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<span class="big1"><font color="#BC6C08">CORPORATE ASSESSMENT </font></span><br>
<span class="regis2">"WHERE ARE WE NOW?"</span>
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Regardless of where you or your group are in the planning sequence, the current extraordinary circumstance confronting all of us at this time dictates that it is critical to conduct a comprehensive assessment �NOW!�
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Following is a short-form model of a corporate assessment tool prepared by the TRG Team. To receive the full assessments forms, plus directions for use, <a href="/contactUs/contact.shtml">Contact Us</a>.
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Natural Tendencies to be avoided:
<ul>
  <li>Pride of effort:  "We are already doing that... next", when the result is poorly understood, ineffective or virtually abandoned
  <li>Also shows up as: "We�ve got one of those"
  <li>The tendency to cherry pick from the list without first setting overall priorities
</ul>


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Potential Assessment areas/questions:
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<ul>
<li>Vigilance
  <ul>
  <li>What is the environment surrounding your industry?
  <li>Is there a surveillance activity manifested as a priority?
    <ul>
    <li>As a frequent Leadership Team or BoD agenda item?
    <li>As a regular reported item?  At what frequency?  To what level within the enterprise?
    </ul>
  </ul>
<li>Planning
  <ul>
  <li>Where is your group in the Planning Cycle?
    <ul>
    <li>Is the current Plan truly "current"?
    <li>What is the current Internal Planning Cycle?
    </ul>
  <li>How is the current Plan managed?
    <ul>
    <li>How is Ownership assigned?
    <li>With what frequency is the Plan reviewed / adjusted?
    <li>Are due dates carefully tracked?
    <li>How is information gathered and reported?
    <li>Is there a clear process for authorizing and communicating Plan revisions?
    </ul>
  <li>What circumstances require emergency adjustments to the Plan?
     <ul>
     <li>ARE ANY OCCURRING NOW?
     </ul>
  </ul>

<li>Finance
  <ul>
  <li>Are current financial reporting systems adequate?
  <li>Is the information current, timely, and accurate?
    <ul>
    <li>How often is it reported
    </ul>
  <li>Is there a person among the senior leadership or on the active BoD with advanced Financial Literacy?
  <li>If you are trimming specific areas of the Budget (e.g., Marketing, Employee Fringe Benefits, Capital Investment), how will you measure the long-term impact?
  </ul>

<li>Governance
  <ul>
  <li>Is the BoD currently (systematically) conducting a process of self-evaluation (Peer Review)?
  <li>Is there an expectation of how each individual BoD member might make a meaningful contribution?  For example, in a non-profit environment, do the Directors actively participate in fund raising?
  </ul>

<li>Compliance
  <ul>
    <li>Does the company have a Regulatory Compliance Plan and Compliance Officer aimed at meeting requirements and avoiding pitfalls?
  </ul>

<li>Succession
  <ul>
    <li>Is there a formal Succession Plan in place for key positions in the company?
    <li>If a succession plan does not exist, what is likely to occur in the event of sudden loss of Leadership?
  </ul>

<li>Talent: Assuring the availability of skills through recruiting, training, and a functional organization
  <ul>
    <li>Will the combined talent / awareness of the staff fully meet sudden demands?
    <li>Is the current staffing at the proper level to meet sudden demands?
    <li>If business has been lost due to the economic situation, is there a Plan for how staffing levels should be pared back accordingly?
  </ul>

<li>Marketing
  <ul>
    <li>Are there specific environmental circumstances that require an immediate review of your Marketing Plan (e.g. sudden economic downturn)
    <li>How (if at all) has the current economic downturn affected your current Marketing / Advertising plan?
    <li>How have you adjusted strategically to account for the sudden changes in consumer spending behavior?  (Is there a Planned adjustment)
    <li>Are you up to date on competitive Media Methods, taking into account the tactical changes client companies have made in accommodating shifting market conditions?
    <li>Should you re-negotiate long-term vendor packages to adjust for a soft Media Market?
    <li>Is there readily accessible market-segment research in place regarding your current positioning?  The positioning of your competition?
    <li>Can you strengthen your trade relationship with strong, focused promotion?
  </ul>

<li>Branding
  <ul>
    <li>What differentiates your brand from similarly-situated products/services?
    <li>Do your current products project solid, "essential" characteristics?  (This is a time of very selective spending by organizations or individuals; if what is offered by any corporation or organization has the slightest taint of seeming frivolous or superfluous, it runs the risk of being passed over - particularly true for membership organizations.)
    <li>Do you understand how the trade views your brand? Who are your Competitors?
    <li>Which brands do you believe are most vulnerable?
  </ul>


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