Continuing on from yesterday’s post…

6. Is the entrepreneurial inspiration that gave birth to your company still alive and well? Prove it.
Unfortunately, most people’s idea if fulfilling the American dream is largely based on chasing that almighty dollar. But, originally, most companies are founded on something much bigger than that. A nugget of inspiration. Something that can take an industry from tired to inspired. Or the proverbial better mousetrap. So is whatever it was that inspired your company to come into being still easily recognizable? Can you say it in one, brief sentence? And is it true?

A tried and true story in this same vein is about a janitor that worked at NASA. When asked what he did for a living, he replied, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon.” Does everyone in your company from the CEO down to the mailroom know what you’re working for? Is it more than being the biggest and making the most money?

7. Does the world know about your brand solely through traditional media advertising and promotion? Or do you rely on that inexpensive word-of-mouth advertising?
Pop quiz. Tomorrow Congress passes a law that makes TV, radio, billboards and print ads illegal. Would you survive? Guess what, in a strange sort of way, it’s already happening. But it’s not a law; it’s consumers becoming bulletproof to those traditional ways of reaching them. Not to mention new technologies like TiVo that allow people edit out any commercials altogether.
If you truly matter, then you have fans that are spreading the word about your products, services and culture like a virus to their coworkers, friends, family and strangers they meet in the grocery store line. It’s like they’ve discovered a secret that’s so good, they can’t keep it to themselves.

8. Are your employees encouraged and empowered to speak up… or shut up and work?
Do you see a theme developing here? Deep beliefs breed passion. And when passion oozes throughout a culture, you’re going to attract people that will speak up for it. Just start a conversation about religion or politics and watch this theory in motion. And duck while you’re at it.

So, have you beaten your employees into submission? Are you suffering from “not invented here” syndrome? Are the only good ideas, your ideas? For companies that truly matter, an open door policy is really an open soapbox. I’m not talking about screaming matches, but I’m talking about discussions where people use the term “lay down on a sword.” Your employees are your greatest assets – any good CEO realizes that. Your next big idea could be out your door in cubicle land.

9. Do your financial goals have a death grip on your esophagus?
The bottom line is important. There’s no denying that. And nobody ever complained about making a lot of money. But if that, and that alone, is the driving force behind your company, then maybe it’s time to revisit question number six.

10. What is so important about your brand that you would work on it without compensation?
If you know what it is, then write it down on a piece of paper and frame it. It’s your new credo. Are you the head of a company, or a cause? Or both? Are you satisfied at the end of the day with what you’ve accomplished for the bigger picture? Fact is, there are very few companies out there that exist for no reason. Even with those who have lost sight of what they stand for, there’s still – buried under the office politics and corner offices, a glimmer of the inspiration that first started it all. And sometimes they just have to go back and dig it out of the rough again.

Let’s be honest. There’s nothing really groundbreaking here. It’s just common sense. And it’s what all great brands have been built on for ages. Emotion. Inspiration. A culture of fans. Brands that truly matter have an edge over their competition. And if you can give positive answers to each of the above questions, then you’re on the right track (and now you just have to learn how to stay there). If you couldn’t answer the questions, then you might have some soul searching to do.

Consumers are like adolescents with ADD in a room full of shiny objects. They might come take a look at you initially, but you’re never going to hold their attention unless they believe and soon become a fan. Blessed be the CEO who figures this out first and lets it permeate every aspect of his company. Not only will they be profitable, but they’ll be able to build a culture that would leave a hole in the world if they disappeared. And that’s a sure sign that they truly matter.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 16th, 2006 at 11:39 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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