Rethinking governance: An organisational priority to improve delivery

In today’s fast-paced world, governance is often viewed as a barrier to achieving fast flow - a function stuck in bureaucracy and control. But when we look at governance through a different lens, it becomes clear that governance is not the roadblock. It’s the structure that enables organisations to thrive in an environment where we need to balance both speed and control. By reframing governance as a leadership tool, rather than just a compliance function, we unlock the ability to align decision-making, create flow, and ultimately deliver value at scale.

The hidden cost of overlooking governance

A recurring theme in many large transformations is the delayed re-imagining of governance. While teams are restructured, delivery practices evolve, and ways of working become more adaptive, the underlying governance structures - those that control funding, risk, and decision-making - often remain stuck in the past. This disjointed approach leads to a system that is both new and old, weighed down by outdated and heavy assurance models. The result is a “complexity ceiling”, as described in the book Govern Agility, that holds back progress, draining time, money, and, perhaps most significantly, people’s energy.

Speed and control: Partners, not opposites

When governance is done right it doesn’t stifle delivery, it accelerates it. The key to success here is clarity. Clear governance provides the guardrails needed for innovation to flourish safely. It helps everyone understand how decisions are made, when to escalate issues, and how value is measured and assured. This clarity is especially crucial when teams are operating with more autonomy, as it ensures that everyone is aligned on the "what" and the "why."

Shifting from control to enablement

Modern leadership in governance isn’t about controlling every aspect of the process - it’s about enablement. Leaders don't need to be in every detail. Instead they need to create the conditions for flow. This means leaders in governance need to create space for alignment and decision-making closer to where the work happens, rather than enforcing micromanagement. This shift in mindset and language moves us away from command-and-control towards a more collaborative approach that maintains standards while enabling teams to deliver their best work.

Trust, data, and transparency

For leaders to embrace this shift, trust is key, and trust is built on visibility. Data plays a critical role in this, but many organisations still track delivery metrics through tools like JIRA without using that data to inform governance decisions. When governance becomes data-driven, rather than relying on outdated reports or static documents, it becomes more responsive and real-time. This approach builds trust between delivery teams and governance, enabling faster feedback loops and more effective decision-making.

Designing governance to support flow

Effective governance doesn’t just protect flow, it enables it E2E. It’s about:

●      Aligning strategic investments with execution to ensure that resources are used wisely.

●      Enabling timely decisions by clarifying roles and thresholds for escalation.

●      Offering guidance rather than rigid checkpoints, allowing teams to operate with autonomy.

●      Promoting transparency without burdening teams with excessive reporting.

Good governance ensures organisations do the right things, at the right time, in the right way. In an age where adaptability is critical, it’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s a leadership imperative.

If you'd like to deep dive into Governance, watch the discussion hosted by Mark Payne with Phil Gadzinski and Tony Ponton, authors of Govern Agility, from April's BVSSH Asia-Pacific meet-up.