By Miranda Naiman, accidental entrepreneur, motivational speaker, member of the EO Tanzania chapter and founder of Empower Limited, a Tanzanian human capital consultancy firm.

It is mind-boggling how much time and money is invested in “strategy” at many companies—with some larger organizations even hiring a full-time person or team to oversee “strategy and innovation.” While commendable, this effort to invest in strategy doesn’t work unless the company also focuses on culture. After culture eats breakfast, it continues to chomp its way through strategy for lunch and dinner, too!

No matter what business or client strategy you try to implement with your team, its success completely relies on the people implementing the plan. In essence, if the people driving the strategy aren’t passionate about the initiative or, worse, are apathetic about their job and their organization, then chances are limited that any strategy will be executed. (more…)