Editor’s Note: Grace Ueng is CEO of Savvy Growth, a leadership coaching and management consultancy founded in 2003.  Her great passion to help leaders and the companies they run achieve their fullest potential combined with her empathy and ability to help executives figure out their “why” is what clients value most.  Grace writes a column for WRAL TechWire to help readers become happier and therefore, better leaders.

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“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – For many years, clients asked us for help on strategic marketing and critical business issues. Because we focus on strategy implementation, people issues and leadership team dynamics grew and we began to be recommended by boards to coach their CEOs on “soft skills” impacting overall leadership. CEOs in turn would call when struggling with people issues and wanting an outside, safe advisor to be a thought partner.

Grace Ueng (Photo by Christer Berg)

Recently, we received a call from a European company on helping their leadership team communicate more effectively with the younger generation of workers and last week heard from a Triangle company on conducting 360 reviews for their leadership team.

Strategy meets Culture

Whereas consulting often focuses on strategy, coaching often focuses on human behavior, critical to culture. One cannot succeed without the other.  A fabulous strategy without people motivated to execute it or an amazingly collaborative team without a strategic vision will both struggle mightily.  Culture is about human behavior.  It is about how employees act and how they treat their fellow colleagues, customers and partners in difficult situations.

The best formulated strategy will fall flat on its face if people are not passionate about your company’s vision or it is not clear to them. It’s best to have your team own your company’s vision by helping create it.

Who carries out the Mission?

Are you all aligned on the mission, the way the vision you aspire to, will be carried out?

Is your vision lived through all communications of leadership?  Does it trickle down through all your actions? How does your team have your vision reinforced in their daily work? The actions of founders and executives speak louder than words in the process of culture creation.

Culture creation starts from the top and is the core of the company.  That is why it is critical for the leader of the company to speak through multiple channels, often in order to maximize the likelihood their message is heard by all stakeholders: employees, customers, partners; current and prospective.

Yes, the traditional operational, financial and legal aspects of each business are important, but only with a healthy culture, the way your company operates toward fulfilling your goals – which includes the behavior and core values of each employee, will strategy take root and thrive.

  • Do you ask questions and listen to your people? Do they feel like their voices count?
  • Can each of your people recount your vision accurately? Do they feel it, embrace it, and live it in how they work?
  • Do you celebrate both the good and the bad?

Be a Goldfish!

This past week, I finished the first season of Ted Lasso (The series won an Emmy on Monday night). Ted can be viewed as a case study on culture creation. He is committed 100% of the time to treat others with dignity and respect, even competitors. He does the right thing even when others are not watching. He goes the extra mile. And in doing so, he transforms the people around him to be better human beings.  Even though Ted comes from a completely different culture and sport, he is able to connect and  inspire others to find the best in themselves.

He talks about remembering bad events like a goldfish – the happiest animal in the world.  It’s got a 10 second memory.

How can you create a culture more like Ted Lasso this week?

About Grace Ueng

Grace is CEO of Savvy Growth, a leadership coaching and management consultancy founded in 2003.  Her great passion to help leaders and the companies they run achieve their fullest potential combined with her empathy and ability to help leaders figure out their “why” are what clients value most.