I hate to say it, but Peter Drucker was wrong when he said “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Or, at the very least, misunderstood. But I’m actually hoping he never said it at all.
That’s because culture is a key element of any sound business strategy. In fact, the elements of culture — purpose, beliefs, behaviors, values, process (or ways of doing things) —are the building blocks of business strategy.
MindMeld employs a model for defining business strategy comprised of two syllogisms [syllogism being defined for our purposes here as a deductive scheme where two premises form an irrefutable conclusion].
The first syllogism utilizes vision/mission and purpose [beliefs or worldview] to arrive at core values of the organization. The second syllogism involves values and process/methodologies to arrive at an overall organizational strategy. The model below shows how these elements combine in defining your business strategy.
Note that ‘values’ is the key element in the formulation of your business strategy — serving as the conclusion in the first syllogism and a major premise in the second. Moreover, Aim, Purpose, Values, and Methods, or ways of creating value, form the foundation for “why” people should do business with your organization. Which means identifying and precisely defining these four elements is fundamental to developing a sound business strategy. Doing so differentiates your brand in an inspiring and meaningful way.
In a business context, strategy is a plan for achieving specific short– and long–term goals and objectives in order to obtain a distinct overall advantage that produces sustained, optimized profits. Note the inclusion of both short– and long–term. As such, culture is an inextricable part of the strategic plan. If it’s not, your strategy is destined to fail.
About MindMeld: Our vision is that your business will grow, prosper, and make a positive and lasting impact on the world. We accomplish this vision by helping you discover and communicate the value of your products and services and capitalize on that value. To learn more please contact me at doug.knuth@mindmeldmarketing.com.
© copyright 2015, Doug Knuth, MindMeld Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved.