5. Harnessing the Silent Power of Culture and Norms

Culture is strategic, and developing organizational strategies requires wrestling with and shaping culture through backstage work. To understand culture, executives must engage in investigative work and identify the artifacts, espoused values, and assumptions prevalent within their organizations. Good cultural analysis entails good data and deep description, patience, and inquisition to peel back the layers of company conduct and thinking. Once leadership understands (better) their organizational culture, they must focus on the alignment process, creating distinctive tactics that embody desired cultural attributes. The focus of the cultural work is in local adaptation and interpretation given specific firm context rather than universal organizational values.