The Culture Is The Strategy

Over the years, I have spoken in front of many groups and stated that the culture is the strategy and the strategy is the culture in successful companies.

The longer I do this work, the more I am convinced that this is a powerful truth. 

I think the challenge for many leaders this fall is that they are not paying enough attention to culture within their organizations. Given COVID, some are focused on systems and others are focused on structure. Both of which are important given the current business climate. But the one thing that transcends systems and structure is culture.

Now I recognize that culture is the sum of behavioral norms created and accepted by those in leadership and management positions. I also recognize that culture can and should evolve over time as we become more enlightened about changes that need to take place, especially with the rise of consciousness in the areas of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion issues within society and the work place. 

Still, many managers and leaders take a hands off approach to cultural development and cultural maintenance. I am getting tired these days of people telling me “it is what it is” when it comes to their culture. They forget that managers and leaders need to proactively define the culture, i.e. the values and standards of the company, and make sure that it guides peoples’ decisions, be that at the operational or strategic levels. In short, we get so busy with our projects and deadlines that we forget to do the work of cultural definition. Instead, it gets pushed to the back burner and ultimately becomes forgotten. 

 

My hope is that we reclaim the concept that the culture is the strategy and recognize that we are consciously or unconsciously creating culture every day. Our words and our deeds as leaders have a tremendous impact. They can be a catalyst for positive action or a barrier to empowerment. It is time for us to wake up and to be more conscious about this work. It is time for us to be more thoughtful of how we treat each other, and how we speak to each other. We do set the tone as leaders when it comes to culture. And we must do a better job of it as we position our organizations for the next 2-3 years.

My challenge to you for the rest of this calendar year is to do two things. First, be your best self. Set a high standard of personal responsibility and accountability. Then, live the standard whether or not people are watching you. Second, hold yourself and others accountable for living up to the mission and core values, i.e. the cultural DNA of the organization. Over time, the outcome of committing to the culture being the strategy is that you will achieve better individual and collective results. And that is worth the time and effort to do this level of work.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257