Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” That’s still true, but let’s update it for today’s world. Strategy still matters, but culture? Culture drinks strategy through a boba straw.
The next generation of workers isn’t sitting around sipping black coffee, waiting for instructions. They’re actively choosing careers that offer ownership, impact and alignment with their values. They have options, and they’re prioritizing purpose over perks, inclusion over hierarchy and authenticity over buzzwords. If you want to attract and retain tomorrow’s leaders, a forward-thinking culture isn’t optional, it’s the starting point.
To be clear, this generation is not lazy or entitled. They’re not looking for handouts. They want to contribute, grow and engage in meaningful work.
Building a forward-thinking culture doesn’t mean you need to turn your office into a tech campus or copy Google’s playbook. It means committing to some best practices:
- Flexibility with accountability. Work-life balance is a starting point, not a perk. Hybrid schedules, flexible hours and remote options don’t mean lower standards, they signal trust. The key is clarity: Set expectations, measure outcomes and let people manage the “how” of their work.
- Autonomy and ownership. Today’s workforce doesn’t want to be micromanaged; they want a seat at the table. When people are empowered to lead and take risks, engagement and innovation improve. Ownership fosters pride in the work, and with it, a stronger sense of responsibility to the team and mission.
- Mission-driven work. The next generation doesn’t want to participate in the grind without knowing the why. If your organization can’t articulate its purpose and connect people’s work to it, don’t expect long-term commitment. When people believe in the mission, they show up with more energy, creativity and resilience.
- Diversity and inclusion. A forward-thinking culture actively seeks out different perspectives, backgrounds and voices; not to check a box, but because it leads to better decisions and more resilient teams. When employees feel included, they experience the psychological safety needed to speak up, take risks and innovate.
- Fail forward. Perfection isn’t the goal, progress is. New employees should be given room to take smart risks and explore new approaches. Healthy cultures normalize mistakes, encourage experimentation and learn out in the open. They don’t punish failure, they fail forward.
Now here’s the reality: Culture isn’t built overnight. You can’t overhaul it with a staff retreat or a new set of core values that are highlighted on a poster. Culture is built through consistent behaviors, hard conversations and leadership that walks the talk.
Over the next decade, the most effective companies won’t be the ones with the flashiest strategies. They’ll be the ones with cultures designed for where work is going, not where it’s been.
Culture isn’t about being trendy, it’s about being intentional. Every team is somewhere on the journey. What matters is that you’re doing the work, asking the questions and willing to evolve.
So, if you’re committed to building a team that thrives, start with this question: Is your culture bureaucracy and black coffee, or creativity and boba tea?
Jeff Dupont is CEO of Durango Chamber of Commerce.
