Lessons.
Some are long, some are short.
Some are disposable, some are profound.
This week's is a best-case-scenario combo: brief and bombastic.
Thanks to an invite from my friend Michael Cogan at PWC, we were invited to the annual Canada 3.0 Digital Conference in Stratford, Ontario.
Given that I was embroiled in prepping this coming week's Just For Laughs line-up announcement event, I sent Parisa Foster, JFL's sharp, young Director of Digital Marketing.
Upon her return Thursday, we sat down for a debrief, and I asked her what her #1 learning was.
Despite a two-page, single-spaced, hand-written agenda of notes to discuss, covering everything from immediate action plans to a wide-eyed Utopian vision of our company in three years, Parisa blurted out these five thunderous words:
CULTURE
EATS
STRATEGY
FOR
BREAKFAST
I didn't even ask her which one of the speakers said it; in retrospect I should've, but I was too blown away. In a nutshell, no matter how brilliant, how insightful, how well-funded and well-staffed your plans may be, they can be trumped in a heartbeat by a toxic internal working environment.
Pow! indeed.
Just think of how important and influencing a statement that is. After being immersed in two days of non-stop keynotes, breakout sessions and networking events about the digital future, the concept that hits a 20-something, self-professed techie geek the hardest is one of heart and soul.
Think of where you work and how you work. And consider why it's working...or not working.
You know who you are.
Yes indeed, Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast.
Worse yet, it Spits It Up At Supper.
Fix yours, or forever be plagued by heartburn.
And heartache.