Culture. Values. Purpose.

In my office I have a big whiteboard on the wall. On it, it says: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”.

Every day I want to add: “…and lunch, and dinner…”

I wrote this as a reminder that no matter what strategy we come up with, no matter what process we implement, it doesn’t matter, if we don’t get culture right.

Your culture either enables your strategy or it works against it. And it’s the difference in whether you deliver your results or not.

Culture is everything that happens, when no one is paying attention. Not the things people tell you when everyone’s watching but what they really believe to be true.

When I review a company’s culture, I like to begin by asking the Executive team what the culture is like. Then I ask everyone else.

How often do you think the two views are aligned?

Part of the challenge is that we get busy with all the things that need doing. And we create structures and processes for getting those things done.

And suddenly you have “teamwork” as a company value but most of your processes require the different teams to work in silos.

You might say that you have a culture of open communication and teamwork but your CEO spends most of her days behind a closed door.

And just like that, the whole team knows that teamwork isn’t really what matters.

Communication decreases. Connection decreases. And before you know it results are down, and no one understands why.

Culture is what we do, not what we say.

It gets created in the behaviours of the leadership team, the way you reward people, in your admin processes, the stories that people tell at the coffee machine. In everything you do, and don’t do.

That’s why I help Boards and leadership teams pause and reflect on their culture. The culture they have. And the culture they want.

So they can create it deliberately. With the results to match.

For more information on how to align your culture with your business , get in touch here.