Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast
The Business of Food
by Jennifer Barney
Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast
AG GROWTH BEYOND THE CORE PART III
1-min read
When you’re really going for it - doing big things and taking leaps – a strategy to match is in order. It also means things will change. Some people will get on board and some won’t. Having the right culture is critical in these times.
Strategy
You want to set things up right: business modeling, market research, competitive landscape, consumption trends…the works. Having a strategy that can bounce your org from dabbling in ingredients to being a serious ingredient supplier with a farming (read: transparent) backbone will make CPG drool. You may even create a new corporate brand.
Making it Real
Everyone gets really excited about branding. Logos! Website! Video! Engagement is high when people are invited to pitch in on how the company should look, but few people are as engaged when it comes to taking on the new responsibilities this adjacent company will require.
It takes more than creating a new logo and website. Unless you are building a whole new team there need to be real steps taken internally on roles and responsibilities. Job descriptions should adapt and evolve, and team incentives need to be aligned to the strategy plan. Unfortunately, too often this topic gets glossed over in meetings with a nod and a “we got this” wink.
I know it’s fun to talk about logos on hats but, c’mon guys.
Execution
Things are going to get bumpy. That’s not the fear, the fear is not being prepared.
At first it might just be teeny bumps but soon bigger things like conflicting priorities and missed opportunities can really damage your success. If you’re hearing “miscommunication” as the culprit or “we’ve always done it this way” as the rationale, it’s not the strategy that’s the problem - it’s the messy human factor.
Leaders have to set the tone for change and if it's not already part of the culture, your strategy will suffer. I'll argue it's even harder for ag than other industries because the nice guy / laid back personality can sometimes hinder a culture of accountability and professionalism.
Culture Culture is the way your people act in critical situations
A Harvard Business Review study on successful corporate growth found that the average company only succeeds 25% of the time because “growing a business is normally a complex, experimental, and somewhat chaotic process.”
This stuff is hard. When embarking on a new path ask yourself, how will my people need to adapt to make this happen? No matter how effective your strategy may be, your company culture will determine its success. Hence the Peter Drucker quote, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”.
All my best,
Jennifer
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I'd love to hear from you - get in touch at jennifer@3rdandbroadway.com