[OSList] who governs the governance?

Kerry Napuk knapuk at gmail.com
Sun May 20 14:41:38 PDT 2012


Hi Harrison

One thing we can be sure about is there was poor governance in financial
services in America and Europe.  It is abundantly clear that the checks and
balance involved in good governance went walkabout.

My guess is that non executive directors, whose most important role is to
challenge management and make them justify their actions, involved, what we
call in Britain, PLU (people like us.)  Moreover, fees paid to non
executives have skyrocketed, adding more reasons not to rock the boat least
it jeopardises incomes.

The whole point of having governance in the private sector is to achieve
balanced decision making in the best interests of the business.  Among non
profits, it would be in the best interest of beneficiaries and in the
public sector, the best interests of citizens and taxpayers.  Large
organisations inevitably get more and more remote from the coalface.  And
directors in boardrooms can forget the purpose of the organisation they are
suppose to govern.

Good governance depends on diverse decision makers with individual
responsibility and accountability.  Above all it needs to exist in an
environment where opinions can be expressed freely and issues openly
debated.  I am reminded of Theodore Zeldin's statement in AN INTIMATE
HISTORY OF HUMANITY: "Conversation demands equality between participants.
Indeed, it is one of the most important ways of establishing equality.  Its
enemies are rhetoric, disputation, jargon and private languages, or despair
at not being listened to and not being understood."

Openness and transparency ought to be standard currency in all governance.
However, when a small number of people meet behind closed doors, the voices
who need to be heard are often excluded.  This is why large group processes
like Open Space are critical to allow people to discuss burning issues
where everyone are equal participants.

Cheers

Kerry
Edinburgh
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