亲爱的高盛，醒醒吧
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真正的问题是，客户的成功究竟有多重要？它比公司短期利润还要重要吗？ 弄清到底什么才能最大限度地创造客户成功意味着高盛不仅要促成金融交易，也要给客户最合适的建议，并以客户的最大利益为落脚点行事。如果高盛打算公开声称这就是其客户关系的实质，它一定要非常确定自己做到了言行一致。从高盛的监管历史看，很难想见该公司达到了这个标准。而且，不幸的是，在此届董事会任期内，业务实践评估并没有表现出深刻的反思，也使得这一愿望更难获得推进。 上周三，董事会又错过了另一个机会。它不该对史密斯的批评充耳不闻，而应该敦促首席执行官认真严肃地对待这些指责。它应该利用这一机会与员工和其他人沟通，表明董事会将行动起来，了解应该采取什么样的措施，让所有的员工和利益相关者相信高盛确实做到了言行一致。 相反，董事会却放任布莱克费恩和科恩采取了这样一种做法：将史密斯的批评视为失控的言论而置之不理。它很有可能会在未来堵住检举者的嘴。如果他们甚至敢于公然采取这样的做法，私下里还会做出些什么呢？ 董事会应该亲自采取行动。如果一家公司的首席执行官在两周时间内接连被一位法官和一位前雇员公开指责，表明情况已经相当严重。 如果所有的当事人都嘲笑史密斯太幼稚，所有人都应该知道高盛本来就像史密斯描述的那样恶劣不堪，这难道不值得警醒吗？ 上个月，我和一些董事们聊了聊，他们效力的公司在50家左右。他们相信，监督企业文化是董事会最重要的职责之一，还说，这项职责包括纠正高管们在对待员工、声誉和道德方面的短视行为。当然，调整晋升和薪酬等用人体系也是纠正错误文化的重要途径。 这些董事称，好的董事会需要知道中低层员工的想法，了解那些敢于直言的员工，倾听他们的意见，不能因为呆得太久而看不到公司及其文化存在的问题。许多董事会都会创造机会在不同场合会见中低层员工。一位董事谈到他的董事会的做法。当时，董事会在会议前夜邀请了中层经理出席董事会晚宴，而且首席执行官及其他高管都不在场。结果，董事会发现，这是了解真实情况的一个绝佳途径。 布莱克费恩已在高盛董事会服务九年，有些高盛董事的服务期也已经长达7-13年。这些人是不是待的时间太久了？麻木到犯困了？嗨，高盛董事会，你们还醒着吗？ 本文作者埃莉诺•布洛斯罕是董事会咨询机构价值联盟及公司治理连门（The Value Alliance and Corporate Governance Alliance，http://thevaluealliance.com/）的首席执行官。 |
How much, exactly, does client success matter is the real question. Does it matter more than short-term profits? Figuring out what would best create client success would mean that Goldman would not just be facilitating financial transactions, they would advise clients in what best suited them and act in their interest. If Goldman wants to say publicly that is the nature of its client relationships, it needs to be darn sure it plans to live up to the advertising. It is hard to see how the firm has been living up to that standard based on its regulatory history. And, unfortunately, on this board's watch, the business practice review was not sufficiently well thought-out to move that aspiration forward. The board missed another opportunity yesterday. Instead of brushing off Smith's comments, the board should have ensured that the CEO took the allegations seriously. It should have used this opportunity to communicate to employees and others that it would move to understand what actions would make all employees and stakeholders comfortable that Goldman's deeds match their words. Instead, the board allowed Blankfein and Cohn to take the tact most likely to shut down future whistleblowers: reject Smith's comments as out of hand. If they are willing to do this in public, what goes on behind closed doors? The board itself should be taking action. It's serious when your CEO has been publicly called out by both a judge and an employee in a two-week timeframe. And shouldn't it be a wake-up call when stakeholders mock the employee whistleblower for being naïve, implying that everyone should know that Goldman is as bad as Smith made it sound? Last month, I spoke with directors who sit on the boards of approximately 50 different companies and who believe the board's role in overseeing the corporate culture is one of its most important jobs. That role includes responsibility for redirecting any senior management myopia toward its people, reputation, and ethics, directors say. Of course, righting HR systems of promotions and compensation are primary ways to correct cultural miscues. Good boards need to know what individuals think, down inside the hierarchy, and get the views of those who will speak up and aren't already so embedded they can't see the problems in the organization and its culture, these directors say. While many boards create opportunities to meet with lower level staff in a variety of settings, one director spoke about how his board invites middle managers to the board dinner, the night before the board meeting, without the senior executive team or CEO present. That board has found it a great way to get the real lay of the land. Blankfein has been on the Goldman board for nine years and some Goldman directors have served terms ranging from seven to 13 years. Are some too embedded? Where have their hearts and minds been? Hello, Goldman board. Are you awake? Eleanor Bloxham is CEO of The Value Alliance and Corporate Governance Alliance (http://thevaluealliance.com), a board advisory firm. |
