Embracing Culture As A Strategic Asset

I, like the author of this article, spent many years at J&J and learned first hand the power of values and culture as a strategic asset. It hard for those outside the company to fully understand the impact of the J&J Credo on the day to day decisions of the company. With strong management support for the Credo, this 1-page document, which was written in 1943, is alive and well today. Not only is it carved in stone at the headquarters, it was posted in almost every conference room and displayed on almost every desk pre-COVID. It is the frequent subject of management discussion and debate. It provides a framework to evaluate tradeoffs and compromises between patients, customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and other stakeholders.

To be honest, I wasn’t a believer when I joined the company. I needed to be convinced. After many years of living with the J&J Credo and working with the J&J Credo, I learned the incredible power of those words. Over the years I faced a few very difficult business situations and, together with my team, turned to the Credo for advice and support. In its own magical way, the Credo provided us with the guidance we were seeking and in every case, we made the right and sometimes tough decision.

Culture has a strong and powerful impact on the values and success of a company. As we start 2022, it’s a good time to look on how your company culture performed over the last few troubling years and determine what changes you need to make to fully embrace culture as a strategic asset.

Embracing Culture As A Strategic Business Asset (lifescienceleader.com)