply dispensing information from the syllabus or are we seeking an opportunity to hook a student onto the value of our discipline? How are we approaching the vital connection between the course content and the real life that exists outside the walls of the organization? How does our organization implement engagement practices that allow us to recruit, retain, and continually replenish the highest performing members?
As you read further, my intent is that you will not only appreciate what you are reading, but that your mind will begin an inward focus on how to implement some best practices in your areas of influence which will engage and equip all members of your community in that critical First 48. Building upon ideas presented in earlier posts, I offer that there is a foundational link between creating a Culture of Hospitality and a flourishing organization and often this link is established within The First 48 hours of contact. Whether we are describing The First 48 hours of a potential college student’s experience with a university (as described in Defining Moments), or a new college student’s experience in an academic classroom (as outlined in The Hospitality Room), leaders have an opportunity to Surprise and Delight those entering into their culture.
Capitalizing on these opportunities to create threshold moments through First Day Experiences (FDE), what if more people embraced creating a Culture of Hospitality as first-grade teacher Callie Craig at South Gibson Elementary School did for her student intern, Rachel Durham? How delightful an onboarding experience could be if all new employees were to encounter a scene as Rachel describes here:
“The first time I met Callie in person, I visited the school the day before all teachers were required to attend for professional development. Upon arrival, she directed me where to park and the process for entering the school. As I entered our classroom, Callie had already established my own personal space, including a desk with my name on it. In addition to this already warm welcome, Callie provided me with a Hornet’s t-shirt, a first-grade t-shirt to wear the first day of class, and a cute lanyard to hold my school ID. These outward expressions of appreciation from a mentor teacher before she even knew me well, in addition to little notes she regularly provides, made me feel a part of the class immediately,” states Rachel.
Student teachers, or as we call them at Union, interns, are usually extremely nervous with the overwhelming responsibilities they are about to experience, as any new employee entering a new environment is likely to be. The hospitable culture that Callie created for Rachel at South Gibson is a notable approach and is a great example of how to carefully consider The First 48 hours of an intern’s experience. Now, I’m pretty sure that Callie had thoughtfully engaged with Rachel before that first day physically on campus, but the Defining Moment that Rachel experienced will likely never be forgotten.
Based on her personal First 48 with Callie, Rachel offers, “To make the first day extra special, I think it’s important for mentors to have an area of the classroom to call their own, whether it is created together or ahead of time. It helped me feel a part of this new first-grade class, and also allowed the students see the intern as their teacher. Another thing that I was able to do was to make a cute sign to hang outside our classroom door next to my teacher’s. I think it’s also important to put both the mentor and intern’s names on information that is sent home to parents because the parents understand that the mentor is their student’s teacher as well.”
Now that I’ve touched on The First 48 with regards to an internship experience, a student’s college acceptance, and even the experience of an intercollegiate student athlete, I hope to expand this conversation to embrace onboarding experiences in various areas of our lives. It is here that I ask for you, in the comments section below, to add other insights into when you feel The First 48 hours are crucial to connection. So, brainstorm with me…Academic Advising, First Day of Class, First Day at Church…
Flourishing @ Life 
The first 48 experience that comes to my mind is when I had my first day in the athletic training program. I was rather timid as I usually am when I am around new people. I tried really hard to make a good impression. The thing is that I was going to be stuck with these 9 (now 7) people for 3 years. I also was going to have pretty much the same 3 professors for all of my AT classes. When I actually got into the classes with all the professors and my classmates, there was an ease and warmth to them all. There was a sense of mutual respect. Now we have a lot of fun and are basically a little family.
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I as well understand the power of the first 48. I was a transfer student from Jackson state, coming to Union in 2018. Within those first 48 hours, I had people from all over campus helping me navigate where to go and help me understand the environment. Many of the people who helped show me around during my first couple of days are now some great friends of mine. This blog post opened up a whole new idea regarding the first 48 hours. I had never thought to apply it to real life. Because of my new perspective on this concept, I plan to make this time for my future students a time they will always remember.
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While I have not read the books mentioned in this article, I understand completely the power of the First 48. I remember my first 48 hours with my first roommate as one of those times. While we semi-bonded the first evening, by the second night, it was clear we were not compatible roommates. We lived on very different schedules, from when we ate breakfast to when we went to bed. I am a more private person with a set sleep schedule, but my roommate had no problems watching Netflix without earbuds at three a.m. on Sunday mornings. It was in this experience that I realized how crucial it is that we lay guidelines for any relationship at the very beginning, preferably within the first hour. This way, we may avoid conflicts similar to those I faced with my roommate.
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I as well understand the power of the first 48. I was a transfer student from Jackson state, coming to Union in 2018. Within those first 48 hours, I had people from all over campus helping me navigate where to go and help me understand the environment. Many of the people who helped show me around during my first couple of days are now some great friends of mine. This blog post opened up a whole new idea regarding the first 48 hours. I had never thought to apply it to real life. Because of my new knowledge of the first 48, I plan to make the first 48 hours in my future classroom a time that my students will remember forever.
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Sarah Woodward
I as well understand the power of the first 48. I was a transfer student from Jackson state, coming to Union in 2018. Within those first 48 hours, I had people from all over campus helping me navigate where to go and help me understand the environment. Many of the people who helped show me around during my first couple of days are now some great friends of mine. This blog post opened up a whole new idea regarding the first 48 hours. I had never thought to apply it to real life. Because of my new perspective on the First 48 concept, I plan to make that time in my future classroom a time that my students will always remember
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Professor Powell,
I really enjoyed reading this blog post, because it made me reflect about things I do not usually reflect about. While reading about the first 48 hours, I thought about my first time at Union. I came from a completely different country, and I was on campus early to meet the team and start practicing. Obviously, I wanted to make a good first impression, but I mostly think about some of my teammates. They reached out to me right when I came to campus and tried to make me feel welcomed, which I very much appreciated. They took me out to lunch, invited me to do things, and in the first 48 hours I already felt less nervous and like I belonged.
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I loved this blog because I use to love watching the first 48 with my dad all the time. And we always discussed how crucial the first 48 hours after a crime is to the police. And honestly the first 48 hours anywhere are very important like your first two days at college those people and experiences that you encounter will become sometimes an everyday thing for you. I have never really went into depth of the first 48 hours idea but I plan to place that in my upcoming future at school.
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I love the first 48! Throughout my life, I have also seen how much of an impact the first 48 hours of an experience can have. The first thing I think about is when I transferred to Union from Jackson State. At Jackson State, I felt completely invisible and like no one cared about anything I did. However, during my first 48 hours at Union, I felt an overwhelming sense of love and care. I had never felt more seen. Everyone at Union was so helpful even though I was new. My life would truly not be the same without those first 48 hours at Union.
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