Uniquely unique
Of course, each of us is different. Different histories, different narratives. You have an appendix, she doesn't. You are different from everyone else, from your DNA to the kind of morning you had today.
No one can possibly understand you completely.
The same thing is true for your organization, but multiplied by (or even raised to the power of) the number of people who work there.
Such complexity. Originality. Unique uniqueness.
And yet…
And yet we can go to the same doctors.
And yet we can read the same books.
And yet it's possible our organizations can benefit from the same interventions and insights.
Because, while we're each unique, we have far more in common than we're comfortable admitting. Amplifying our differences may make us feel special, but it's not particularly useful when it comes to getting better.
Being unique is a great way to hide from the change we need when someone offers us a better future. Learning from the patterns and the people who have come before, though, is the only way any of us advance.