# Doing the Same and Something Different By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2025-01-08 Starting one’s career is challenging. There is a great deal of stress and excitement. To be accepted and advance within the organization, one must do what everybody else is doing and do something different. In other words, one must simultaneously conform and stand out. It is not easy to do when just figuring out how the organization works, what one’s job entails, and who one will be as a professional. The easiest way to stand out initially is to be excited and have a positive attitude. Compared to those who are established in their careers, new employees tend to bring a degree of positive energy. This is beneficial to the organization. Another aspect new employees bring is the ability to be unconstrained by the status quo. As one becomes established and learns the ropes within the organization, all these initial ways of standing out tend to diminish. At this phase, it is helpful to find something needed within the organization that nobody else, or very few people, does well. This is to find an empty place and fill it to stand out. Finding a needed area of specialization is almost immediately valued. At the next level, it is usually beneficial to be a human. This might seem odd. At the higher levels of the organization, people tend to lose their humanity. Just listening and talking with people with a degree of sincerity tends to be a way to stand out. This is beneficially directed towards those above and below oneself in the organization. Almost everybody must talk about their experiences and bounce ideas off another person. Being that person can be a highly effective way to contribute to the organization. Navigating the shifting terrain of doing the same and something different within an organization is challenging. There is no simple answer. Finding the right balance between conformity and authenticity is difficult. However challenging, it is essential for organizational advancement. #### Related Items [[Career]] [[Organization]] [[Attitude]] [[The Human Condition]] [[Authenticity]] [[Conformity]] [[Strategy]] [[Work]]