Why Culture Matters
One does not need to look very hard to find evidence that high-performing corporate cultures positively impact the bottom line. Here are some compelling arguments for creating a values-driven, high-performing culture.
“Research shows that [leaders who] effectively manage the people side of change are five times more likely to meet objectives and achieve business results.” – Jeff Hiatt, CEO and founder, Prosci
“91% of the 1,200 senior executives at global companies surveyed agreed that culture is as important as strategy for business success.” – Paul Meehan, Darrell Rigby, Paul Rogers, Creating & Sustaining a Winning Culture
“If executives fail, they don’t fail because of business skills, but [because of] soft skills and cultural skills.” – Scott Kingdom, Global Managing Director, Korn/Ferry International
“We believe your company culture and your company brand are just two sides of the same coin…your culture is your brand.”- Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos
Building a Values-Based High-Performing Culture
The first step is to create a set of core values. This provides the foundation for Who We Are with a commitment to those values from everyone in the organization. The second step is to translate those values into behaviors that define How We Do Things Around Here…that’s the company culture. Only then can you begin to ask the strategic questions about Where Are We Going and How Will We Get There.
Most companies begin their strategic planning at Step III or Step IV. That’s putting the cart before the horse, and you may not get the buy-in you need because you may not have an aligned workforce to support your strategy. Don’t make that mistake. Values and culture first—once you know who you are and where you are going, then you can develop strategy with a team committed to the same vision.