The Importance of Corporate History: Why Recording Your Company's Past Matters.
As a company, it is essential that you have a documented history. One reason why a company's corporate history is so significant is that it provides employees with a sense of stability and identity. Employees will feel secure in a job only when they can understand that there is a consistent past, present, and future to the business they work for.
Documenting a company's history also helps establish its credibility to the public. Recording and archiving past successes or failures shows customers that a business appreciates why it has been prosperous in the past and knows how to navigate its way to continued success.
Documenting Your Company's Past
Plantain has helped numerous companies record their corporate history. Our primary tool in the process is oral histories, which are interviews with people who have been involved with the organization, typically for a long time. These people provide unique perspectives on what it was like to shape the company.
Indeed, our mission with each project is to go as far back as possible. Here is an example of a company history book we crafted that celebrates their 50 years of existence. The company is the largest construction company in the Caribbean.
Key to the project's success was the inclusion of as diverse a group of voices as possible. We didn't just interview and include top-level management representatives; we also interviewed those lower on the totem pole. Their insights were fascinating, and their voices helped humanize the company.
Establishing Credibility
Aside from documenting the company's work culture, one other significant consequence of publishing the book was strengthening the company's credibility in the public eye. The book allowed the public to see precisely how the company was managed in the past. Documenting its history provided a good indication of how it might handle future challenges. Indeed, companies that have overcome obstacles in the past are often better prepared for future challenges. People tend to believe that companies with a documented history of success will continue to succeed.
Your Past Informs Your Future
Companies with a documented history are more likely to be taken seriously by investors, customers and other stakeholders. In the long run, recording your past helps ensure that best practices are taken advantage of and that you can build on the traditions that have been established in the past.
Plantain takes pride in crafting beautiful narratives and books. Contact us if you have any questions about our process, or need advice documenting your history on your own.
