When To Investigate Yourself

Looking into your own background prepares you to discover what others may find.

We all need to look within ourselves sometimes.

Looking into your own background, to discover what others may find, can prepare you to answer and clarify questions about yourself, avoid disputes, and prepare for potential conflicts.

When should you perform this important step? What situations call for self-research? Let’s examine the main situations when you should dig into your own background…

When You Are a Party to a Lawsuit

Whether you are suing someone or being sued, it is likely that the opposing party is looking into your background; they will be digging into as much information as possible to find any elements that may harm your overall credibility or damage your character.

You need to be ready for what they find, so you can prepare defenses and rebuttals against material your opponent lobs against you.

When Being Considered for an Executive Role at a New Company

Many of these situations involve business transactions, including high-level hiring, acquisitions, and mergers. For instance, if you are being considered for an executive role with a new organization, you should perform self due-diligence research, looking into at least your publicly-available financial information, such as bankruptcies, as well as your resume and certification accuracy.

The company is making a large investment when hiring C-suite executives; they do their utmost to ensure the hire is appropriate. When they perform research into your past, they may find negative issues, which you should be prepared to explain.

When Going Through an IPO

If you work as an executive at a company going through an initial public offering, investment banks and organizations bringing the company public will research your past, including your financial and legal background. They are trying to find any issues that could influence who will be the named executives and board members in the company.

Again, by researching your background and knowing what they will find, you are prepared to address any roadblocks.

When Your Company is Forming a Partnership with Another

When you form a long-term business relationship, you need to know as much as possible about your individual or corporate partner. In the same principle, your potential partners will be researching you.

What will they find? Is there anything that would cause a delay, disruption, or cancellation of the partnership? By researching yourself, you might find a gap in professional licensing, your name in the media, or a negative financial filing that is still on record. By finding this information first, you can explain any issues and keep the partnership intact.

When You are Part of an Executive Team Acquired by a New Company

A typical strategy during large and small acquisitions is to maintain the leadership team. But the new owners won’t blindly maintain the leadership team. They will first research the individuals as part of their hiring and acquisition decision process, seeking issues like past disputes, business closings, and negative media attention.

The Investigative Support You Deserve

In our article next month, we’ll discuss the specific points that should be reviewed during self-research. But if you need to get started right away, call for a free consultation at 415-905-0462.