CEO Note to Self

INTERNAL GOODWILL IS A QUANTIFIABLE ASSET TOO!


When you determine a valuation for your company "goodwill" is measured as a quantifiable asset of the established reputation of your enterprise over and above fair market value.

What about the internal goodwill of your company?
How much is the respectful, friendly, cooperative attitude of your work force worth?
What is the the worth of the reputation of your company to your associates?

I keep thinking in today's tough economic time that people at work will be self-centered and cynical and scared and not at all loyal.  AND they are.
BUT they don't want to be.  I have had conversations with retail workers in clothing and food recently.  Here are quotes:

I was not doing professional work when I had these conversations.

I was shopping.  I asked about merchandise and prices. 
When I smelled discontent or experienced sloppy service, I asked "Do you like working here?" 

'We don't know who we are anymore.
We don't know if we'll have jobs a year from now.
I'm selling stuff I don't care about anymore.  I don't get where we're going.
No one tells us about the future direction.
We used to be proud and know what we were about.
We want to be excited again.
It's sad that we are kind of lost.'

I was not doing professional work when I had these conversations.
I was shopping.  I asked about merchandise and prices. 
When I smelled discontent or experienced sloppy service, I asked "Do you like working here?"  Hourly people ready to express their pain about wanting to respect where they worked.  

There is good will out there waiting to be ignited.
Don't be blind to it.
It is a tangible asset or a tangible drag on the value of your company