Culture MUST NOT devour Strategy for Breakfast

Culture—that is, the soft factors—prevents the implementation of a strategy and the achievement of hard results. So goes the well-known management mantra. And indeed, change projects continue to fall into this "trap." It doesn't have to be that way. If the issue of culture is not merely considered during implementation—for example, in digital transformation—but is already an integral part of the strategy.

Despite the long-standing recognition that soft factors are crucial to the successful implementation of a strategy—or even a single project—the reality on the ground is quite different. Many strategies focus only on the “should”—defining goals and success factors. The other four areas of action required for successful change to achieve these goals are usually addressed too late, too in isolation, or with insufficient sustainability: the “want”— that is, creating the necessary conviction; “knowing,” the communication and understanding of information; “being able,” that is, building the necessary competencies; and finally “being allowed,” the transfer and assumption of responsibility.

All these aspects can be addressed in parallel with the formulation of the strategy. The starting point is to foster the conviction within the organization that a new strategy and transformation are necessary. Rarely is there no alternative to a particular course of action. It must be possible to “let go” of the old in order to make room for the new. Breaking away from familiar and often proven patterns is simply not a rational process. It cannot be mandated. It can be facilitated before the new strategy “sees the light of day.” Otherwise, it will be “devoured” by the culture—and quite quickly, right at “breakfast.”

Digital Readiness Determines the “Take-Up”

For a successful digital transformation, the topic of culture becomes even more important. Because without a change in attitude and the way people collaborate—starting with leadership—an organization’s speed and adaptability cannot be increased. The more business models and processes are digitized, the more important human relationships become. Analog "onboarding" succeeds by connecting the target state with the current state. How ready an organization, department, or even a single team is can be assessed—with the Digital Readiness Check

The result provides the context for any upcoming change—the target—and highlights the foundational approaches for shaping the future. This “bridge-building” creates the confidence, in uncertain digital times, to shape one’s own destiny. Acceptance of upcoming, sometimes painful changes increases. The conviction grows that every challenge posed by the unpredictable is a new opportunity.

This transformed culture lays the foundation for any revised strategy. Then the formula is simply:

"Culture serves Strategy for Breakfast."