A recent alert grabbed my attention. It made the bold statement the most important issue facing businesses today is managing their reputation. And this wasn’t about splashing on a bright, new coat of PR paint, issuing self-serving press releases or running TV ads featuring happy and grateful employees.

More than ever, consumers align their dollars with businesses that share their values and concerns. It might be somewhat ironic it took the COVID-19 pandemic to focus our attention on where we’re spending our money. Companies have responded with new bursts of transparency. They want us to know what they care about, the good they’re doing and the causes they support. They might also realize there’s no place to hide, and it’s in their best interest to take a stand.

But we shouldn’t stop there. Every employed person who wants to keep their job, is looking for a job or wants to move up should be equally concerned with the care and cultivation of their reputations. Watch out. Someone is out to replace you. Or, the boss is scrutinizing the team to decide who adds value and who doesn’t. Reputation makes a difference.

Here are three questions that apply equally to businesses and individuals:

Do we value top performance? We say we do. So does our marketing messages. Everyone says they’re onboard, but where’s the evidence? Are we assuming frontline workers behave with customers how we say they do? How rare is it we encounter people with the ability, training and desire to put themselves in someone else’s shoes? How often do they give out information that’s inaccurate?

What happens with frontline workers is a reflection of what occurs throughout companies. We say, “customers first.” But do our actions tell the same story?

Nonprofits that depend on volunteers to deliver services to those with the greatest needs have similar stories. Although good people, many volunteers lack the training to help those they’re asked to serve.

Why are we in business? “To make money” is the instant response. That might seem to be a popular answer, but not for everyone. For a growing number of workers there’s more to it, particularly for members of GenZ born between the late 1990s and 2012. They want to feel they’re making a difference. They’re looking for places that are welcoming and to which they can be committed.

If written correctly, corporate vision statements possess relatable value. For example, the Starbucks vision is to establish the company “as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.” The Walt Disney Co. corporate vision is “to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.” It’s aspirational, with a pull attracting both talent and viewers.

Companies and individuals that have the courage to boldly and unequivocally express publicly their vision let it be known they’re committed to caring for their reputations. It’s a daring a step. They’re saying, “Judge us by our performance.”

How do we respond when something goes wrong? The answer to this question depends on whether or not you take reputation management seriously or if you believe you can get away with twisting the truth to fit your whims. Once again, this pertains to companies and individuals alike.

Our behavior reflects what we try to get by with. A political leader urges his constituents to stay home for Thanksgiving, then gets on a flight to be with family. Another who also seems to have seen himself as an exception to his own public appeal invites his mother for the holiday dinner. Both apologized — but only after getting caught.

We’re all aware things don’t always go as planned. The unexpected happens. Why, then, do we ignore dealing with this possibility in advance so we’re prepared before a project, product or event derails? Why is it so difficult to face up to the possibility of negative outcomes?

The task of reputation management isn’t figuring out the spin to put on an issue after something goes wrong. It’s looking ahead, anticipating consequences and making the right decision. By the way, there’s nothing better than the truth, the sanitizer that kills 99.99 percent of blowback.

The personal life of famed author William Faulkner often seemed at odds with his brilliant fiction, which he seemed to grasp. In a new book, Michael Gorra writes, Faulkner “seemed to know how much his personal reputation might damage the reputation of his work.” It applies to all of us.

John Graham owns GrahamComm and works as a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. He’s the creator of “Magnet Marketing” and publishes a free monthly ebulletin titled “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or visit https://johnrgraham.com.