We have so much fun this week talking about how important Strategy and Culture are in terms of the overall LEAN journey. It is obvious to us that Strategy is important to describe where we're going, and helps us to develop a Vision for all to see. But Jo says its not just the top echelon of the business that needs a Strategy. Jo's key point is that strategy needs to be communicated with every one in the business, so that everyone feels part of it, and knows their part to play, and wants to go there. Its inspiring and motivating, says Jo.

Mel says that we should heed Tom Peters when he says don't get too caught up in Strategy. Set the direction and then start the action part of getting there, start and get better! Sometimes organizations spend too long on developing their strategy, which can be an activity that is kept inside the board room. We recognize that a strategy that is alive would be driven by on the ground changes and learning, and also be consumer driven. So this also means that the strategy more or less points to the future, and it could be adapted as a result of on the ground experience, direction and learning.

Culture cannot be separated from change and strategy and Jo explains that, in her experience, Culture is an important part of knowing who we are, and where we're going. Culture can also be the barrier to achieving the vision and Mel talks briefly about poor organizational cultures, like hierarchal or dictatorial management cultures. We agree that Standardization is one of the tools that can be used to move away from a hierarchal culture, towards a culture of empowerment and trust.
We make reference to some of these gurus below:
Heath Brothers, Rider and Elephant change theory. https://heathbrothers.com

Simon Sinek
https://simonsinek.com

John Shook
https://www.lean.org/WhoWeAre