If there’s one thing I’ve seen across industries, it’s this: organizations rarely fail because of a lack of strategy. They fail because of the gap between strategy and culture.
Leaders invest in plans, structures, and systems. But what often gets overlooked are the daily choices, conversations, and behaviors that ultimately determine whether change takes root.
The Human Side of Transformation
Culture isn’t a poster on the wall. It shows up in how decisions are made, how conflict is managed, and how leaders model behaviors in real time. That’s why transformation stalls when culture isn’t addressed alongside the strategy.
Take a common situation: an employee who has consistently received less-than-positive annual reviews. Year after year, expectations are rarely met, and commitments aren’t fulfilled. The leaders are frustrated. They ask: “How many chances are enough?” “What message does this send to the rest of the team?”
At first glance, this may look like an individual performance issue. But often, it reflects a deeper cultural challenge. Are leaders aligned on what “meeting expectations” really means? Have behaviors been reinforced consistently—or tolerated inconsistently? And most importantly, is there a shared accountability between strategy and daily execution?
Where the Shift Happens
This is where culture transformation makes the difference. True change happens when leaders intentionally:
Align strategy and behaviors so teams know not just what to deliver, but how to work together to deliver it.
Create intentional pauses—through retreats or facilitated offsites—to reset, reconnect, and reimagine how accountability is built into the culture.
Embrace coaching not as a title, but as a leadership stance that encourages growth every day, not just once a year during performance reviews.
When this alignment happens, culture moves from aspiration to lived reality. Underperformance is addressed not just with feedback, but with clarity, structure, and support—and leaders no longer feel like they’re managing frustration in isolation.
How I Partner with Organizations
My work is about helping organizations close that culture gap. Sometimes that looks like:
Designing team retreats that bring the unspoken to the surface, including how accountability really plays out.
Using data-driven diagnostics to identify where culture supports or undermines strategy.
Coaching leaders and boards to show up with presence and purpose—even in the most complex moments.
The goal isn’t a binder full of recommendations—it’s a culture that sustains results long after the session ends.
A Question for Reflection
If your culture and your strategy aren’t moving in the same direction, how long can you afford to let the gap grow—or is it time for a paradigm shift in how you approach performance and accountability?
About Daphne
Daphne B. Latimore is the Founder and Managing Partner of DB Latimore Professional Services Group, LLC. As an Organizational Strategist, she helps leaders and teams align culture, strategy, and behavior to drive meaningful transformation. Her work spans executive coaching, team retreats, and culture diagnostics, creating environments where people and performance thrive.
To learn more or connect with Daphne, visit www.dblatimore.com/contact
or email daphne.latimore@dblatimore.com
.