Nonconformist

When I think of the word nonconformist, I immediately think of moving to the beat of your own drum, standing out, bravely expressing your ideas and yourself, and differentiating yourself so that you get noticed.?I think of people that boldly stand out in general.

Why, for some people and in some cases, can people pull off being different, and at other times, the “boldness” can seem disrespectful and downright rude and shameless??Maybe a cry for attention?

In this edition of Unraveled, we want to spell it out for you. Being a bit different IS possible, but it can be a delicate dance. Too different, we stand the chance of being misjudged or considered unreliable. If we’re too vanilla, we stand the chance of always blending into the masses. So, what gives??

A Winning Case?

Years ago “Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO, captured the attention of the media when he wore a hooded sweatshirt when meeting with investors before his company’s initial public offering. While his appearance before professionally dressed bankers and investors left some observers thinking the young entrepreneur’s nonconforming dress style was a sign of disrespect, it signaled confidence to others.”?

?It worked for Zuckerberg, but why??

Zuckerberg could pull this off even for a group of investors (likely uptight, stick up their asses type) and this begs the big why?

When it works

Being different can work in your favor when you have built a reputation of both confidence and competence for yourself. When the choice to be different is INTENTIONAL.?

For it to work in your favor, you’ve got to be known for something and be backed by credibility in some way, shape, or form. You wouldn't show up to a first interview in oversized sweatpants and unkempt and expect that you could ride on the tailcoats of your degree and sales history that get you the job because showing up that way is disrespectful and wouldn't fly.?

In the below-referenced article, they stated that:

"Observers attribute heightened status and competence to a nonconforming individual when they believe he or she is aware of an accepted, established norm and is able to conform to it, but instead deliberately decides not to."

So, breaking the norm works when you are aware of the norm. And like most other things, there is a time and place for everything.?

If the norm for your industry is to show up in a suit and tie, you’ve got to show up this way, at least for a reasonable amount of time, until you are a trusted comrade or until your expertise is respected.

Two things must be in place to boldly swim upstream. You must do so with mindful intention, be fully aware of the norm, and choose to go against it (knowing when it is and is not acceptable).

If you want to stand out, not just in a fashion sense, we will list some key questions to ask yourself at this write-up.?

When?it fails

Unconventional doesn't work when you are lacking in confidence or credibility or your ideas are uninformed (aka you're unaware). ?

“When observers perceive a nonconforming behavior as unintentional, it does not result in enhanced perceptions of status and competence. When a nonconforming behavior appears to be dictated by a lack of means, better alternatives, or awareness, it will not lead to positive inferences from others. Thus, to benefit from deviance from the norm, we should make sure that others perceive our nonconforming practices to be deliberate choices.”

Failure considerations

It doesn’t work if you do it as a marketing ploy or a desperate cry to stand out amongst a sea of bland business people. I think of it as the “classiness barometer.” Do you speak with respect and class? Are you well-composed and confident with your body language? Do people have any reason to view you as an industry expert or someone to be listened to? Keep it classy, my friends, always keep it classy, and be mindful of whom you are approaching and how you do it.

?We must be aware and strategic and ask ourselves some critical questions before taking bold actions.?

Key Questions:?

1.?Have I built up a positive reputation amongst my peers?

2. Do my ideas and insights positively change the workplace culture, or am I still invisible?

3. Have I helped bring change to my industry in any way, shape, or form?

4. Am I taking small actions regularly that prove I am competent and my voice is worthy of listening to?

5. If I was an outsider looking in, would I view myself as a class act? Would my mom be okay with it? (The Classiness Barometer)

6. What is one thing I need to be better at so that I am perceived how I want to be?

7. If I am already approved by peers, aware, and respected, what is holding me back from taking bold nonconformist action? (Fear of judgment, not creative, don’t know how?)

Bluefishing your way to different

One of my favorite books is “Bluefishing” by Steve D. Sims. It's a brilliant compilation of how to make the impossible possible.?

One review explained it as follows: "Steve Sims’s day job is to make the impossible possible. With his help and expertise, his clients’ fantasies and wildest dreams come true. Getting married in the Vatican, being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli, and connecting with powerful business moguls like Elon Musk are just a few of the many projects he has worked on. He rarely reveals how he accomplishes the feats that make his clients so happy. But now for the first time, Steve shares his practical tips, techniques, and strategies to help readers break down any obstacle and turn their dreams into reality."

Why do I recommend this book in relation to being?unconventional?

If you can learn how to make near-impossible feats happen for yourself (and clients) by following a practical roadmap, it is much easier to imagine yourself as the person who stands out in the best?unconventional?way possible.?

Take a quick look at his Playbook for some quick takeaways, and listen to the Audible version of the book in 3 hours and 53 minutes. You can take it in snippets while you drive or listen at the gym. Start imagining a different and bold life with tangible takeaways. It’s worth your time, promise!

?I'll end with one action from his playbook:

How Do You Walk into a Room? Personal branding is not marketing and Twitter followers. It’s figuring out your core persona. Who you are, not who they want you to be.

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