Governance of self

If we are to better 'steer' our organisations,

If we are to encourage more ethical decision-making,

If we are to nurture wider community engagement, and

If we are to move towards better governance,

We have to realise that the power lies not in our organisations, but

In ourselves.

The values that often adorn corporate office walls and website pages talk about,

Integrity

Openness

Transparency

Contribution

Collaboration

Innovation

Agility...[I could go on].

There is an inherent flaw here that is not spoken about often enough.

Organisations cannot and do not have values.

People have values.

People have integrity

People contribute

People collaborate

People innovate.

So, if we want to move ourselves and our organisations towards better governance,

We have to first look at ourselves.

Our purpose,

Our values,

Our leadership, and

Our behaviours.

We have to do the hard work of inward reflection.

We have to open ourselves up to be more compassionate.

Perhaps this is why, although I am a proponent of Corporate Governance Codes, I also struggle with the direction in which they have travelled since 1992.

They systematise governance.

They codify behaviour.

They have become, what is sadly, just another regulatory obligation.

My work,

The work I'm focused on is moving to shift governance towards a more humanity-based framework. Where the emphasis is not on the corporate, but on the people.

Organisations do not breach regulation,

Organisations do not commit financial crime,

Organisations do not make unethical decisions, and

Organisations do not treat customers unfairly.

People do these things.

Not always intentionally, of course.

Self-governance is perhaps,

"The ability and skill of being able to consider carefully, sometimes swiftly, the situation and information that befalls us, and to respond with wisdom and compassion."

If we want to feel confident that our organisations are governing and steering themselves well, we need to spend much more time doing the hard work with our staff, with our people and with ourselves.