Category: Good governance

Topics related to different aspects of good governance

Learning and unlearning

The pace of technological development, regulatory amendments and changes in the market environment means that knowledge, skills and established ways of working can become outdated remarkably quickly. This does not mean that expertise has lost its value. Quite the opposite. In the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Deep expertise is needed, among other things, to… Continue reading Learning and unlearning

More information does not equal more transparency

Organizations today publish more information than ever before. Annual reports, policies, strategies, meeting documents, sustainability data, risk assessments and governance statements are made easily available to employees, members, customers and the wider public. The information may all be there. Yet stakeholders can still be left unable to understand what really matters and instead be met… Continue reading More information does not equal more transparency

Trust is an outcome of good governance

A recent Finnish survey on how lawyers are perceived revealed an uncomfortable contradiction: people trust lawyers’ expertise, but many are not convinced that lawyers put their clients’ interests first. This made me think about trust more broadly. We often speak about trust as something personal, built through integrity, empathy, honesty and good communication. These qualities… Continue reading Trust is an outcome of good governance

The biggest governance risk may be the one not discussed

There is a particular kind of meeting that should concern every board director and senior leader. The agenda is full. The papers are thorough. The discussion is cordial. Heads nod. A decision is reached. However, something important was never said. Not because anyone was hiding it. Not because anyone lacked the information. But because, somewhere… Continue reading The biggest governance risk may be the one not discussed

Not deciding is still a decision

Most leaders I work with are not short of awareness. They see the complexity around them, they recognize the global disruptive patterns amongst which they lead. They understand that the environment is shifting, technologically, regulatory, competitively. They know decisions need to be made. And yet, in many organizations, those decisions keep getting postponed. But here… Continue reading Not deciding is still a decision

AI governance is good governance

AI is too often treated as either a technology project or a legal compliance exercise. It is neither. AI is a cross-cutting strategic leadership issue that affects the entire organization: how rights data is managed, how members are communicated with, how licensing partners are assessed, how markets are monitored, how staff work, and how decisions… Continue reading AI governance is good governance

Code of Conduct – just another document or a practical guide?

Many organizations take on the task of drafting or updating their Code of Conduct when there is outside pressure from the organization’s stakeholders, there are significant changes in the operational environment or the existing Code of Conduct no longer fits the current situation. When updating or developing a Code of Conduct, it is important not… Continue reading Code of Conduct – just another document or a practical guide?

Strategic goals and good governance

Organizations often discuss strategy and governance as if they were separate matters. Strategy is seen as setting direction and pursuing growth, while governance is treated as a question of compliance, structures and oversight. Often in a legalistic, tick-the-box kind of manner. In practice, however, these two are closely connected and should reinforce one another. Strategic… Continue reading Strategic goals and good governance

Don’t be fooled by the tech fix idea

Did somebody trick you today? Were you fooled you into believing something that wasn’t true? Today is April Fool’s Day, a day for harmless tricks. However, every day we are faced with situations that aren’t about jokes and funny tricks but about misperceptions, beliefs based on false information and assumptions that go unchallenged. These are… Continue reading Don’t be fooled by the tech fix idea