Stop the Rot
Following the international success of
The Fish Rots from the Head:
Developing Effective Directors
, this sequel from Bob Garratt explains
the public’s distrust of the people who govern us – the directors, own-
ers, regulators and politicians – and how this can be changed.
Currently, Corporate Governance is too narrow and fragmented.
The growing gap between the angry public and the urban elite, made
manifest by Brexit and Trump, is due to a lack of appreciation by
both parties of the roles and values of well-governed organizations in
bonding a society at both national and international levels.
This book pulls no punches and directly challenges directors and
politicians to reframe their thinking about “governance” to address
the public’s distrust of them. This is the ROT that needs to be
STOPPED.
This book is truly radical in going back to basics and then design-
ing a new national action learning system between the four main
players overseen by continuous public scrutiny. It is designed to
counter the official reports of organizational failure that end too fre-
quently with the weasel words “but the main problem was a failure
of corporate governance”. Currently this is code for “so no-one can
do much about it”. This book shows what can be done.
Bob Garratt is a company director, consultant, and academic work-
ing on corporate governance; board and director evaluation and
performance, organizational learning and change, and strategic
thinking issues. He is based in London and consults on five of the
six continents.
Garratt_2017_text_final.indd 112/06/2017 15:04
“Bob Garratt is once again at the forefront of challenging conventional
thinking on corporate governance as he fearlessly explores areas that
others fear to tread. In his relentless pursuit of excellence in govern-
ance, Professor Garratt thankfully takes us beyond yet another disser-
tation on rules and standards to remind us of the underlying thesis of
good governance around values and trust, and seeks to build on the
twin issues of competence and professionalism. What I find compelling
is his challenge to regulators and policy-makers to demonstrate genuine
commitment and leadership in encouraging thoughtful legislation and
enforcement that restores the productive, but responsible, capacity of
business enterprise.”
Philip Armstrong, Director of Governance, Gavi Alliance and
Board Vice Chair, International Corporate Governance Network
“An incredibly valuable work. It needs to be studied by the leaders in busi-
ness and government to begin the processes of correction. As expected
by readers of Bob Garratt’s seminal work
The Fish Rots from the Head
,
the author has not disappointed.
Stop the Rot
will be a handbook for all
those involved in corporate entities that are seeking certainty of direction
to improve the standing of business leaders in the community.”
Denise Fleming, Managing Director,
Foresight’s Global Coaching, Australia
“This new book from Bob Garratt is clearly needed as a guide to the
post-Brexit Trump world. It is visionary in making bold suggestions, and
it is ambitious in raising new questions. The book pinpoints the ‘demol-
ishing of professionalism’ as the critical cultural change that accounts for
so much that we regret in today’s corporate world.”
Robert A.G. Monks, author of Corporate Governance
and Corpocracy
“Bob Garratt adds to his library of classic works on Governance with
this volume which builds on the earlier excellent analysis on what is
wrong with our boardrooms by dealing with the ongoing frustration
over a lack of implementation of previously agreed changes in corporate
governance, which in turn has undermined trust. Bob, here, prescribes
more fundamental change based on learning which puts humanity, val-
ues and ethics to the fore whilst encouraging entrepreneurial direction.
Anybody who is unsatisfied with the current state of governance and
lack of trust should read and apply the lessons!”
Canon Professor Clive Morton, Middlesex University, UK
Garratt_2017_text_final.indd 212/06/2017 15:04
Stop the Rot
Reframing Governance for
Directors and Politicians
Bob Garratt
Garratt_2017_text_final.indd 312/06/2017 15:04。