Rules of the Road
I was on my way into the office the other day at 5am. Being it takes about two hours, a lot can happen. For about 15 minutes, I noticed a driver tailgating me on a winding country road. When they had an opportunity to pass, they took it, though we were in a no passing zone. It was a reckless act. I then watched the driver tailgate the car in front of me. Within five minutes, they passed that car though we were still in a no passing zone. Off they drove, into the dark. I thought there were three very clear possibilities that would happen. First, this person was going to skid off the road or hit a deer. Second, a Police officer would pull them over and cite them for reckless driving. Three, nothing would happen and they would continue to drive recklessly.
Governance in our Organizations
Now, let's consider a similar situation in an organization. You have clearly defined rules of the road, known as your organizational governance or framework. You use this governance to ensure the different types of teams deliver on the organizational goals and that there is a shared understanding of what not to do. The bigger and complex the organization, the greater need for the governance.
You have a team who is not following the organizational governance. Though they are able to reach their goals, they put everyone else at risk. What do you think would be the best course of action?
- Should we monitor them and see if they negatively impact other teams and the organization?
- Should we enforce the governance?
- Should we do nothing?