Most businesses will have a strategic plan, which they will likely religiously follow, update and allocate resources and time too, yet bar for a very select few, no businesses have a Culture Plan.
Those that not only have one but live it are household names, the best of the best – Zappo’s Southwest Airlines, Apple, Starbucks – maybe these guys are on it something !! They have both working together to achieve their businesses mission and goals.
It is vital that strategy and culture work together
“When Strategy and Culture Collide, Culture Will Win”
Why – because strategy is When times get tough, it isn’t strategy that will pull your business through, it’s culture.
The argument goes something like this: “Strategy is on paper whereas culture determines how things get done. Anyone can come up with a fancy strategy, but it’s much harder to build a winning culture. Moreover, a brilliant strategy without a great culture is ‘all hat and no cattle,’ while a company with a winning culture can succeed even if its strategy is mediocre. Plus, it’s much easier to change strategy than culture.” The argument’s inevitable conclusion is that strategy is mere ham and eggs for culture.
And despite how well thought out your strategy may be, it’s your culture that will take your strategy to where it needs to go and give your business that much needed competitive advantage. marketplace.
Culture and brand sustains employee engagement, experience and enthusiasm – link to next intangible
• Higher employee & customer retention • Attraction of better customers & employees
• Positive company reputation • Improved safety records
• Engaged and productive employees • Reduced rework and shrinkage
• Less absenteeism • Improved Productivity
• Higher voluntary employee effort • Greater quality of service & product
Culture is to organisations what character is to individuals.
Business culture. It isn’t fluffy stuff.
Business culture is completely about your bottom-line