Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: Transforming Organisations Through Coaching

While a well-thought-out strategy is essential, it's the culture of an organisation that ultimately determines its long-term success.

Introduction

My good friend treated me to lunch recently and one of the topics we discussed on was how certain companies that have supposedly developed excellent strategies unfortunately were unsuccessful implementing them due to their culture. Yes, the very culture that has built the company can become the stumbling block to achieving success.

That got me thinking about the age-old adage "Culture eats strategy for breakfast".

While a well-crafted strategy is vital, the culture within an organisation plays an even more significant role in determining its success. The culture of an organisation sets the tone for how employees interact, innovate, and collaborate.

What does the phrase mean?

When Peter Drucker famously uttered, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast," he highlighted the importance of organisational culture in achieving long-term success. Simply put, no matter how brilliant your strategy may be, it will struggle to succeed if it clashes with the prevailing culture of your organisation.

Culture encompasses the values, beliefs, behaviours, and customs that guide how people within the organisation interact, make decisions, and achieve their goals.

How do you set or reset the culture of your organisation?

Now, let's briefly explore how to go about setting or resetting the right culture for your organisation and how executive coaching can serve as a catalyst for this transformation.

1. Define Your Desired Culture

The first step in shaping the right culture is to define what you want it to be. Consider your organisation's values, mission, and long-term goals. Ask yourself what kind of atmosphere will best support these objectives. Do you want a culture that promotes innovation, transparency, inclusivity, or agility? The answers to these questions will guide your efforts in establishing the right culture.

2. Lead by Example

Leaders play a crucial role in setting the tone for the entire organisation. To establish a culture that aligns with your vision, leaders must embody the values and behaviours they wish to see in others. Coaching can be particularly effective in helping leaders develop the skills and self-awareness needed to lead by example.

3. Communicate and Reinforce

Once you've defined the desired culture and demonstrated it as a leader, effective communication is essential. Clearly articulate the values and expectations that define your culture. Encourage open dialogue and feedback to ensure everyone understands and supports the cultural transformation. Regularly reinforce these cultural principles through team meetings, performance evaluations, and recognition programmes.

4. Employee Development through Coaching

This is where executive coaching comes into play to help solidify change. Coaching offers a personalised and transformative approach to employee development, aligning personal growth with organisational goals.

Here's how coaching can be instrumental in shaping the right culture:

• Self-awareness: Coaching helps individuals become more self-aware, allowing them to recognise their strengths and areas for improvement in terms of cultural fit.

• Skill development: Coaches can work with employees to develop the skills and behaviours necessary to thrive in the desired culture, such as leadership, communication, and teamwork.

• Goal alignment: Coaches can help employees set personal and professional goals that align with the organisation's culture and mission.

• Accountability: Coaches provide accountability, ensuring that employees continue to make progress towards cultural alignment.

5. Measuring Culture Change

You need to measure the progress of your culture transformation to ensure it is on the right track. Collect feedback from employees, conduct surveys, and track key performance indicators that reflect cultural changes. Use these insights to adjust your approach and address any areas that need improvement.

Conclusion

The saying "Culture eats strategy for breakfast" does holds immense significance. While a well-thought-out strategy is essential, it's the culture of an organisation that ultimately determines its long-term success. The process of transforming your organisational culture starts with defining your desired culture, followed by coaching your leaders to lead by example, communicating effectively the values and expectations throughout the organisation, and finally leveraging executive coaching (and mentoring too, if need be) to support employee development particularly in aligning their personal growth with organisational goals. This shift can set the stage for success, innovation, and growth, and this allows your strategy to thrive on the nourishment of a strong, aligned culture.