Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast

Our Management on Achieving Growth Together

Whether or not late management guru Peter Drucker ever really made the famous claim “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, remains uncertain. From a daily management point of view, though, the quotation is more relevant than ever.

In a globalized economy, faster pace through digitization and more efficient means of communication, our daily lives have become more complex and crowded. The speed of innovation increases, new products are outdated sooner than ever. This environment challenges everyone and requires special attention to corporate culture.

Not too long ago, In-Vision employed about 30 people and generated stable revenues with a small product range. Only a few years later, we have grown to over 90 people and introduced a range of new products. So, life got a little bit more complex for everyone at In-Vision. Larger projects, more tasks to coordinate, new roles, different processes. And still, according to people working here, we managed to maintain an inclusive environment, where people like to work, feel appreciated and are motivated.

So, what are the cornerstones of our culture, really? When we address members of our team and ask them why they like to work at In-Vision, we often hear that they appreciate the personal environment. Innovation and inclusion are often brought up as well. If you read some of the stories in the career section of our website, flat hierarchy and challenges also seem to be contributing factors.

The truth is, our people strategy, that we pay a lot of attention to, is more complex than that. Over the years we have identified eight strategic goals that we want to promote throughout the organization. Not all of them may be tangible for you every single day you spend at In-Vision, but every single one will surface eventually. Here they are:

• Feeling purpose is a major motivational factor. We try to show our team members how they contribute to the overall course of the company and how the work we do affects others – suppliers, customers or the industry at large.
• Sometimes individual goals can be very challenging at In-Vision, but we make sure they are always achievable. This is the basis for our team members to feel competent. A goal achieved can be a valuable source of energy.
• We encourage curiosity. The solutions we currently have, may not always be the right ones. Everyone is supported in bringing in new ideas.
• We want to make sure, everyone feels accepted at In-Vision. This includes valuing people’s achievements and respecting their opinion regardless of hierarchy.
• Flat hierarchy and encouraging people to speak they mind regardless of their job title also creates sufficient space for any team member to build their individual status within the organization.
• In addition to feel accepted, we want our team members to feel related which means giving them opportunities to build and expand social contacts with their colleagues.
• We try to promote autonomy. We are fully aware that our team members are different from each other. We want to make sure everyone has tasks and responsibilities they can take care of independently.
• Despite a high level of independence, a minimum level of order is required to maintain the organization. We believe everyone can contribute better if they can rely on some rules and policies.

These are guiding principles not only for the management but for everyone at the company. They are meant to create an environment where people like to be and may explore and live up to their full potential.