Peter Drucker once suggested that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” There is no denying the power of culture. Indeed, Jim O’Toole suggests that the strongest resistance to change is cultural in nature, the result of what he so aptly characterizes as “the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom.”

Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Cathy Missildine for Halogen Software’s TalentSpace blog. To read the complete article, check out others, learn more about the firm, and sign up for email alerts, please click here.

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For decades, we’ve all heard that “culture matters.” The question is “why?”

I believe that “culture eats strategy for lunch.” And I also believe that “culture can make or break you.”

Because ultimately, it’s your organizational culture that can give you a true competitive advantage, align your workforce, help you achieve your strategy, and deliver a consistent, outstanding customer experience.

What I’ve found hard in my consulting career is defining culture so that leaders can understand it, and can CHANGE it if necessary.

Culture is elusive, it’s intangible, it’s soft, it’s touchy-feely. But if you have an unhealthy culture, the organization will face problems in talent acquisition, retention, productivity, and even revenue.

Getting a feel for organizational culture

When we discuss culture, I often tell students that you can “feel” it when you walk into an organization, either as an employee or a customer. So let me paint you a picture.

A candidate arrives for a job interview and walks into a company’s reception area. The receptionist is dressed in business attire; the waiting room is stark, without much decoration. The receptionist is formal in her communication and attention to process. She asks them sign in, wear a badge, take a seat and wait. The interviewer comes to escort the candidate to her office through a maze of beige, tall cubicles. There are no decorations, no pictures. Everyone has their head down and is working very quietly.

This snapshot should tell the candidate a story about the culture at this organization. The company is process driven, formal, task oriented and very generic.

I can’t tell you if that culture is good or bad for that particular company, but I do know, I don’t want to work there.

The ultimate goal? Organizational culture that supports your strategy. A true competitive advantage exists when culture is aligned with strategy, leadership models the right behaviors, and employees deliver excellent experiences to customers on a consistent basis.

That’s why culture matters.

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Cathy is the Co-Founder of Intellectual Capital Consulting, Inc. and the President SHRM-Atlanta. She has extensive experience in many areas of strategic Human Resources Management, working closely with executives in the areas of performance, productivity, organizational metrics, training, employee and customer engagement, workforce planning, organizational design and strategic implementation. Connect with Cathy via her firm‘s website or her blog.