“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – the phrase is often quoted and rarely translated into practice. What does it mean in concrete terms?
A strategy defines what you want to do. Culture determines how work is actually done day to day: how you talk to each other, how you deal with mistakes and what you look at in conflicts. If the two do not fit, culture almost always wins.
How to recognise culture
- What happens when someone reports a mistake?
- Who is asked when a decision is due?
- What is talked about in the hallway – and what in meetings?
Making culture visible
Formulate a culture code: five to seven behavioural rules you really want to live – short, concrete and verifiable. “We speak up early when something is not working” is stronger than “We foster open communication”.
Your next step
In your next team meeting, ask: “Which rule applies here that is written nowhere?” The answers show you the lived culture. You will find more on the colony’s roles in the five management principles.
