Is Conformity a Strategy?
Last week I was driving in an old neighborhood and I remember distinctly commenting to myself, "I really love these old neighborhoods. I love how the homes are different from each other. I love how there is no guideline that certain things need to be done a very specific way except that they should look nice."
Each house was different. Occasionally I would see two houses that looked like they might have been built by the same builder but, for the most part, these homes were very different from each other.
Different layout, different yards, different fences, different colors.
All were just very different from each other.
I really loved the way it looked and thought how nobody was required to conform but each were allowed to be their own unique selves.
Then, I went home and got a nice letter from a home owner's association for a rental property I own.
Basically, it said, "You, along with 67 of your neighbors, are getting this reminder that your fence needs to be stained. You need to conform to one standard because we don't want a 'hodgepodge' of colors on our fences."
What a juxtaposition!
I couldn't believe this stupid letter I was getting.
My fence is in good repair. Perhaps a little weathered, but in very good shape.
I now have to go to Lowe's and ask for the "Sundance Community Fence Color." I have to paint it.
Oh... they said that if I don't have it done in a week, they'll fine me $100. I don't know what they think damages that covers other than for the person driving around looking for infractions.
I think the answer to the question posed in the title is, "Yes, conformity is a strategy."
However, I think that so often we hold on too tightly to conformity. When we penalize someone for not conforming... someone who has done something very nice regardless of direction, then we take a little something away from them.
When managing employees, creating marketing strategies, development business management strategies or even raising children, conformity can be the death of an organization. We need diversity (and not phony government mandated diversity but real diversity) that enables us to look at things from a different perspective.
Conformity stifles creativity. Conformity causes everything to look the same. Conformity creates drones.
Don't employ conformity as your busines strategy but seek to be different.
Corey Smith is the president of Tribute Media a web development firm providing high performing, industry specific websites. He is a businessman, writer, technology fanatic, graphic designer and web developer. His greatest passion is teaching, consulting and speaking.
You can find him on Twitter, FaceBook, FriendFeed, and LinkedIn.
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