Culture Eats Strategy for…an Appetizer

We’ve all heard Peter Drucker’s saying, “Culture eats strategy for lunch [or breakfast].” I am, of course, not going to disagree with that statement. However, given the work world today, it’s not enough. Culture doesn’t just eat strategy for breakfast or lunch. Culture eats strategy as an appetizer. Then it eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, a snack, etc. A poor company culture will eat up and spit out your organization if its cultural framework, strategic priorities, and systems are not aligned with the culture your organization wants and needs to survive.

Culture doesn’t just eat strategy for breakfast or lunch. Culture eats strategy as an appetizer. Then it eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, a snack, etc. A poor company culture will eat up and spit out your organization if its cultural framework, strategic priorities, and systems are not aligned with the culture your organization wants and needs to survive.

The pandemic changed the work world. It changed what managers and team members will and will not tolerate. It changed what will be expected and accepted by employees. It changed how managers need to manage, and it changed how leaders need to lead. It flipped the leaders’ focus from looking to the customers outside the organization to looking at what’s driving the company from the inside – its engine – its people.

The pandemic…flipped the leaders’ focus from looking to the customers outside the organization to looking at what’s driving the company from the inside – its engine – its people.

So why do I say a poor company culture will eat strategy for an appetizer? Because your organization’s strategies are just one aspect of determining ‘who you are’ as an organization and why anyone should work with you. What you do, your strategies, are obviously testaments to what you are willing to invest time and money in. Those commitments speak to your priorities and to what you value as a company. Those will resonate with many employees. However, how your leaders behave, what they focus on besides the OKRs, what behaviors they do and do not tolerate in their teams, what they do intentionally and consistently to develop strong teams and strong relationships speaks volumes to all of your employees.

• Are they working with you to ensure your vision, mission, guiding principles, and values create the cultural framework that defines the company you want and need to be to survive?
• Are they working with you to ensure the strategic priorities will help to enhance and sustain a company culture that will enable you to attract, train, create relationships with, and retain great people?
• Are they working with you and their teams to elevate the systems, processes, and procedures used day in and day out to optimize efficiencies, enhance employee experiences, and provide better customer results?

If so, that’s great. If not, there’s work to do and you better do it quickly. Your culture is hungry and needs attention now. You can see the light and change now or feel the fire if you don’t.

See the light and change now or feel the fire if you don’t.

Copyright MMXXII – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890

Liz supports clients with strategic and succession planning, as well as leadership training and executive coaching.