Breathing C-R-A-P-I F-A-R-T The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Clee and Eli Wallach - these were the three main characters of the spaghetti western called the Good, the Bad and the Ugly,

This is how organizations must be categorized when looking at their structures and management of their Governance, Risk and Compliance systems. the need for fairness, accountability, responsibility and transparency cannit be over emphasized in the global business environment as is currently with the case of OXFARM.

In my upcoming booking which will be published and released to the market a in few weeks, i have tried to describe how organizations must view their activities when it comes to having strong systems of GRC. Below is a small peek into what you will expect to read in the book. I hope you enjoy reading and will wait for the details in a few weeks of how to get the book CRAPI FART - PERSPECTIVE OF AN EMERGING MARKET.

The GOOD, The BAD, The UGLY

A spaghetti western movie made in 1966, which can be said to be a true reflection of the world of business today. Three men forced to work together in one way or the other to find buried treasure in an unmarked grave at a certain cemetery.

The bad, a hired gun, always ready to carry out his duties for as long as he is paid the right amount. He does not think about the outcome of his actions to the society as a whole and whether the actions of the financiers are right or wrong.

The ugly, a common criminal with some degree of conscience, however is only after his own gains from the actions. He thinks only of himself and after committing an offense would ask for forgiveness because he feels some level of guilt for stamping on the innocent.

The good, he has no name but referred to as blondie by the ugly. Has a conscience and believes his actions must reflect the common good. He is forced to work with the bad and the ugly towards reaching the treasure to be able to make a better society.

This analogy helps explain the current situation as it relates to the world of business in today’s global village. This is the direction where organizations are moving – SUSTAINABLE EXCELLENCE – to create a better world not just for today but for future generations unborn.

Lee Van Cleef  – Angel Eyes the bad, a ruthless sociopath mercenary who always gets his job done if he has been paid for it.

With the original concept of business being to maximize its profit for its shareholders, it can be likened to the story of the bad. Little or no consideration for the environment and society as the bottom line is to make money for the shareholders.

Employees can and would sometime result to all means (most times known to the management) to deliver their target goals – bribery, corruption, malpractice, fraudulent accounting, information doctoring etc. – this is because the bottom line is profit maximization.

Eli Wallach – Tuco Benedicto Pacífico - Juan María Ramírez (known as "The Rat" according to Blondie) the ugly – he knows the name of the cemetery but not the name of the grave where the gold is buried. Forced to work with Blondie (the Good) who know the name of the grave.

This can be likened to the concept of a business, though knows the rules and regulation that governs the business activities, will try all means to manipulate and bend the rules just to their advantage. They try to do some form of philanthropy to portray them as an organization that cares, however they are only after getting the benefits for themselves alone.

Most times are not fair, accountable, responsible and transparent in their operations and as such could easily get into trouble, but they have their way because they believe there is a price for every situation and most times there is someone willing to take that price.

Clint Eastwood – Blondie – confident bounty hunter who teams up with the ugly to find the buried gold. He knows the name of the grave, whilst the ugly knows the name of the cemetery forcing both to work as a team towards recovering the treasures.

This can be likened to an ethical company wanting to build sustainability; however, will need to partner with other businesses that are coming up big and strong in emerging markets but must tread carefully to ensure that they do not compromise their operational standards – ethically responsible business.

For them C-R-A-P-I is their bedrock and F-A-R-Ting is their way of living. They have built the business operations on being fair, accountable, responsible and transparent. They are in business not just because of the profit, but for the fact that they know that for future generations to be strong and their business to remain sustainable over centuries, they must utilize the resources of the globe with the right attitude for creating wealth for all stakeholders.

C-R-A-P-I F-A-R-T is about building systems that are sustainable in all ramifications and realizing that sustainability in line with the UN Brundtland commission “is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

C-R-A-P-I F-A-R-T is the theory of moving from the bad through the ugly to the good. This is not because the world wants you to do that but because by being good, the opportunities for increased business and wealth creation far out ways any other.