Culture eats Strategy and Character decimates Values
It’s often been said that culture eats strategy for breakfast and it is absolutely true. I’d add to that by saying that character decimates values.
What do I mean by that? Values are what people (or organisations) believe and character is how they act. There’s a subtle but critical difference in that. I’d take it one step further by saying that culture = character x values (the multiplier is intentional, anything multiplied by 0 is still 0 - you need both sides of the multiplier to be in the positive).
I’ve been privileged to work with a large cross-section of organisations and I must say one of the things that always sets off background alarm bells for me are vision or value statements prominently displayed in the office. More often than not they are generic (usually meaningless to anyone but a small group who have had direct exposure to their creation) generalities developed by consultants or ‘organisational experts’. (perhaps a case of ’protest too much’?)
Companies that have a winning culture don’t simply walk in on a Monday morning and 'have values’. Everything they do is infused with the right character and values for what they are all about and are out to achieve - it’s part of their DNA.
It’s something organisations need to do from within themselves - a bit of culture DIY. All too often organisations grasp for saviours in the form of frameworks or consultants when in reality the only thing that will actually help performance is knuckling down and doing the hard yards themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of tools available to help organisations - and they should be used - but the journey to culture is more important than any output which can be put on a poster. It needs to be an inclusive, reflective and open journey which takes time.
It’s hard work (I’ve been there) but the dividends are incredible and I believe that culture is an inside game and it needs to be baked into everything you do - too often character and cultural fit are overlooked in light of other 'harder’ or technical competencies.