Companies spend countless hours determining the best strategies to move their businesses forward. From the accounting department to branding, social media to sales, production to marketing to logistics, and to multiple other areas, strategy is essential. But, if you have not set up a culture that motivates employees to execute your strategies, you will soon find your efforts falling short.

Lone “silos,” or drama-filled groups who wish to live in and create negative space, or proverbial turf battles with department heads who refuse to work together due to jealousy or envy, will quickly sink any strategic advantage. If your team is not in sync, positive, focused, and all on the same page, you will continually discover areas of disappointment within your strategic efforts.

Add to this, the one or two individuals who are toxic to your values and vision. They spread negativity and criticism about you and your strategy within your business culture, and soon, you will find yourself asking, “Why are my strategies not working?” 

Companies are built with people, not plans. Employees have to be equipped with vital interpersonal skills to create harmony and begin to form a more perfect culture. We tend to spend multiple thousands, even millions, of strategic dollars in hiring the right people and purchasing the right equipment. But very little, if any, is spent on developing the skills necessary for our people to create a culture that executes our strategies well.

Unless you put a priority on culture development and begin to focus on the people-barriers that are silently sabotaging your growth, you will continue to survive instead of thrive.

Culture is King.