How would you describe your company if your company was a person?

When you think about it, organizations are distinct living, breathing entities unto themselves. They have different personalities. Some are young, some are old. Some have wild success and become famous while others end up bankrupt and without a home. Some are blue collar and some are white collar. Their geography impacts their experience. They have stories to tell, and some have histories to hide.

So take a moment and think about your company as a person* and ask yourself the following…

• Where is your company in its maturity?
• Is your company an introvert or extrovert?
• What’s the beating heart of your organization?
• How’s the emotional health or your organization?
• Is your company lean or perhaps even too skinny? Or is it overweight with excess?
• What’s your company’s initial impression?
• Who’s the head of the organization? The neck?
• Who are the feet of the organization? (keeps the company standing and making forward progress – do they walk or run? Or perhaps even skip?)
• What do you like about your company’s way of being? Dislike?
• What are the company’s hopes and dreams?
• How’s your company handle money?
• Does your organization have any ugly painful boils or ingrown toenails?
• What is the organization's heritage? And did the company embrace it or rebel against it?
• Does your company need additional education?
• What stories do people tell about your company? What is your company known for?
• Does your organization have any skeletons in the closet?
• Who does your company date or want to date? Is it a healthy relationship?
• Does your company want children?
• Who are the friends of the company? The nemesis?

*SO not trying to get close to the fire of legal/political “corporate personhood,” though my eyebrows feel a bit singed.

Would love to hear your insights - please share below or e-mail kris@choosepeople.com.