Don't Play Copycat

It’s tempting. Read the latest online article about building your online audience and launch something brand new. Pick up a book with that one inspiring chapter and overhaul your marketing strategy. Attend a two-day virtual conference on innovation and scratch your entire research and development department. Visit another organization, take pictures, observe staff, go back to your own space and…what? Resign? It can be tempting.

Don’t do it. Don’t look at another organization’s business model and think it’s all transferable. It’s not. Don’t get hyped on innovation and confuse who you are. Don’t visit another business, church, or nonprofit, become so convinced of what you’re not, and quit.

Guest experience isn’t a rubber stamp. Your organization isn’t exactly like another. Your context isn’t identical to someone else’s. Don’t try to copy everything that somehow seems “better.” You’ll never be Disney. You’re not Nordstrom’s (unless you are Nordstrom’s). You’re not them. You can’t be all things to all people.

It’s tempting to think that because “it” worked well for them, it will work for us. But free curbside service may not work in your context. Overnight delivery might drain your budget when you try to provide it for every guest. Rubber stamps can be fun play for toddlers, but often they are only messy cleanup for organizations trying to mimic another while betraying their own uniqueness. 

However, do pay careful attention to best practices: in virtual experiences, online platforms, big box stores, local grocers, hospitals, airports, amusement parks, theaters, gyms, airlines, and hotels. Your organization shouldn’t be a copycat, but it is critical to get your online presence branded accurately. You must figure out how to lead and cultivate healthy culture when most of your interaction is virtual. More so now than ever, you must communicate clearly. You must learn to lead with vulnerability that breeds trust.

You can’t rubber stamp success, but best practices that are repeated over and over become cultural norms that establish unique wins for you, your teams, and the people you serve. Learn from the best, become better than you are, and teach someone else what you’re learning. Embrace best practices that value others and honor yourself.

Q: What best practices define your organization and distinguish you from the crowd?