How To Stand Out In A Sea Of Sameness
I recently attended a Christmas party for my company that’s based in Texas. What does this have to do with Stand Out In A Sea Of Sameness? You will be surprised. One of the activities that we had planned was a gift exchange.
The instructions were:
- bring something that represented you
- a very small dollar value
- the purpose is to connect
And it was really fun and interesting to watch that once somebody opened up a gift, we had to share the story about why the person bought the gift. When the person would open up the gift, and then everybody wanted to know why the person brought that gift, what it meant to them.
QUESTIONS THAT ARE ANSWERED IN THIS PODCAST
[2:30] how stories provide a personal experience
[4:00] 3 ways to stand out in a sea of sameness
[7:00] how to be unique
How stories provide a personal experience
Having that personal experience and connection and story is what I personally was able to enjoy, and discover more about my colleagues. The story allowed me to understand more, see where they came from, connect with them on a deeper level.
Here are some of the things that we discovered:
- Hobbies and backgrounds – family was in the carnivals, grew up in certain parts of the world, SCUBA certified
- Geographic love – people bringing in items from either their state or their city
- Family traditions – I brought games because games were very important to me as a child, especially around the holidays; others brought the facial masks, karaoke mics
And so just hearing these stories and understanding and learning what was important to my colleagues was really important.
I have discovered this helpful information “at work” too
And I’ve seen this happen at clients, as well, or in business or work, as well as this personal setting.
Interesting hobbies and weekend activities have been uncovered. I’ve seen this instant connection happen with either another colleague or with a client by sharing stories.
It’s not always the first thing we think about when we talk about business, is sharing personal stories, but it definitely helps. It helps show your personal side and that you’re just not a machine.
Three ways to stand out in the sea of sameness
Stories also allow people to start to understand you and really set you apart. There’s so many of us out there that are VPs, consultants or directors.
And we’ve got to find ways that really set us apart. And this is one of the ways. And so how do we stand out in that sea of sameness? It’s sharing those unique stories with our unique perspective.
And so I’ve got three categories, here, just to help you get started on stories that you can think of, that you can begin sharing.
First category
And so the first category is where you were raised, born, or where you enjoyed growing up.
Maybe you were born or raised or lived in an area that’s really unique, talk about that. I grew up in an area that people used to joke about us riding our horses to school.
And now we probably have 20 or 30 wineries, so that’s really interesting to see that perspective. And if somebody enjoys wine, that would be an interesting connection for them, we would have that relatability. Maybe you still live where you were born or raised. Why or why not?
Second category
The second category is looking at your past jobs.
And usually, it’s fun to share the jobs that you did during high school or college. Most everybody always had these crazy jobs, and it was nothing like what you’re doing now, generally.
And so maybe you were a bank teller or a lifeguard. Maybe you were a ski instructor for a year. Maybe you laid cables back when cables came out and the Internet came out. I mean, just those stories, share those stories because usually, they’re the fun jobs. Right? And so you can connect on that level.
Third category
The hobbies or what you’re doing on the weekend, or maybe there’s a special project.
- Cooking a gourmet meal for friends and friends of friends, every other weekend you’re just creating these magnificent events
- Coaching sports for one of your children or a niece or nephew
- Participating in a fun run or some other activity
- Reorganizing your office
- Remodeling a room in the house
- Work with your hands, woodworking
The point is that a lot of people have done these activities, or know some, or have wanted to try them.
That’s what is relatable, and allows you to relate to your colleagues, customers, and your clients, friends and family.
So you can see how these stories are not just related to work, right?
It’s important to remember how they made you feel, as well, so I would think about the story and just think about one of the feelings that you had because that’s one of the important ways that people like to create that connection.
How to be unique
And the reason that telling these stories is unique because you’re never going to have the same story and same experience or same perspective.
For example, I know maybe you and one of your other girlfriends might go out to see a band that you enjoyed 20 years ago. You know, one of you might love the energy of live music, and one of you might be experiencing memories and feelings from 20 years ago. Same event, different experiences. And so that’s how you can begin to stand out in that sea of sameness, is with those feelings.
Other ways to use stories
You can also use these stories for introductions, and maybe an icebreaker topic, or when somebody says what are you up to? Or how was your weekend? Or even what do you do? You can say, well 20 years ago, I used to do this. I used to be a lifeguard or a bank teller. And now you do this. And now it’s just mixing it up and making you more interesting in standing out from the sea of sameness.
Next Steps: Stand Out In A Sea Of Sameness
Pick a story and a category. Then add how you felt, and just make sure you can recite or tell it in 30-60 seconds or less. Keep it light and quick.
Show Notes Link
To get the show notes for this episode and that little phrase, please go to http://kimdsnyder.com/006. Thank you for listening to this episode.
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