Tom McCaffery is a strategy and culture nerd that has spent 25 years executing strategy, leading high performing cross-functional teams, and finding innovative ways of creating shared value in manufacturing, aerospace, government, and applied academia. Tom is obsessed with managing organizational culture in a way that creates competitive advantage.
His roles have all been growth and development focused. Company X wants to grow, Company Y wants to develop an international supply chain, Company Z wants to transition into a new market. In government, Tom is responsible for developing strategic economic development policy that leads to growth and diversification. He’d like to think of himself as the MacGyver of business transformation and growth because it sounds cool, but he realizes that would be romanticising something that is actually very difficult, often painful, and rarely feels good.
In 2011, having helped a firm more than double revenue in a three year span, Tom realized the toll it had taken on his team. Personal, professional, and business growth are necessary, but the process can be toxic. Managing organizational culture to increase or develop competitive advantage is key. As the person responsible for inflicting growth and innovation on his team, Tom believes in managing culture first and P&L second. He believes that the results of engagement and job satisfaction surveys should be shared with the Board of Directors along with financial results. One set of results can never be at the expense of the other.
Tom has authored and co-authored papers on competitive advantage and dynamic management capabilities. He holds a Masters degree, project management credential, and is now writing a book on values with the team from Cultural Dynamics. Tom has recently started an investment company, and is months away from taking the leap into entrepreneurship with an aging in place technology company.
Culture does not eat strategy for breakfast
Are culture and strategy interdependent, interrelated, or intertwined? Does anyone r…