MJBizMag April 2021 - 14

Trends&HotTopics | Andrew DeAngelo
The Missing Ingredient
D
Getting company culture right is the key to success in the cannabis industry
oes your cannabis company
have a documented mission
statement? How about a
strategic plan? How often do you
discuss company culture at the
executive and board level? Are all of
these things shared with the entire
team on a daily basis?
Most cannabis companies I consult
with do not have any of these-and, if
they do, they are not used much. Generally,
the human-resources department
is too busy to be focused on the big
picture, and I'm often told by CEOs that
there's not enough time to invest in
culture or get people oriented around
it. There is marijuana to grow, manufacture
and sell-and there are investors
to make happy. There are lobbyists and
regulators to lead. There are simply too
many external forces to manage.
I can understand that answer, as I
have sold a fair amount of cannabis in
my life. It's still the wrong answer.
'Culture eats strategy for
breakfast.' - Peter Drucker
Culture is what eventually will save
the necks of all cannabis companies,
not strategy or a dynamic CEO. It's
the team that works together, not the
brilliance of the board of directors,
that will win the day. This business
is difficult with many ongoing crises,
most of which are moving at lightning
speed. The only way to keep up is with
a strong company culture. There will
be at least one existential crisis for
every company-if not a few of them.
When the chips are down, strategy will
not save you, but the right team and
attitude might.
As a consultant, I help leaders
slow down enough to define the
culture they feel is best for their
company and then hire the right
team to fit within it. Some companies
already have a culture, and it just
needs a tuneup or some additional
attention. In the heat of battle, it's
easy to forget to talk about how we
work together, or the importance
of listening and solving problems
together. The urgency of the moment
puts many of us into a default mode
of boss/worker instead of team/goal.
Falling into that trap can make things
worse as staff become alienated or
burned out and leaders lose their
influence or positions.
HR and the Executive Team
Two touchpoints are critical for building
engaging and fun cultures. The first is at
the top of the organization: The board
and the CEO must define, communicate
and engage in an inclusive process to
create culture, which is a living thing
and has to be worked on every day by
these leaders. They also must exude
the culture themselves and lead by the
best of examples.
The second touchpoint is HR
and hiring. Companies that hire for
culture-not just strategy or need-have
better outcomes. Give me a worker
with the right attitude and a little less
pedigree than the Ivy Leaguer anytime.
I'm looking for potential as much as
I'm looking for expertise, because I
can teach skills more easily than I can
adjust attitude.
If your company wants a sober,
disciplined and results-driven
culture, that's great-just make sure
you set those expectations in the
hiring process. The CEO had
better live and breathe by
14 Marijuana Business Magazine | April 2021
those same standards, too, or the
company will be in a world of hurt. Let
candidates know up front what kind
of attitude and culture you're trying to
foster. Employees these days value the
environment they're in and the people
they're working with.
Some workers love an intense place
striving for growth. If that's your company,
test that attitude in the interview.
Ask pertinent questions that are about
temperament.
I also employ stories to solicit a more
nuanced response. I ask candidates
to tell about a time they cooperated
well with a group of people or failed
to do so. I always inquire about why a
story ended up with a certain outcome,
whether it could have been different
and how.
MJBizMag April 2021

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