Culture: The giant that makes or breaks your organisation

The beginning of March marks an important and critical time for many businesses and employees. It's a period for measuring performance, closing the books on the previous cycle, and opening new ones for the coming year. Performance management has always been a controversial topic, largely because it's difficult to measure effectively when accountability is lacking. It's undeniable that companies may have clear goals, excellent processes, and highly qualified people, yet something still hinders performance. The reality is that even great talent cannot succeed in isolation. As I often ask in the organizations I work with, what is the answer to your 1+1?

Peter Drucker famously stated, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ In my book, I use the analogy of culture as soil, performance as fruit, and everything else—skills, processes, etc.—as inputs like water and sun. Why do we expect to harvest fruit from poor soil? People are often reprimanded for results they cannot produce, expected to perform miracles while the culture undermines their efforts. Distinguishing between holding individuals accountable for the culture itself and holding them accountable for failing to live up to it is crucial. This perspective argues that culture either makes or breaks companies, preceding both strategic execution and performance outcomes.

Are you experiencing cultural challenges or dilemmas in your organization, or are you seeking to cultivate a fertile cultural ground? Connect with us.

I hope you enjoy the video and share your insights.