CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST

15 Oct CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST

Hello friends.  Well, it has certainly been a while hasn’t it?  The heading for this post is a quote from the great Peter Drucker and the last two years have been a living example of what Peter was referring to when he made this statement  After selling my company (Sandler Training) and as I considered what might be next for me, I accepted a “job” offer – I’m not sure exactly what compelled me to do that, but I must say the experience provided me with a number of business lessons that I will never forget.  While the opportunity did not end up as planned, I am grateful for the new perspective and appreciation for people who are attempting to transform their organizations and create sustainable change.  I understand now that I was supposed to spend time in this company – it was enlightening and humbling.

I learned a great deal about the word “culture” that I used to so loosely toss out in conversations with clients.  I learned how embedded beliefs can at times be impossible to change.  How strong the way “we used to do things” actually is and how it can freeze an individual in their tracks.  How transformation is really a very big word.  If you’ve been doing what your’e doing for years and it’s not so great, some people say you are in a rut.  Some even refer to them as careers.

I watched peole settle for what’s available, and what was available wasn’t always great.  “Because it is there” might be an okay reason to climb a mountain, but it’s not a very good reason to take a job or make a career move.

If we don’t know how to make something great, most people just don’t.  If we don’t know that greatness is possible, we likely won’t attempt it.  More often than not, most don’t know any better than good enough.  You can develop all the strategy and plans you want – culture eats stragegy for breakfast.