Culture trumps strategy. So says Peter Drucker no less and I could not agree more. We spend tons of time talking about how we are going to differentiate our brands, we write big cheques in support of grand advertising programmes, throw exotic launch parties while simultaneously kicking our people in the shin. Moreover, we often don’t let people in on our secret on what our goal is and the part they play in its attainment.
And we wonder why the product launch failed or why we can’t get the sales growth set in our annual operating plan. Culture is not “some woo-woo stuff that doesn’t make any difference”. Far from being some nebulous, warm and fuzzy ‘nice to have’, company culture provides the basis for huge competitive advantage. A salary buys people’s knowledge and know how. The right culture purchases their passion.
I see culture at work at El Pecos restaurants where the associates seem to be a notch or two better than the typical quick service restaurant employee in T&T. The owner who started this business from scratch did not have a brand manual to follow like the global brands. He crafted his own, built on leading by example, treating people with respect and fairness and not asking anyone to do anything that he is not prepared to do himself.
It’s real simple. Treat your employees right and they are more likely to treat your customers right.
