Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts still - (I don't remember who said that - Madhavan Gopalachary)
Power ennobles and absolute power ennobles still - John Locke - English Philosopher.
Good Governance, whether it is a governmental organization or private or non profit organization or an NGO, is a must. This is decided as a policy and most good organizations have this in their policy manual. I am giving below a checklist which will be useful. It is by no means exhaustive but covers the most important aspects of governance.
1. Leadership must conduct themselves in accordance with highest standards of behavior. We cannot have corrupt and dishonest people doing this however talented they may be. A kettle cannot call the pot black. It is as simple as that. The reason this often fails is because the choosers are corrupt themselves.
2. There must be code of conduct available to all.
3. A mechanism must be in place to evaluate objectivity, honesty and integrity of people in power.
4. Accountability must be established for all levels of management.
5. Good communications, openness and transparency must be observed at all times.
6. There must be adequate internal and external controls through audits by people and firms who cannot be bought or have no vested interests. We cannot afford to have an Enron and Arthur Anderson situation. The members must consist of people from all walks of life known for their integrity. They must be compensated suitably and adequately. Such people are not cheap.
7. Staff training is a must. It has to be drilled into them day in and day out like the Armed Forces do. There should be no letting up. Whistle blowers must be protected physically and monetarily by the State.
8. Risk management and Security Systems must be in place.
9. There should be a committee for anti corruption, bad and malpractices. Most people think that corruption exists in public offices only. They are wrong. It is prevalent at the maximum in the private sector. It is the private sector that aids and abets corruption by exploiting the poorly paid public servants. If you are a leader and want to remove corruption in public offices, just pay the public servants well and see the results. Consider this example I read recently. The Prime Minister of UK, Mr. Gordon Brown, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, is paid around 180,000 sterling pounds per annum plus the perks of office. The Soccer Star Christiano Ronaldo gets paid 250,000 pounds per week ! Ronaldo entertains people on the soccer field but Brown is the Prime Minister of England. He has to manage the country. I am not advocating that Brown gets paid 250,000 per week but surely he deserves a better salary.
10. Performance management systems must be in place.
If the above 10 basics are observed, we can confidently say that good governance systems are in place.
© Written on June 22, 2008. Without Prejudice. All rights reserved.
Good Governance - To learn more about this author, visit Madhavan T Gopalachary's Website.
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Madhavan T Gopalachary
(Visit Madhavan's Website)
Madhavan Gopalachary, nick name "madgopes"
(g pronounced as in go) given by IIT
classmates, is a Mechanical Engineer and
an alumnus of Indian Institute of
Technology, Madras having passed out
specializing in IC Engines &
Thermodynamics.
He has nearly 35 years of experience in
the Corporate World. He started off as a
trainee and handled sales, marketing,
manufacturing, product management, profit
center management, strategic planning and
corporate development including R & D in
various organizations and at various
levels before becoming a CEO. His last two
professional assignments were at CEO level
before embarking to start management
consultancy business on January 01, 1998.
He has worked for British, Swedish MNCs as
well as very large Indian business houses.
He has spent a large portion of his time
from June 1998 till date in East African
Countries practicing as an independent
Management Consultant.
More details can be obtained at the
following web sites:
mmg.name/
mtg.html
mmgconsu
lting.biz/
Madhavan's articles can be accessed at www.madgopes.com
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