Legal’s Veto Power
Just when I thought I’ve learned all I can from Tony Hsieh, after seeing countless interviews and reading his book, Delivering Happiness, I’m surprised to find that he encourages his managers to seek advice on risk, etc., from legal but to then make the final decision based on what is best for the customer.
As Tony explains in his recent interview on This Week In Startups, legal has an unreasonable stranglehold on decision-making in businesses and when weighed against other – oftentimes more expensive – risks made daily in other departments, they pale in comparison. But because of the fabricated authority given to legal in most organizations, they get the last word even when it goes against the best interests of the company.
Does your legal department’s veto power stop you from giving great customer service?