We get this a lot: big companies bringing us in to shake things up, because they want to be more creative, because they want to be more innovative, etc.
The one thing most of our clients have in common is that none of them suffer from lack of talent or money or great products. Their problems tend to be cultural.
Maybe they spend too much time in meetings. Or too much time watching their backs and playing politics. Or perhaps none of them even particularly like each other – I’ve seen this many times before.
No, I’m wasn’t saying my clients spend all their time going to worthless meetings, playing politics and hating each other’s guts. Still, within big companies it’s been known to happen, even in the very best of them. It’s the nature of the beast.
Which is why I went on to say:
So the next time you decide your business needs to be more innovative (don’t they all?), your first job is not to do a re-org or hire a bunch of outside contractors. Your first job is to change your mindset, change your culture.
It isn’t complicated: the companies who can create a killer culture have a HUGE competitive advantage over those who can’t.
Which is why “Culture eats stratgey for breakfast.” Indeed.
