Your Reputation Depends On it!, by David Goldsmith

What constitutes a great company? What objectives can a company strive for in order to create balance in the manner in which the company moves forward? While owning a production company, I sat down one year to define what overall principles would be guidelines for the operations of the business. You might consider it to be a report card. Rate your company on the following 13 Attributes and see where you stand (1 Poor – 10 Great).

1. Quality of management: The strength of leadership to motivate, make good decisions, and set goals that in turn help the organization run smoothly and profitably. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2.Financial soundness: The ability of an organization to make a profit, invest in the business, pay vendors on time, and maintain a healthy cash flow. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. Quality of product: Standards for the products are established, thereby setting a goal for meeting or surpassing the target market’s expectations each and every time. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4. Quality of services: Total team effort relays to the customer efficient, timely, responsive efforts to meet the expectations of the customer. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5.Ability to attract, develop, and keep talented people: The image set forth by the company internally and externally helps to attract the most qualified people. The result is that the organization can then develop the person on an educational basis and financial basis that keeps them with the firm. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6. Use of corporate assets: Use of monies, equipment, personnel, ideas and time are used to their full potential, thereby increasing profits and growth. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7. Innovation: The full development and use of the staff’s creative thinking to solve short term and long term challenges. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.Community responsibility: Individual and corporate involvement in the betterment of the community. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9.Environmental responsibility: Total responsiveness of the organization to the global crisis concerning: recovery and recycling, extinction of animals, and health of the world population (your own personal views.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10.Safety: Organizational and individual responsibility to the members of the team’s well being and the well being of the customers. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11.Marketing projects: Management’s ability to continually set short term and long term future goals for the organization that enables the consumer to be aware of their existence and then to purchase the product or service at the desired price. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12.Research and development: Education, monies, and time are expensed for the development of products and services that enhance the quality of the products produced as well as the services offered. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

13.Teamwork: Friction between members is low and team members understand how to communicate ideas to one another, enabling the entire group to function as one unit. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

This list is not an end all. It’s a gauge to determine if you are on track to making a business well rounded.