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‘A tick in the box is not a licence to abdicate responsibility.’

Posted: 03 Mar 2010

This week Vincent Bryant, PI Consulting’s Managing Partner and Warwick Business School alumnus, delivered a lecture to students on the Foundations of Corporate Performance Masters Degree Course at WBS.

The lecture provided students with a range of tools and techniques for developing strategy and managing change and an appreciation of the importance of leadership, quality of analysis and decision support, operating culture, communications and employee engagement.

Using the Royal Bank of Scotland as a case study; students examined the pre- and post-crash RBS situation to reflect on and discuss what went wrong, how it could have been avoided and to consider the priorities for Stephen Hester and the new RBS leadership team.

In responding to the question ‘how could a global business of the size and reputation of RBS find itself in such a weak position’; Vincent highlighted decision makers’ responsibility to consult and listen, understand uncertainties in relation to decision support evidence and downside risk, maintain the highest standards of corporate governance and be aware of the dangers arising from reliance on form rather than substance. As Vincent emphasised, ‘a tick in the box is not a licence to abdicate responsibility’.

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