Guy Kawasaki has created a humorous but valuable test to determine if your company is nearing a Bozo explosion. Give your company a point for each question to which you answer, “true”. The closer your total is to 10 the closer your company is to a bozo explosion. Here are the ten questions along with the answers I’d give our company which does not appear to be headed for a Bozo explosion.
1. The two most popular words in your company are “partner” and “strategic.”
No, the two most popular words are “Innovation” and “Sparkle”.
2. Management has two-day offsites at places like the Ritz Carlton to foster communication and to craft a company mission statement.
No, I’m not aware of any offsites.
3. The aforementioned company mission statement contains more than twenty words–two of which are “partner” and “strategic.”
I don’t think so.
4. Your CEO’s admin has an admin.
No, he doesn’t.
5. Your parking lot’s “biorhythm” looks like this:
- 8:00 am – 10:00 am–Japanese cars exceed German cars
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm–German cars exceed Japanese cars
- 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm–Japanese cars exceed German cars
The German cars are there just as early.
6. Your HR department requires an MBA degree for any position; it also requires five to ten years work experience in an industry that is only four years old.
Nope. Experience matters though.
7. Time is now considered more important than money so you have a company cafeteria, health club, and pet grooming service.
No, thank goodness! We do have a lot of interesting “action in the alley” if that counts for something.
8. Someone whose music sells in the iTunes music store performs at the company Christmas party.
Uhh…no, and how lame.
9. An employee is paid to do nothing but write a blog.
I’m paid but not to blog. I only know of one other person besides myself who blogs which is fine with me.
10. The success of a competitor upsets you more than the loss of a customer.
No. The customer is king.
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