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Deliver on a key strategy using organizational culture as a lever

In response to the economic crisis, some leaders adopted a “back to basics” approach. Other leaders took their business in a new direction. Both approaches required a shift in priorities, mind-sets, and ways of interacting.

There’s a lot of truth to that old line: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

The only way to achieve such a shift is to enlist engaged employees who feel responsible for business results. But the Conference Board shows that employee engagement levels have reached an all-time low: 45 percent. Disengaged employees simply do not make efforts to change. The status quo reigns—and wasted efforts and huge opportunity costs result.

Most leaders wait too long to deal with mind-set or culture issues. To jumpstart new mindsets, beliefs and behaviors in the service of providing differentiated value, leaders:

• Identify any cultural components that might derail their strategy, and address them up front
• Emphasize, measure, and improve leading indicators (employee engagement, buy-in to strategy, role clarity, and discretionary effort) as much as lagging indicators
• Communicate progress often and meaningfully
• Communicate exactly what employees need to do differently to bring the strategy to life, and recognize employees who adopt the new behavior.
• Give people opportunities to drive business results, and provide them with the coaching and learning support they need

There’s a lot of truth to that old line: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Don’t let your culture build up an appetite.