Make clear that the organization’s structure and rules are designed to ensure that its checks-and-balances system functions well.

Make sure reporting lines are clear.

Make sure decision rights are clear.

Make sure that the people doing the assessing 1) have the time to be fully informed about how the person they are checking on is doing, 2) have the ability to make the assessments, and 3) are not in a conflict of interest that stands in the way of carrying out oversight effectively.

Recognize that decision makers must have access to the information necessary to make decisions and must be trustworthy enough to handle that information safely.

Remember that in an idea meritocracy a single CEO is not as good as a great group of leaders.

No governance system of principles, rules, and checks and balances can substitute for a great partnership.

For any group or organization to function well, its work principles must be aligned with its members’ life principles.

I don’t mean that they must be aligned on everything, but I do mean that they have to be aligned on the most important things, like the mission they’re on and how they will be with each other.

If people in an organization feel that alignment, they will treasure their relationships and work together harmoniously; its culture will permeate everything they do. If they don’t, they will work for different, often conflicting, goals and will be confused about how they should be with each other. For that reason, it pays for all organizations—companies, governments, foundations, schools, hospitals, and so on—to spell out their principles and values clearly and explicitly and to operate by them consistently.
