High Performance is achieved by balancing Culture, Strategy and Execution

Movement Mortgage is leading a "movement of change in its Industry, Corporate Cultures and Communities". And lead they have.......all over LinkedIn, you see many Mortgage Firms emphasizing their unique culture as a key part of their Value Proposition. There are many examples provided of charitable giving, community involvement, social consciousness and positive (and fun!) workplace environments. Really cool to see. Hats off to Movement and all other companies that take this approach. It is the right thing.

Culture does help to differentiate, to attract and retain key talent and to provide their employees with purpose. But it cannot be the only thing. Creating a strong vision and strategy that provides clear direction as to the operating principles and plan of action is critical if the benefits of a strong culture are to be realized. A mentor of mine once told me that an over-extension of a strength may become a weakness. Does a 'family' atmosphere affect a manager's objectivity when dealing with a performance issue? Is challenging the status quo encouraged? How do you retain the culture of an organization as they experience tremendous growth or adds leadership from the outside? Lastly, how do you validate that the culture is still relevant and exemplified up, down and across the organization?

In a high-performance prodction environment, top level talent may join based on the company's cultural attributes....but will leave if they can't deliver on the customer service promise or achieve their personal and financial goals. Culture is the foundation, but to build a well-constructed 'house', you will need engineered blueprints (strategy) and an effective construction system (execution) to ensure the home will stand the test of time.