“Culture is not just one thing. It’s everything.” – Jon Gordon 

Culture is more important than any plan, strategy, or forecast. The best strategies are just words on paper, a document in a file. The best plans can sit in a binder on a bookshelf. A great forecast is worthless without the people to carry it out.

Culture trumps plans, strategies, and forecasts. Yes, we need to plan and strategize – without question. BUT, we must simultaneously create the culture, the value and belief structure, to make plans and strategies successful. With the right culture, plans and strategies are roadmaps to a shared vision. With the right culture, plans and strategies improve with implementation because the organization is functioning with a growth mindset.

Focus on culture first . . . build relationships and shared values. Develop a common vocabulary and a system for empowering everyone to own their work. Once you have the culture on the right path, the strategies simply come together.