There are over 28 million businesses in the U.S. alone. On average, a job posting receives 118 applicants. The average business professional receives 112 emails a day.
In and around organizations, the world can feel crowded. It can feel as though you are a guppy roaming the Atlantic. So, how do we stand out amidst the crowded and noisy world? How do organizations stand out among the many options their customers have to choose from?
We all know that unless we’re different, we can never expect to get the price we want for our product. We know that unless we show customers what makes us different, there is little reason for them to buy from us. We know that if we don’t differentiate ourselves in our current role, we will be overlooked for the promotion. We know that if we want to succeed among the 28 million businesses or be one of the three interviews that come from the 118 job applications, we must begin the hard work of defining how we (our business, culture, skills, brand) are distinct. And most fundamentally, we instinctively know if we don’t uncover those unique fingerprints only we can leave on the world, setting apart our distinguished contribution, we’ll never feel deeply satisfied.
How do you ensure that your next product or process is distinct?
How do you ensure that your strategy is distinct from your competitors?
How do you distinguish yourself to your current or potential employer?
How do you create a team culture that is differentiated?
How do you create distinct capabilities within your organization?
And how do you excavate your life’s story to define your signature contribution to the world?
These are all question we ask and have heard our clients ask. And yet the answers to finding distinction cannot be found in easy formulas or 4 life coaching sessions. Yes, there are practical steps one must take. There is hard work for organizations to do. But there is no silver bullet.
Ironically, the world has so tried to standardize ways to distinguish oneself that it’s become a near commodity. Just Google “personal branding” and the sheer number of books, articles, and consulting coaches will numb your mind. The process for how you and your organization must distinguish yourself is as distinct as you are. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to creating and sustaining distinction. Distinction takes years of contextual, sustained investment.
Needless to say, because of this we will not be writing, “10 steps to your distinction.” Rather, in the posts that follow we will do our best to challenge all of us to really define our distinctions, oddities, and uniqueness in ways that set us apart from the crowd so we can serve our unique purpose, gratify our deepest longings to matter, and feel immensely proud of all that makes us “us,” individually and organizationally.