In 2010, our nights and weekends were devoted to writing Good Company: Business Success in the Worthiness Era. The thesis of the book is that a convergence of forces - economic, social and political - is increasingly forcing organizations to become "good company" to their employees, customers and communities. The book details these forces, quantitatively ranks the Fortune 100 on a Good Company Index™ (based on three dimensions: good employer, good seller, and good steward), analyzes the relationship of our ranking to stock performance, and provides qualitative detail and guidance on each of these dimensions.
We realize some may be skeptical about the book's thesis. Galling examples of corporate malfeasance are plentiful, including Goldman Sachs' strategy of betting against its own clients; the casino-like operations of much of the investment banking industry that contributed to and magnified the Great Recession; and the gross irresponsibility of BP and its sidekick Halliburton that resulted in the largest oil spill in history.
But the evidence we present in Good Company strongly suggests that the days of making money through pillage and plunder are numbered - and that the good guys have the wind in their sails. We found clear evidence that worthiness pays off: companies in the same industry with higher scores on our Good Company Index (i.e., companies that have behaved better) outperformed their industry peers in the stock market over the previous 1-, 3- and 5-year periods.
In other words, it pays to be good. So if you are willing to consider adding a belated New Year's resolution for 2011, consider resolving to keep Good Company in the New Year. The more business you can do with companies that are good employers, sellers, and stewards, the better off we all will be.
Our publisher, Berrett-Koehler, believes that Good Company has the potential to be a game-changing book - a hope and aspiration that we share. The book is slated for release on September 2, 2011. It feels like a long way off, but there's still plenty of work to be done - cover design, marketing plans, etc. We're learning that there's a lot that goes into creating a book like this!
