When it comes to adding value, organisational culture eats strategy for breakfast.

Catherine Corcoran Gearty, our Head of Consulting, featured in the autumn issue of Women Mean Business magazine offering expert insight into maximising the value of a business through culture. 

"For a business to successfully maximise value, a few key ingredients are required. These include change and conversations; an integrated inclusive approach to your people as well as finances and operations; and developing an organisational culture within the workplace that will allow employees to thrive."

 

READ catherine's FULL ARTICLE HERE

 

As published in the Autumn 2018 issue of Women Mean Business magazine 

In today’s business climate, an enormous amount of emphasis is placed on strategy and a meticulous plan of action that will help a company grow in the long-term. But if we pause for a moment and take a step back, we can see how such extensive planning can distract from the immediate moment, a juncture where hard work and loyalty can be mistakenly taken with a pinch of salt.

Drucker famously said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, a favourite in corporate speak that has come to epitomise the importance of valuing ideas, customs and social behaviour at work. I subscribe to this ethos in every way from my own workplace culture to the advice I give my clients. I help companies to look at how they do business to form a better understanding of themselves.

For a business to successfully maximise value, a few key ingredients are required. These include change and conversations; an integrated inclusive approach to your people as well as finance and operations; and developing a culture within the workplace that will allow employees to thrive.

 

HOW TO MAXIMISE VALUE THROUGH CULTURE

 

KNOW YOUR PURPOSE

A company should be clear about their purpose from the outset and ensure that it is integrated into the workplace to create a sense of transparency and inclusion. Knowing your purpose also means understanding what role your people play and considering the value they bring to the table.

Are your people brought on your journey? Do they feel united and part of something? This should be an important part of your business.

 

TALK REAL TO YOUR EMPLOYEES

There is so much creative value to be had through your people, but this is often forgotten. Too often, we have the façade of conversation- where there is a lot of talk- but not really meaningful, true conversations. People must talk and have the courage to have ‘real, authentic conversation’. A conversation must be started and continued to maintain a diverse approach.

Several ways to do this is to keep people in the business informed and motivated. People must feel understood on a personal and professional level as well as presented with opportunities or scope to progress within the company. Feedback too is essential as this allows for an honest conversation from both employer and employee.

 

BE AUTHENTIC AND MAKE YOUR CULTURE AUTHENTIC

With authentic people, we create authentic organisations. Authentic people have the freedom to operate, the freedom to speak and the freedom to self-actualise. Your management and measurement system should allow for these freedoms.

 

BE ACCESSIBLE

Accessibility is also key, with a ‘my door is open’ attitude adding some peace of mind for the person in need of advice or guidance. People need to feel like there is a genuine interest in their wellbeing. It’s about being accessible if there is a question or concern. In short, honesty is the best policy.

 

SELF-AWARENESS IS KEY

Your people development and performance management systems should be rooted in the ‘creation of self-awareness’- if your people and your organisation are self-aware about development points, both as individuals and as an organisation, true and very real dynamic change can happen- change that people are brought into. Self-awareness is an amazingly powerful tool.

 

NURTURE THE CUSTOMER

For a business to maximise and make the most of their value, the customers must also be nurtured. A customer should feel like there is an understanding of what they need, and they feel valued in all transactions. You can’t overestimate how important it is to engage and understand both customers and your people. If a business takes the time to do this, they will undergo a strong learning curve that will allow for a more productive restructuring within the organisation. This will create a deep understanding for all involved.